Family of slain Wendy’s employee petitions for imprisoned mother to attend funeral
Friends and family held a vigil to honor 19-year-old J’Karri Anderson on Saturday, one week after police said his co-worker shot and killed him during their shift.
Channel 9 reporter Glenn Counts heard from the family of the victim as they held the vigil and called for justice.
“Some of them were able to see J’Karri and because of the peaceful look on that young man’s face it truly helped these young people to know he’s OK,” family spokesperson Ellen Clay said.
Police said last week the teen was shot and killed at the Wendy’s on W.T. Harris Boulevard in an act of workplace violence.
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His family and friends consider him a hero because he tried to intervene when a co-worker allegedly started waving a gun.
J’Karri will be laid to rest on Oct. 21 and the family is trying to get permission for his mother, Latisha Anderson, to attend.
Anderson, 36, is at the Women’s Federal Prison in Aliceville, Alabama. Back in 2020, she picked up a shipment of what she thought was ecstasy in Atlanta, Georgia for her boyfriend.
She pleaded guilty to conspiracy.
“In my opinion in her family’s opinion it doesn’t change the person she really is at heart, so hopefully they will take that into consideration, her past and her behavior since she’s been incarcerated,” Clay said.
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Prior to this scrape with the law, Anderson had never been arrested and was very close to her son.
The family has started a letter-writing campaign requesting the warden of FCI Aliceville grant Anderson a furlough.
“She is not here, she is not here to help them to bury her son, but prayerfully she will be here to see him for the last time this week,” Clay said.
The family asked anyone who wants to support them to write letters to the warden. Information on how to do so is included below.
J’Karri’s celebration of life will be held on Oct. 21 at Grace Memorial Baptist Church and starts at noon.
To contact FCI Aliceville:
Federal Correctional Institution-Aliceville
11070 AL-14, Aliceville, AL 35442
Current Warden: K. Neely
Email: ALI-ExecAssistant-S@bop.gov
Phone: 205-373-5010
(WATCH BELOW: Security guard shoots man allegedly pointing gun at woman in Uptown)
