One year ago, local musician Corey Jones was shot and killed off the I-95 exit ramp in Palm Beach Gardens.
The State Attorney's office says the man who pulled the trigger - former Palm Beach Gardens police officer Nouman Raja - approached Jones in plain clothes and an unmarked car.
As Raja awaits his day on court, Jones' family reflects on the day that changed their lives forever.
At his final resting place in Boynton Beach Memorial Park, they gathered to release balloons and reflect on his life.
“Corey needed help, he didn’t need someone to kill him,” Corey’s Aunt Sheila Banks says.
The loss of Jones is one his family is still coping with each day.
“There’s always an empty seat at the table,” says Corey’s father Clinton Jones. “Nothing is the same without Corey.”
Raja’s arrest in June, the Jones family says, is only the beginning of their fight.
“We want to make sure this sends a message that this won’t be tolerated,” Clinton says.
In the year since, his family has been working to spread that message - and create a legacy.
The family made the push for body cameras for Gardens Police.
In January, The Corey Jones Act was introduced in congress, prohibiting plainclothes officer confrontations in unmarked cars.
A just announced scholarship program in Corey’s name will benefit area high schoolers seeking careers in art and criminal justice.
So as a year goes by with still so few answers, his family takes solace - knowing they’re getting closer to a solution
Raja is set for a status check Wednesday morning.
News Channel 5 reached out to his lawyer for comment, and are still waiting for a response.
EARLIER STORY
Tuesday marks one year since local drummer Corey Jones was shot and killed at the exit ramp of Interstate 95 at PGA Boulevard.
RELATED: More coverage of the case
Investigators say former Palm Beach Gardens police officer Nouman Raja was in plain clothes when he was accused of shooting and killing Jones.
Raja is facing manslaughter charges and is currently under house arrest
The former officer has pleaded not guilty and is due in court Wednesday for a status hearing.
Jones’ family will meet at his gravesite for a balloon ceremony at noon Tuesday.
