ADRIAN (WTOL) - “Justice for Chris! Justice for Chris! Justice for Chris!”
It’s been the theme of a day-long, emotional goodbye for Chris Dickerson's family and friends.
"If he was around, you were not allowed to not be happy. He would make sure you were happy,” Tracena Dickerson said about her son.
Friends and family came to share fond, vivid memories of their social butterfly in an vigil Monday evening.
A friend will miss his singing and dancing. An aunt will miss his infectious smile. A brother will miss a shared love of Michigan football and practical jokes. Everyone is missing something.
"We always pick on each other. Him and my brother William, and Chris. Chris told me, he’s like ‘Will always likes chocolate.’ So we had grandpa’s Ex-Lax bars in the cabinet. We got it out and gave it to him, and he ate it. And maaaan about a half hour later, maaan, my momma was so mad at us. She was so mad. She made me walk home because of something my little brother made me do,” Shawn Dickerson said, laughing as he remembered his younger brother.
The Weston native was a talented athlete, helping to bring his high school football team to the state championships. Remembering Dickerson brings pain, but also a feeling of fulfillment. The support means the world to Dickerson's mother.
"It just fills my heart, because I know Chris would have been so proud. This would have meant everything to him. He, he’s definitely smiling, that’s for sure,” Tracena said.
Yet a cloud hangs over the joyful memories.
Dickerson was laid to rest after detectives found his body in a wooded area in Medina Township February 23, a few days after his mother reported him missing last month.
His death has put his family on a mission.
“I know there’s people out there, I know who it is. Y’all know who it is. C’mon. If you know something, come tell us. Call the number, alright. If this was your brother, what would you do?” Shawn said.
If you have any information on Chris’s death, contact Lenawee County Crime Stoppers: 517-266-6161. You can remain anonymous.
