AUSTIN — Family and friends of Bakari Henderson celebrated what would have been his 23rd birthday at The Domain Friday night.
Henderson was killed outside a club in Greece in July 2017.
"It's been hard. It's up and down. It's definitely a struggle. Our faith really has helped us kinda get through this situation," Bakari's mother Jill told KVUE. "I'm not going to say we're all the way through, 'cause we're not. We're still very deep into it because, of course, we haven't had the trial yet."
Nine men involved in Bakari's death have been formally charged, but a trial date has not been set.
"Two of them are still in Serbia, so we're not sure exactly what they're going to do with them. We know they will try them in abstentia if they aren't able to go back to the trial," Jill said. "The rest of them are in jail and will be tried."
While Jill waits for the trial day to come, she isn't wasting any time honoring her son's legacy.
With some help, she's hoping to launch the clothing line Bakari was working on before he died. She's also started a foundation in his name to help families in similar situations heal.
"It's an honor of us to be able to do it just to say that, even though he's gone, his legacy will continue on ... his clothing line, the foundation. And it's a part of us, basically, so we'll be able to see his clothing line, hear his name. It'll just make us feel like he's still with us," Jill said.
Jill still doesn't forgive the men who took her son's life, but she hopes one day she will.
"I'm working on it daily so that I can get to that point," she said. "And I think that that is the ultimate goal is for us to all learn how to truly love and forgive each other."