It was an emotional day for the family of 10-year-old Jesse Wilson as they gathered in Goodyear to honor the life of the young boy and seek justice for his murder.
"I never imagined losing a child, not like, not like this," said Carrisa Stuart, Jesse's mother.
Stuart said she is struggling to move through the grieving process. Days ago she found out her son's remains were found in a remote area of Buckeye two years after he went missing.
"What happened, you know? Just a lot of emotions," Stuart said.
For Jesse's dad, the pain of losing his son is unbearable.
"It's hard to even talk about it," said Jesse Machado, Jesse's father.
Jesse Wilson vanished two years ago from his home in Buckeye. His adoptive mother reported him missing the next day. Despite massive searches efforts and extensive media coverage, no clues turned up on the missing boy's whereabouts.
FULL COVERAGE: The search for Jesse Wilson
On March 8, his remains were found just off State Route 85 and Broadway Road about 6 miles from his home.
"How could someone have dumped his body out there off of the highway?" said Cynthia Lauderdale, Jesse's grandmother.
Lauderdale said she is more angry than sad. She says she worked so hard to gain custody of her grandson and he should never have been put in the custody of the Arizona Department of Child Services.
The family says what matters most now is solving the mystery of who killed Jesse Wilson.
