LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — It was an evening of both celebration and pain Thursday night as family and friends gathered for a memorial for 52-year-old Ansean Jackson.
Dozens gathered inside the Church of God in Jesus' Name for a ceremony led by one of his best friends, Pastor Elizabeth Ann Freeman.
"He was a giver, he was a man of love. Do I miss him? A whole lot," Freeman said.
Jackson was walking near Broadway and Loudon late at night on August 12 when a driver struck and killed him, fleeing the scene. He was later found by police.
40-year-old Christopher Parish was charged with aggravated DUI in connection with the crash. He has not been directly charged with Jackson's death.
The memorial featured song, dance and stories about how people met and knew Jackson.
It both focused on the joy in Jackson's life, while also calling for justice in the case.
"We need to let Lexington know the law is for everybody. It has to be fair across the board," said Jackson's mother, Gwen Johnson.
Jackson's family is in town this week for a now-delayed pre-trial conference for Parish.
The case is now slated to begin at the end of November.
In the meantime, people are thinking about Jackson and remembering him as an eccentric and thoughtful member of the community.
"He was just a genuine person to know," Freeman said.
