PARIS. KY. (LEX 18) — 6-year-old Wesley Mullins was a young boy, full of promise.
"He was outgoing and just loved everybody and just always had a smile," Wesley's uncle, Christopher Mullins, said.
Thursday would have been Wesley's 22nd birthday. Christopher thinks he would have been a golf star by now.
"In college and making some good money," he said with a proud laugh.
However, that future was stolen from Wesley in 2007 when he was raped and killed by his grandfather's roommate.
"It was just horrifying," Tim Gray, who was the police chief at the time, recalled. "I'll never forget seeing Wesley laying there in his pajamas, dirty feet."
Gray is also the current President of the Wesley's Place board.
"As God says, forgive," Christopher said. "But it's hard. It's hard to forgive someone that's done something so bad to your family, to you, that was our friend."
The garage Wesley was found in has been reimagined into something beautiful: a memorial for Wesley.
"What makes me feel good is that we come together here at his place, and we remember him and that's very important," Gray said.
Next door, the Wesley's Place building houses the Community Action Council.
The Wesley's Place organization itself raises money for CASA, Children's Advocacy Center, and Arbor Youth.
"Out of such hate, terrible tragedy came good," Gray said.
That's the legacy of the little boy, who loved to play with kites and was always smiling. For the Mullins, he's an angel looking out for other children.
On September 3rd, Wesley's Place is hosting a moment of remembrance at 2 p.m. The public is invited.
"Not only grieving a little bit together but sharing memories, really whatever they need," Gray said about what people can expect on Saturday. "If they want to tour the building, if they want to ask questions, if they need to cry, that's what it's going to be for."
