Barway Collins remembered 9 years after tragic death

CRYSTAL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Nine years after his death, the life of Barway Collins is being remembered in Crystal. 

On Saturday afternoon, his mother and community members gathered at his grave site at the Glen Haven Memorial Gardens. 

In 2015, the 10-year-old boy went missing after getting off the school bus. Tragically, his body was found three weeks later in the Mississippi River. His father confessed to killing him and was sentenced to 40 years in prison.

Plans are in the works for a more permanent memorial for Barway at Becker Park. The community has raised thousands of dollars for a life-sized bronze statue of Barway. It's expected to be unveiled this summer or fall.

"I feel happy to see my son's memory stay alive," said Louise Karluah, Barway's mom.

Karluah also hopes to name a school after her son in their native Liberia one day.