The sister of a woman killed near Underground Atlanta says it was the best birthday gift ever when she learned a grand jury indicted her sister’s accused killer.
On Wednesday, the family gathered to make sure her memory lives on.
They told Channel 2′s Tom Jones that they don’t want what happened to her to happen to anyone else.
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The holidays were tough for Mitchel Dang’s family, as this was their first Christmas and New Year without her.
To fill the void, they laced up their running shoes and ran a one-mile race to keep her memory alive.
Mitchel’s sister Mary Dang, along with friends and family, participated in the race in honor of Mitchel on New Year’s Day.
While running, Mary Dang felt a rush of emotion.
“Because Mitchel and I used to run together a lot. And it just felt like she was there with me,” Mary Dang said.
Atlanta police say Ja’Keivious Arnold kidnapped, robbed, sexually assaulted and killed Mitchel Dang in August near the Fulton County Government Center.
Officers say a video shows Arnold walking with Mitchel Dang moments before she was killed.
She posted a video before meeting Arnold saying she was excited about heading to Underground Atlanta for a night of dancing.
Mary Dang says her sister’s tragic death has left her family with broken hearts.
“It’s difficult when the parent has to bury their child,” she said.
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Mary Dang says she got the best birthday present ever recently when she got a call that a grand jury had indicted Arnold.
“And knowing that they indicted him, it feels - it’s been a sense of relief,” she said.
She says it’s one step closer to the justice they sorely need.
“We’re all stuck. We’re all stuck until even the final verdict,” Mary Dang said.
Arnold was indicted on nine charges including murder, felony murder, kidnapping, false imprisonment, robbery and necrophilia.
He is being held without bond at the Fulton County Jail.
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