‘This is real hard for me:’ Vigil held for Lexington double homicide victims

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - Communities around Lexington are continuing to grieve after the violence that has played out over the past week.

Family and friends took part in a vigil at Green Acres Park for the victims of Saturday’s double homicide, identified as 49-year-old James Bost Jr. and 20-year-old Amaya Taylor Sandlfer.

“This is real hard for me, to see everybody out here that loved and cared for him. He’s going to be missed,” Schly said.

Schly remembered her son fondly.

“James was a good young man, there wasn’t anything that he wouldn’t do for somebody else,” Schly said.

She was touched to see community members come together to celebrate Bost’s life, where it was taken from him.

“It’s just expected that children will close the eyes of their parents, but we live in what we know to be a fallen world. But at the same time, we need to be mindful that God is still in charge,” pastor Richard Gaines said.

Gaines called for peace in a park that had seen serious violence this past weekend.

“We’re going to keep coming together, there’s a lot of love in this park,” Gaines said.

As she let go of a balloon for James to say goodbye, Schly made one final request of the community-- that they remember her beloved boy.

“Keep his memory alive, I know he may not be here. But remember him,” Schly said.

WKYT reached back out to Lexington police about this case and they said there is still no new information regarding potential suspects, and the investigation is still ongoing.

Those two homicides mark Lexington’s 14th and 15th of the year, putting the city on pace to match last year’s record.