INDIANAPOLIS — "I never knew it was going to be this hard," said Rochelle Dickerson.
Dickerson has spent the past five years without her son, Rodriguez Anderson, who everyone knew as "Pooh." She's spent the long days and hours without him grieving and missing her son.
"I just wish this wasn't true," Dickerson said, "but it's five long years without my baby."
Five years ago exactly. On Jan. 3, 2018, Anderson was found dead in his car along East 36th Street and Schofield Avenue.
At the time, IMPD reported Anderson had been shot multiple times at another location, with the suspect firing at least 15 rounds.
His murder has never been solved.
"It's very frustrating," Dickerson said. "It's a nightmare. I just hope that one day I can wake up and they can tell me the person who killed my son. I wish one day and they could tell me about it because I want to talk to that person."
Surrounded by family and friends on Tuesday afternoon, Rochelle was back at the corner of 36th and Schofield once again, back to where her son's body was found. Here, she remembers how much she and Pooh looked alike, how he loved taking pictures and how much he loved his family.
"I miss my son very much. This is a long road and I've got to keep going for my grandkids, I'm living for my grandkids," she said.
Della Brown with Cease Fire Indy helped organize a vigil to remember Pooh and to surround Rochelle and her family with support and care as they continue to fight for answers in his death.
"I've lost a brother, I've lost friends and I know how it feels when all the funerals are over with and all the balloon releases are over with and people just start going away. So just being able to be that support to let her know that she's not alone, they're not alone," Brown said. “It means absolutely everything to me because I didn’t have it and I know how I would have felt if I did have it. So just being able to do that and see the smile on her face and thank you, she’s always so appreciative, it means the world to me."
Keeping Pooh's memory alive all these years later, the group gathered at 36th and Schofield slowly let five balloons go, one for each year he's been gone.
Rochelle said no matter how much time passes, she won't let her son or his murder be forgotten.
"If I don't ever get justice for my son, I hope another mother will get justice for theirs, no matter how they lost their child. Everybody needs justice out here for their kids," Dickerson said.
13News reached out to IMPD for an update on Anderson's unsolved murder. We have not yet heard back.