GRAY, Ga. — It's been almost four years since Donald Marquise Hardwick was murdered in his apartment in Jones County. Now both his family and the men allegedly responsible are still awaiting trial.
Sherry Greene's living room walls are covered with family photos.
One familiar face is her son -- 24-year-old Marquise Hardwick.
"He was funny, he always had you going, he loved basketball. That's all he ever do. He ate, slept, breathed basketball," she said.
That's until Nov. 13 2017, when Greene says her son was ambushed and killed at his apartment.
Since then, Gray Police have charged a total of six people.
Police charged Cameron Banks, Justerrious Canty, and Jaqualan Clark with felony murder, and later, three others were charged with hindering Clark's arrest.
But the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the start of any trials for the last year.
"We've done had lived with this three and a half years, and we're fixing to come up on four years, the family needs closure. The children need closure. Whatever the verdict is, we still need closure," Greene said.
Including Hardwick's son, Ayden, who says he misses his dad every day.
"He was a great dad and everything, I used to go to this house a lot of times. He helped me learn how to play basketball," he says.
Greene says she knows her family is just one of hundreds awaiting a trial date, but she's hoping the state will consider any and all alternatives to move the process along quicker.
"To give the families the closure, I feel like do virtual trial or limit how many people, just have immediate family in the courtroom, just something to try to get some of these cases resolved," Greene said.
She says for now, she and her family will continue to be patient and wait for that trial date to be set.
