Poem to recall life of a victim, 13
A year ago, teen was fatally shot in Dorchester
Before he was fatally shot just a few feet from his house last October, 13-year-old Steven Odom wrote in a journal about his fear of violence in the city and his fervent hope for peace.
He tucked away the journal, along with two others, in his locker at the James P. Timilty Middle School in Roxbury, where he was in the eighth grade. The books sat there until January, when a janitor cleaning out the boy's locker found them and brought them to a teacher.
Today, during a vigil marking the one-year anniversary of his death, Steven's mother, Kim, will read a poem from the journals that comforted and inspired her.
"The day that I found about [the journals] I was really going through a very low spot. I just felt like I needed to hear Steven's voice," she said. "Those things have really helped."
The vigil will take place between 7 and 8 p.m. on Evans Street in Dorchester, where Steven was shot in the head as he was walking home after playing basketball with friends. He was shot about 7:40 p.m. by someone police believe was aiming for someone else.
Elaine Driscoll, spokeswoman for the Boston Police Department, said the investigation remains active and police believe they know who the suspect is.
"Detectives have made significant progress in identifying the individual responsible for Steven Odom's death," she said. "Unfortunately, we're not in a position to publicly disclose additional information because we do not want to compromise the case."
A law enforcement official with knowledge of the investigation said detectives are looking into the possibility that the suspect may be dead.
Kim Odom said she will be meeting with homicide detectives soon to talk about the case.
"I still want justice," she said. "We haven't really heard too much as far as details of who the perpetrator is."
Tomorrow, Odom will read again from the journal, at an afternoon memorial service at the Mildred Avenue Community Center, where Steven liked to play basketball. There will be a slideshow presentation with photos of Steven from the time he was a baby until he was 13, and dancers swaying in prayer.
"It's going to be a very joyful celebratory," said Odom, whose husband, Ronald, is a minister at True Vine Pentecostal Assembly. "That's how we worship."
Hundreds are expected at tomorrow's service, according to the Boston TenPoint Coalition, a local clergy group.
Lori Nelson, the coalition's director of community outreach, said neighbors still grieve for Steven. "Any time a young person is killed, that impacts the entire community simply because you're dealing with a young life, a life that has potential," she said.
Jason Cross, Steven's cousin, said the teen's writings have inspired fellow classmates.
"I think they may have picked up on the notes he left behind in his life, which encouraged them to live better lives going forward, and to try to live to the same standards that he held," he said.
"He was always happy, always in a good mood. You don't hear too much about positive teens. He was one that was an example of what a positive teen was."
Kim Odom said a tree that Mayor Thomas M. Menino agreed to plant now grows where Steven was shot.
"It has been a hard year," she said. "I've cried every day since October 4, 2007, but at the same time I've really been able to reflect on some things. . . . He had a hope that he believed the community could come together and stop the violence and bring peace. That has really been a charge for me."
Globe correspondent Kate O'Neill Augusto contributed to this report. 