ORANGE, Texas — Family and friends gathered in Orange Saturday to mourn the loss and honor the lives of a young couple who were taken far too soon.
Aaliyah Gradnigo and her boyfriend Thalamus Livings were shot to death in January 2021 at a home in Orange. Gradnigo was 18 when she died and Livings was 23.
"Today marks two years since they’ve been tragically taken from us, so we are here to honor their memory," Amanda Gradnigo, Aaliyah Gradnigo's mother, said.
On Saturday, the families gathered in prayer and laid flowers at Aaliyah Gradnigo's grave site at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens. In a previous interview with 12News, loved ones described Gradnigo as calm and sweet and Livings as respectable and kind.
Manka Alonzo Melson, 25, of Vinton, was found guilty of murdering the couple and sentenced to life without parole in February 2022.
"We still, regardless of the situation, we still don’t have her or TJ," Amanda Gradnigo said.
The family described the support they have received from the community as amazing.
"Even though it been two years, we live this every day, but we have so much love and support," Amanda Gradnigo said. "I think that’s probably the only thing that gets us through it."
The family wants to thank those who supported them and continue to support them through their tragic loss.
"I just definitely want to thank everyone that continues to show love and support to myself and my family. It definitely means a lot to us," Amanda Gradnigo said.