JASPER — The family of Christopher Spikes, 22, spoke out for the first time since his death on Friday.
"Everybody loved Chris, everybody loved him," his mother LaNieka Spikes said. "He made no strangers."
Christopher Spikes was a man of many talents, from being a three-sport athlete at Jasper High School (football, basketball & track) to making music videos and rapping as "JulioYB."
Yet his best quality was his heart and the impact he had on others according to his family and friends.
"A lot of the younger students coming up even looked up to him," Spikes' former HS teacher Stephanie Martindale said. "He was just that kind of person that didn't mind helping others and he always had a positive attitude."
Last week, Christopher Spikes went missing. His family grew concerned when they couldn't get a hold of them.
"He was off the grid, he wasn't answering the phone or texting," his father Donald Spikes said. "We got on social media and found out he wasn't even on that and that's not like Chris...we knew something was missing."
After a few hours of searching, the Spikes family discovered something tragic. The 22-year-old was found dead just before 9:30 p.m. Friday, with a gunshot wound to the back of his head.
His body was found on the side of Hi-Truitt Road, near highway 96 just north of Jasper.
Sheriff Mitch Newman with the Jasper County Sheriff's Office tells us the investigation is ongoing but he's treating it as a homicide.
The loss of Spikes is fresh in the minds of many, but his affect on those who knew him will never be forgotten.
Mikayla Spikes, his sister, said, "That's my big brother, he played the best role as a big brother." Christopher Spikes leaves behind two daughters, a two-year-old named Royalty and a newborn named Rhylie.
His family has no doubt that justice will prevail.
"They're going to find who did it," Donald Spikes said. "We're confident in the sheriff's department here in Jasper."
If you have information on Spikes' death, please call the sheriff's office at 409-384-5417.
The family will be holding a funeral service on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. in the Westside Church of Christ in Jasper, anybody is welcome to attend.