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The mother of the 2-year-old Albert Lea boy murdered in July 2023 has started a GoFundMe page to raise money for a memorial headstone for her son.

With the conclusion of the case for the man convicted of killing Ahziyas Bellemy Solo Dampha, she said it has finally come time to bury her son.

“It has been a very long journey through this tragedy,” Emma Sullivan wrote. “Finally a little bit of closure has come as his murderer has been sentenced, and the time has come for me to receive my son’s body and have him put to rest.”

She said she has been living paycheck to paycheck while raising Ahziyas’ siblings and hasn’t been able to set money aside for the headstone.

The anticipated $3,500 will cover the headstone itself, delivery, installation and all taxes and fees. If there are extra donations after the headstone purchase, they will go strictly toward the upbringing of her son, A’Ries, who also suffered injuries the day Ahziyas died.

The page can be found here.