NEW ORLEANS -- While a former New Orleans police officer has sat on death row for nearly two decades, family has vowed to keep the memory of a mother, and the story behind the corruption that killed her, alive.
Jasmine Groves holds the only picture of her late mother. All others were washed away in Hurricane Katrina. Kim Groves was shot in the head by a hitman 20 years ago Monday.
The killer was hired by NOPD Officer Len Davis after she complained that he beat a teenager.
"It was kind of like, 'Wow,' because that was the same people I called to come out and save her," Groves said about that day in 1994.
Tuesday is Jasmine's 32nd birthday. It's the same age her mother was when she was murdered. She never celebrates her own birthday, just the anniversary of her mother's death. Her mother's last words were singing happy birthday while planning the pre-teen's party.
Then, while dying, her daughter said her final thoughts came from her eyes.
"Like she said her 'sorrys' and, you know, she wish she could be here with us and we saw the one tear come out. So, and after that, she passed," Groves said sadly.
In the generation since that case, a criminologist said there have been major advances with the NOPD, but he said there could still be a few more cultural changes.
"There's some residues of the old culture. You still have these, in some cases, race-based groups. The other thing is the brotherhood, code of silence, which the consent decree folks are trying to break down. But the culture's changed glacierally."
Len Davis was one of many officers being investigated by the FBI 20 years ago for ties to dealing drugs. Every year, Jasmine has a memorial to let people know how far the city has come and to keep it from going back.
"I want to personally invited everyone who's lost someone to corruption, crime, or just want to stand to try to make this better," she said.
The memorial service is Saturday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the 1400 block of Alabo Street.
There will be speakers, performances by the Mardi Gras Indians and a proclamation from the city.
