East Point community mourns victim of armed robbery

EAST POINT, Ga. - Members of New Springfield Baptist Church want to make sure family members of a woman killed know they have a support system. On Friday night, the church held a candlelight vigil.

“When something happens to one then it ought to happen to everybody and we need to surround each other and be that family,” says Rev. Harold Hughley.

RELATED: East Point Police search for suspects in deadly armed robbery attempt

Around 1:00 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 25, two men robbed, then shot and killed 29-year-old Joylessa Roby. She was walking along Washington Road. Someone saw her body and called police. Roby had gotten off work at an area McDonald's hours earlier.

“It's been a challenge to know that I won't ever see her again,” says Vanessa Sarden, Roby's mother. “I won't ever have that call to look forward to whenever she felt like calling so it's been a challenge.”

Through the years, generations of Roby's family members attended New Springfield Baptist Church. Members gathered to sing, pray, and release balloons.

“God didn't tell us that things were going to be easy, but he always puts us in a family and that's what the church is supposed to be,” Hughley told FOX 5's Kerry Charles.

Meantime, East Point Police continue searching for those who killed Roby. Her mother finds comfort in her faith, but still wants justice.

“I had to get forgiveness when I first heard about it because if not I would not have been able to make it thus far.”

Roby leaves behind an 11-year-old daughter.