Family, friends and members of the community gathered in a Phoenix park to mark the one-year anniversary of Zariah Dodd’s death with a remembrance walk organized under the banner "Her Dreams Still Matter." The event brought together those who knew and loved Dodd to walk, remember and lay out tributes at a makeshift memorial in the park, marking the first anniversary of the killing that took her life.
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A memorial poster for Zariah Dodd featuring her photo and the words "Forever in Our Hearts," used to promote the "Her Dreams Still Matter" remembrance walk marking one year since her death.
A large memorial poster featuring a photograph of Dodd and the words "Forever in Our Hearts" served as a focal point for attendees and was used to promote the remembrance walk. Organizers chose the phrase "Her Dreams Still Matter" as the event’s theme, bringing that message to the forefront of the gathering and the materials distributed to promote the walk. The poster and other materials were displayed prominently so participants could see the image of Dodd as they paid their respects and walked together through the park.
During the event, family members and other participants arranged a display of photographs, flowers and other mementos on a memorial table set up in the park. Those items were placed carefully around the table and on the ground near it, forming a visible tribute to Dodd. The table and surrounding arrangements gave attendees a place to gather, reflect and leave tokens in memory of her, and family and community members coordinated the placement of these reminders of her life.
Family and community members arrange photos, flowers and a memorial table in a Phoenix park during the remembrance walk honoring Zariah Dodd one year after her murder.
The remembrance walk was explicitly timed to coincide with the one-year mark since Dodd’s death. Participants walked and assembled in the park to observe that anniversary, choosing the public setting of the park to gather together. The event included visual tributes and group movement through the park, with the memorial table acting as a central point where those attending could pause to arrange flowers, look at photographs and share a moment of silence.
Organizers provided information about the remembrance walk and its schedule, and the gathering included elements intended to allow a broader audience to participate. Materials promoting the event emphasized the memorial theme and invited community involvement. The presence of the poster, the memorial table and the arrangements of photos and flowers made the intentions of the organizers evident: to create a visible, communal act of remembrance for Dodd on the anniversary of her death.
The gathering in the park consisted of people who identified as family members and community supporters, who worked together to set up the memorial display and to carry out the walk. They placed photographs and floral arrangements carefully at the memorial, taking time to organize the display before or during the event. These gestures created a memorial area that functioned both as a tribute to Dodd and as a focal point for the activities of the remembrance walk.
The visual elements of the event — the poster bearing Dodd’s image and words of remembrance, the photos and flowers on the memorial table — were installed to be visible to those who came to the park. Organizers sought to ensure that the memorial and the walk would communicate the purpose of the gathering to others who may have encountered it in the park: a communal observance marking the one-year anniversary of Dodd’s death. The items displayed did not conceal their intent; they were arranged openly and prominently in the outdoor space.
Those who placed items at the memorial and who took part in the walk did so within the public space of the park, assembling and moving together as part of the remembrance. The event unfolded with a clear focus on honoring Dodd’s memory, marked by the walking component and by the creation of a dedicated memorial spot where photographs, flowers and other tokens were arranged. The poster and other promotional materials reinforced the theme of the day: remembering one year after Dodd’s death and affirming the message carried by the event’s name, "Her Dreams Still Matter."
Dodd was a 16-year-old in Arizona's child welfare system and 22 weeks pregnant with a daughter when she was shot in the head at the park on July 5, 2025. Two men, including the unborn child's father, face charges in the case, which helped inspire 13 new state child welfare reforms. Foster mother Richilyn Fox told ABC15 the event's message "Her Dreams Still Matter" doubles as a demand for better protections for vulnerable teens.
Phoenix police have identified the two suspects as 36-year-old Jurrell Davis and 18-year-old Jechri James‑Gillett; prosecutors say both face two counts of first‑degree murder in the deaths of Zariah Dodd and her unborn daughter, Davis — whom police allege is the father — also faces a charge of sexual misconduct with a minor and has a prior 2008 conviction related to child abuse, and both suspects were booked with $1 million cash bonds.
This year the Arizona Legislature passed a package of 13 child‑welfare laws prompted in part by Dodd’s case; key measures include SB 1631, which requires children who report sexual abuse to receive a forensic interview within 72 hours, SB 1125 to formalize memoranda of understanding between the Department of Child Safety and tribal governments, and SB 1174 to give intake hotline workers access to past case history, with a foster‑care bill of rights added to HB 1496 and other bills aimed at improving group home oversight and runaway prevention.
Organizers held the "Her Dreams Still Matter" remembrance walk at Marivue Park in west Phoenix (5625 W. Osborn Road) from 7 to 9 a.m., with the memorial table and posters set up near the location where Dodd was found last July.