A year after his death, family and friends of Wayne L. Best Jr. gathered at Vale Cemetery asking anyone with information, or the person or people who killed him, to come forward.
“I don’t care why it happened,” said Karen Kirsch, Best’s stepmother. “That’s irrelevant at this point. I want to know who did this.”
Family and friends of Best, 25, who was shot and killed in front of his Parkwood Boulevard home in the early morning of Dec. 9, 2014, told stories and sang at his gravesite Wednesday afternoon.
Dozens of people wore black hats that had “#BEBEST” written across the front in big white letters. Best’s father, Wayne Best Sr., said the saying means “be the best you can be.”
“A lot of people felt Wayne was 100 percent and did everything to the fullest and tried to be the best that he could be,” he said. “It just fits.”
Best’s father said his son “liked to do everything,” including BMX bicycling, football, lacrosse, skateboarding and waterskiing. He said his favorite sport was lacrosse.
Best played lacrosse at Schenectady High School and Herkimer County Community College. He made the Adirondack Region’s Empire State Games lacrosse team in the summer of 2006, before his high school senior year.
“In 2006 he was the only person in Schenectady to make the Empire State Games,” Best said. “That was a biggie and you have to work hard for that. Wayne did a lot of great things. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
Best and Kirsch said it’s difficult to go a second Christmas without their son. Kirsch joked that the tree decorated at Best’s gravesite on Wednesday was “the best-looking Christmas tree we’ve ever had.”
The tree, about 6 feet tall, features ornaments, ribbons and presents under the tree, including a skateboard. Flowers, candles and pine cones were also displayed around his grave.
“I put my Christmas tree up the other day and it doesn’t have lights on it or ornaments on it,” Kirsch said. “All of my ornaments are homemade ornaments from when Wayne was in school. Hopefully by Christmas Eve I’ll get some lights on it.”
At the start of the tree lighting ceremony for Best, the more than 50 people there sang “Silent Night” and “Hallelujah.” Horace Michael, a friend of Best, led the people in song.
Michael, who moved to Schenectady from New York City in 2011 to attend Schenectady County Community College, said Best was a good friend who shared his love of music.
“He was into electronic music and producing and I went to SCCC for music production,” he said. “I produced as well so we used to chop it up about that. We never got to do a tune together though. That was definitely on the to-do list. We didn’t get to do that.”
Michael held his daughter, Renee Elizabeth, 18 months old, during the ceremony.
“I’m glad we can all come together and remember our friend,” he said. “The last time I was in an environment like this was his funeral, and it was very hard to be there. Today it is a little easier because time has passed.”
Michael and Best’s parents said they don’t understand how someone could kill Best “for absolutely no reason.”
Best’s homicide is still an open investigation. No arrests have been made in connection with his death.
At the time, police gave brief descriptions of two suspects they believe were connected to his homicide.
Schenectady police ask anyone with information to call the tips line at 788-6566.
“How do you live with yourself? How do you live with yourself taking an innocent life? That’s what I want to know,” Michael said. “How do you do that?”
Kirsch said she expected an arrest to happen “almost immediately” and can’t believe it’s been one year since his death with still no answers.
“I really thought with how many people he knew someone would say something right away,” she said. “I feel like a year is a long time to have this eating away at their soul. I’ve aged because of what happened, so I could only imagine what it’s doing to that person.”
Best’s father said he is thankful for all of the people who came out in memory of his son. He said he asks anyone with information to “find it in your heart” to come forward because “it’s time.”
“We thank them for coming and we thank them for being here,” Best said looking around at the people at the cemetery before the ceremony began. “Wayne is in all of these people. There’s not much we can say except thank you.”
