The Forget-Me-Not Garden built on the site where a 12-year-old Binghamton girl was killed is about to open.

Broome County's newest park is located on a small plot of land on the city's North Side. It will help area residents remember children who've died due to violence, including Aliza Spencer.

A house at the Sturges Street site was where city police found the body of Cheri Lindsey on March 27, 1984. Cheri had vanished the previous day while collecting from customers on a newspaper route. James Wales Sr. was convicted of murder in the killing of the girl and sentenced to 33 years to life in prison.

Demolition of the Sturges Street house on July 30, 2020. (Photo: David Hermanovitch/WNBF News)
Demolition of the Sturges Street house on July 30, 2020. (Photo: David Hermanovitch/WNBF News)
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Cheri's parents cheered as the abandoned home finally was torn down in July 2020 after the property was acquired by Broome County.

Over the past few months, workers have been busy constructing the memorial garden on the vacant lot. County officials say the park will be "dedicated to all children who have been victims of crime."

Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News
A butterfly image was installed at the new Forget-Me-Not Park on October 30, 2022. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
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David Lindsey, Cheri's father, said he and his wife are pleased with the project to remember young people who have been lost due to crime.

Lindsey - a former Binghamton police sergeant - has been paying close attention to the investigation into the April killing of 12-year-old Aliza Spencer, She died after being shot in the chest while walking with her dad and brother near their Bigelow Street home.

Lindsey said "it's a hard thing to lose a kid." He's hoping there'll soon be a break in the Spencer case.

A short walkway at the soon-to-open park. Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News
A short walkway at the soon-to-open park. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com or (607) 545-2250. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.

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