Remembering Joshua: Vigil for 5-year-old killed in fire

VERDUNVILLE — Residents of this central St. Mary community gathered Wednesday to mourn for a little boy in front of the home where he died in a July 13 fire.
Joshua Hamilton, 5, was the victim of one of a series of recent violent crimes in the parish.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office arrested Joshua’s uncle, Derwin Hamilton, last week and accused him of setting the fire at the Prairie Road mobile home, resulting in Joshua’s death and sending a woman to the hospital with critical injuries.
Hamilton later admitted to setting the fire after an argument with the woman, the State Fire Marshal’s Office said. He was booked on counts of second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder.
About 40 people were on hand for the beginning of the 6 p.m. vigil and balloon release Wednesday. But before the event was over, dozens more friends and neighbors lined Prairie Road in front of the mobile home.
“I saw him when he took his first step …,” Apostle Hendry Johnson of Morning Glory Ministries told the crowd. “I gave him his first haircut.”
Later, Johnson said, he took Joshua to Franklin for a haircut every other week, followed by a trip to McDonald’s.
“It was really traumatic to me, what happened,” Johnson said.
His wife, Pastor Deborah Johnson of Morning Glory, described Joshua as “a little prophet in his own right. He would tell you things that, how could he know this?”
Ethel Lee of Baldwin remembered the boy as loving and kind.
“He’d come to my car and say, ‘Ethel, did you bring my toys? Did you bring me some snacks? You’re going to jail!’”
The gathered mourners heard messages of faith and hope from local clergymen.
Candles were distributed, but the wind disrupted plans for a candlelight vigil. The event ended with the release of red and blue balloons. Some of the balloons were tied to a makeshift memorial to Joshua in front of the home.