SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – Family and friends of 59-year-old Bryan York gathered Saturday afternoon to hold a memorial service in his honor at Oak Grove Park.

York was a homeless man who was killed and found under a bush in the 1800 block of East Bennett Street on Oct. 9.

According to investigators, York had injuries consistent with an assault that ultimately led to his death. The suspect, aged 51 Jimmy Wayne Nunneryis charged with the Class A felony of second-degree murder.

According to police reports, Nunnery attacked York on various occasions before the murder happened.

The nun is held without bond. He is scheduled for a hearing for counsel status next Monday.

York’s only child, Amber Stotler, sat down with KY3 on Saturday. Stotler said she remembers her father as the kindest man you could ever meet.

“My dad made a difference as much as he could … wherever he could,” Stotler said.

Stotler said her family held his memorial at Oak Grove Park because that’s where her father spent a lot of time with other members of Springfield’s homeless community.

“Just seeing the people that showed up today. How much he cares in the community makes my heart smile so much,” she said.

Michael Scharpf is a volunteer at Connecting Grounds and has helped York many times when he needed food and a place to stay. Scharpf said York always put others in the homeless community first, even though York was homeless himself.

“He wouldn’t get any help until we helped all the people he saw around him and he (York) started pointing out, ‘There’s a couple on that bridge, they’re probably going to need food, there is a couple there. asking for money, they’re probably going to need a ride,’” Scharpf said.

As for the murder, Stotler said that while she still hasn’t forgiven Nunnery for her father’s murder, she knows her father wouldn’t want her to take revenge on him.

“He took such a good light when he decided to commit that crime to my father,” she said. “The justice system will understand how it’s supposed to work.”

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