LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Family and friends of Joree Odabi packed the Davis Funeral Home on Rainbow near Charleston to remember and honor his life, just over a month after he was hit and killed by a suspected DUI driver while walking on a sidewalk in the southwest valley.
Loved ones called Odabi a "gentle giant," and someone who was taken far too soon.
WATCH | Remembering Joree Odabi
Photos of Odabi lined the entrance of the funeral home, while loved ones reflected on his 23 years of life with emotional stories from Odabi's family from all over the globe, remembering him as young man full of life and love.
Joree's sudden loss has been devastating to so many, including his brother, Justice Odabi, who addressed the room during the funeral service.
"Life is too short," Justice said. "When you say you're going to visit someone, go do it, because I can't hold my brother."
Hanging over everything on Saturday was his family's call for justice, especially after the man accused of killing him, Daniel Stakleff, received only a $5,000 bail—far below what prosecutors and Stakleff's defense were requesting.
"We were shocked with the judge's decision," Joree's godsister Natia Stanley said in an interview Saturday. "We were shocked, we were outraged, we were downright hurt—we felt unseen and unheard."
Stanley says the family has turned their outrage into action, starting a nonprofit in Joree's honor—fighting for families of loved ones killed by DUI drivers.
"We are fighting for bail reform and other judicial reforms that we can get, so this doesn't happen to another family," Stanley said.
Stanley said Joree's family is now taking that fight to Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson, who has previously expressed his own frustration with Stakleff's bail decision in an interview with Channel 13's Alyssa Bethencourt.
EXTENDED INTERVIEW | DA Steve Wolfson expresses concerns about the bail amount
"We're hoping he gives us good news, we're hoping for his support," Stanley said. "I know he's been for bail reform and for prison reform, so we're hoping he's going to support us."
The message from Joree Odabi's family throughout the day Saturday was clear: they won't stop fighting for justice. They also say to remember to hug your loved ones tight, and to always tell them you love them.
