The 18-year-old had just proposed to his girlfriend and was making plans to enter the military when he was murdered a year ago this week.
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Blake's father, Emmanuel Thomas, said the snapshots from bystanders at the shooting scene were the last he saw of his son.
"The way it was broadcast on social media, his body just exposed, that became my last visual of him," Thomas said. "It's something you won't get over. I understand that. It's like an arm being taken. You can get a prosthetic, but it, I'll never be the same."
Right after the shooting, authorities released surveillance video showing a suspect driving away.
Nearly eight months went by with no action until a murder warrant was issued for suspect Bryan Green.
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But Blake's family says the suspect wasn't taken into custody. The Thomas family says they're not giving up.
"We need some help from the U.S. Marshals or Gulf Coast Task Force, and let's make this a priority," Thomas said. "Get this young man out."
While the family is focused on justice, they also want to keep Blake's memory alive.
They still haven't been able to afford a headstone for his grave, so they're working to raise money for that through a GoFundMe account.
"He was a great light. I wish a lot more people could have met him before, but we will keep his memory alive. We will let everyone know about him forever," Thomas said.
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