In tears, Mary Gifford testified about Foster, her grandson, coming home to Texas after living with relatives in Mississippi and Missouri in 2010.
"We talked about him going to live with his mother. That's when he said that was his wish for his birthday. He was really, really happy. He was flourishing, he was complete," Gifford said.
Foster turned 12 in November, and on Christmas Eve, he vanished from the duplex where he and his mother, Angela Davis, were living with a woman who was friends with the defendant, Mona Nelson.
Prosecutors say Nelson was the last person to see Foster on the afternoon of December 24. His body was found burned in a ditch four days later.
Nelson is charged with his kidnapping and murder. Her attorney says she had no motive in this case and that someone else could have committed the crime.
Neighbor Rita Jackson testified that she saw Nelson just before the child's disappearance and the day after wearing the same clothing.
Prosecutor: "And that white shirt, what did you notice on the front of that?"
Jackson: "It was dirty."
Foster's stepfather, David Davis, also testified Thursday. He admitted he's hit the boy's mother in the past, but he loved her son and never harmed him. He was ruled out as a suspect in this case after being questioned by police for 12 hours. He established his whereabouts the night the boy disappeared and is a key witness as the state continues to try and prove how Nelson is the only person who could've committed this crime. Find Katie on Facebook at ABC13KatieMcCall or on Twitter at @13katiemccall
Take ABC13 with you!
Download our free apps for iPhone, iPad and Android devices
