The family of Samantha Humphrey and the community at large reacted Wednesday to news that her former boyfriend has been charged in her murder.

They have been following this case closely over the last 2 ½ years.

Her father, Jeff Humphrey, sent a statement to NewsChannel 13 that says in part: “Sam had a time on this earth that was loving and joyful, and that time was ended viciously short. We have spent 30 months lost in our mourning for her and for our loss of her. We look forward with something like hope as we enter a new season. Now we are in the season of justice.”

Humphrey’s grandparents were at the news conference and learned new details of the murder. At one point, the grandmother took out a tissue and wiped her tears away. An officer with Schenectady Police also came up to the grandparents and gave them a hug. The grandmother embraced him as tears rolled down her face.

In her obituary at the time of her death the family wrote “Samantha Valentine Humphrey, 14, lost a short but furious battle with evil itself.”