LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A man convicted of brutally murdering a classmate will soon have a re-sentencing hearing. 

This was made possible by a recent US Supreme Court ruling that says it’s unconstitutional to give a juvenile life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Courts convicted Derrick Grubbs of murdering an 18-year-old cheerleader 58 days before his 18th birthday. 

The family of his victim, Kenyetta Haynes, says having to go back through this process opens up old wounds. 

Kenyatta was only a few weeks away from graduating when she was murdered. Police say she was bound and beaten. Her body was found submerged in a Bald Knob creek. 

Two classmates were convicted of her murder. One was 18 and the other was only weeks away from turning 18. 

Cory Haynes resembles his cousin Kenyetta. 

“We grew up together from babies,” Cory said. 

Pictures are all this tight knit family has left of her. 

“To this day, I still don’t understand it. I got to the point in my years of growing and getting older I’ve learned to accept it,” Cory explained. 

She was murdered in March 1995. Cory was one of the last people to see her alive. 

“I saw her leaving out of 6th period. I had track in the 7th period and she had cheerleading practice,” Cory said. 

She was found dead days later. Two people were convicted of her murder. One of which was Derrick Grubbs. 

“He still has breath. We still have to visit Kenyetta at Union Grove Cemetery,” Cory said. 

Grubbs was 17-years and 10-months old. He was sentenced to life without parole. A Supreme Court ruling on juvenile sentencing will allow him to be re-sentenced. 

“He was almost ready to graduate in two months and he made an adult decision to murder my cousin and rape her. He needs to deal with the adult consequences,” Cory said. 

A few months before Kenyatta was killed, Robin Farnsworth, another Bald Knob classmate, went missing. 

Her remains were found years later, but her case is cold. 

Investigators haven’t connected Kenyatta’s killers to this case, but Cory has always wondered. 

“With the Robin Farnsworth case, if anybody knows anything please give information so her family can have closure also,” he said.

Cory says going through this is like flipping back through Kenyetta’s obituary, reliving it over again. 

“He doesn’t show any remorse. He hasn’t apologized for killing my cousin,” Cory said. 

Next week Grubbs will be in a White County courtroom and a judge will schedule his re-sentencing hearing.