Many are still heartbroken over the death of Avonte Oquendo, an autistic teen whose body parts were recently found in a New York river after going missing from his high school in October.

This includes New York-based artist Lavan Wright, who was moved by the story and used his talents to remember Avonte as an angel in one of his latest designs. "I didn’t know how to help, I’m an artist so when I feel things I act by illustrating it, by drawing it. I felt it would be a good way to remember him and put a lot of people at ease," Wright told Buzzfeed. 

He shared the illustration on his Instagram page on Jan. 26 with the caption "#RIP young king." Avonte's older brother shared the piece on Tuesday via Twitter and thanked Wright. 

In the artwork, Avonte holds a blue puzzle piece, a character that Wright designed for an autism walk earlier this year. "It’s a reminder that he was an autistic child that should have been protected," Wright also told Buzzfeed.

Hundreds gathered Saturday to say goodbye to the teen at his funeral. On Sunday, New York Sen. Chuck Schumer proposed legislation called "Avonte's Law," which states the government would pay $10 million for GPS tracking devices for autistic children. 
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Follow Natelege Whaley on Twitter: @Natelege.

(Photo: lavanwright via Instagram)