West Hollywood Mayor Lindsey Horvath paid tribute on Aug. 2 to many people who advocated for the prosecution of Ed Buck, who was convicted of nine federal felonies on July 27 related to the deaths of two men who overdosed on drugs in his apartment.

Horvath made a special presentation during the City Council’s virtual meeting and expressed gratitude to supporters and law enforcement officials who worked tirelessly to ensure justice was served. She specifically thanked LaTisha Nixon, mother of Gemmel Moore, who overdosed and died at Buck’s apartment in 2017; Joyce Jackson and Joann Campbell, sisters of Timothy Dean, who overdosed and died at the apartment in 2019; community advocates Jasmyne Cannick, Jerome Kitchen and Cory McLean, who supported the families of victims; and Dane, Arthur and Cody, survivors of encounters with Buck who testified during the recent trial and have only been identified by their first names. Also recognized were Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Paul Cardella and detectives John Mundell and Quilmes Rodriguez, investigators in the case against Buck.

“We know everyone who is featured here was dedicated to justice, committed to increasing public safety in our community and committed to making sure that people’s voices were heard,” Horvath said. “In the face of so much, all of these people continued, stood strong and fought for justice. And it’s also important that we as a community recognize that Black gay lives matter, and that survivors deserve to be heard and believed. We don’t discount people’s lives because of struggles with addiction, sex work or other issues. We don’t abandon them to be re-victimized. We fight for everyone’s life to be valued, and that’s what each person featured did.”

Nixon addressed the council and personally thanked Horvath.

“I want to first and foremost thank you for everything that you’ve done,” Nixon told the mayor. “You believed us from day one. You honestly and truly care about West Hollywood. Your community is blessed to have you.”

Campbell also expressed gratitude.

“I just wanted to say thank you to everyone that played a part in getting this victory for us,” Campbell said. “It meant so much to us. I am very grateful, and my family is grateful.”

Cannick, who frequently spoke out against Buck in public before and during his trial, also thanked everyone involved. She was a close supporter of Moore’s family during the past four years.

“I want to start off by thanking the family and friends of Gemmel Moore, Timothy Dean as well as all of Ed Buck’s victims for trusting our group to lead the fight for justice for their loved ones,” Cannick said. “It’s a huge responsibility, and I am deeply honored that they put their trust in us and we were able to bring them some semblance of justice with those nine guilty verdicts.”

Buck faces 20 years to life in federal prison. He has been in federal custody since his arrest on Sept. 17, 2019, and will remain in jail until sentencing, at a date to be determined.

“I want to extend some sincere extra love to Dane, Arthur and Cody. You demonstrated such courage and such bravery as survivors of things we can only imagine. We are grateful for the service that you delivered to our community,” Horvath added. “And to my dear friend Jasmyn, for pushing it forward and continuing the fight and making sure people listened and that voices were heard.”