1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:06,640 Speaker 1: Content warning. This podcast discusses violence, murder, suicide, civil unrest, 2 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:11,560 Speaker 1: aggressive policing, racism, and lynching. If you or anyone you 3 00:00:11,600 --> 00:00:15,319 Speaker 1: know is considering suicide or self harm, or just need 4 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 1: to talk about problems, please call the National Suicide Prevention 5 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:26,079 Speaker 1: Lifeline to seven three eight two five or text the 6 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:32,120 Speaker 1: Crisis text line at seven one seven four one. Previously 7 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:36,640 Speaker 1: and after the uprising they feel like we don't appreciate 8 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:40,680 Speaker 1: law enforcement here. Therefore, it has an adverse effect of 9 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:43,240 Speaker 1: certain cops not being as dell asy when it comes 10 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:47,360 Speaker 1: to straight up and down police work. Why the fund 11 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 1: are you grab like an animal? Lazy voices with the 12 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 1: heart and soul of the resistance. You can't talk about 13 00:00:56,560 --> 00:00:59,720 Speaker 1: fergus Man without talking about the law's voices. And that's 14 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:02,920 Speaker 1: just a real that's just real, real talk. He wars 15 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:05,600 Speaker 1: my clothes us. I'll leave out the door last night 16 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:08,320 Speaker 1: because I was sitting kids. Do you know about what time? 17 00:01:08,319 --> 00:01:11,920 Speaker 1: That was about nine o'clock, carf, No, he didn't leave 18 00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:14,400 Speaker 1: in the clock. Does things as well? His calls that 19 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:18,840 Speaker 1: we his calls that I found using the equasions and 20 00:01:18,959 --> 00:01:22,520 Speaker 1: the real motipucts that it probably was about was three 21 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:25,200 Speaker 1: and a half hour time because when he was found. 22 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:29,080 Speaker 1: So you're putting out roughly about four thirty am. Yes, 23 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:44,080 Speaker 1: what you're looking at is the aftermath of the grand 24 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 1: jury deciding not to indict Officer Wilson. A young man 25 00:01:56,920 --> 00:01:59,800 Speaker 1: found hanging from a tree in October. His mom believes 26 00:01:59,800 --> 00:02:05,240 Speaker 1: some and murdered her son, targeting him. Don Ye became 27 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:07,560 Speaker 1: an activist in the wake of the shooting death of 28 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:11,840 Speaker 1: Michael Brown by a white police officer. That's why Melissa 29 00:02:11,919 --> 00:02:15,120 Speaker 1: mckinneons wants St. Louis County police to dig deeper to 30 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:22,040 Speaker 1: her son's death. He was not suicidal. This is after 31 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 1: the uprising the death of Donye Dion Jones. You understand 32 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:38,639 Speaker 1: where this would be problematic, right, I mean, well, what 33 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:41,760 Speaker 1: is the concern exactly? Can you see where an officer 34 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:46,800 Speaker 1: would be very troubled and concerned with being contacted on 35 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:50,160 Speaker 1: a personal number by an out of state area code. 36 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:53,639 Speaker 1: Why a reasonable person would not answer that someone call, 37 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:57,120 Speaker 1: and then why a reasonable person would not necessarily text 38 00:02:57,160 --> 00:03:00,960 Speaker 1: that unknown number back? And then an officer would be 39 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 1: very concerned when two strangers show up at his door 40 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:07,080 Speaker 1: on his day off on a holiday weekend without any warning. 41 00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 1: This is Sergeant Benjamin Granda, the St. Louis County Police's 42 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:15,200 Speaker 1: representative to the media. We're having a conversation about why 43 00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:18,679 Speaker 1: we approached the lead investigator in Dane's case, Detective Tim 44 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:21,240 Speaker 1: at the Andrew at his home, which both he and 45 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 1: Sergeant Granda seemed to think was way out of bounds. 46 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 1: We wanted to be courteous because we hope to get 47 00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:32,000 Speaker 1: further comment from Granda about Dane's case. Andrew had a St. 48 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:34,760 Speaker 1: Louis County p D squad car parked in his driveway, 49 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:36,880 Speaker 1: so it's not like he was hiding that he was 50 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:39,320 Speaker 1: a cop or that people couldn't see that a police 51 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:44,440 Speaker 1: officer lived at that house. But anyway, there was also 52 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 1: there's there was a business card provided by Officer andrew 53 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:51,200 Speaker 1: Er and that business card was to Sergeant Leslie F. 54 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 1: Williams at the St. Louis Airport, So the family was 55 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:58,480 Speaker 1: unable to provide us, for instance, with the direct numbered 56 00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:01,840 Speaker 1: Officer Andrew. That doesn't make any sense to me. Andre 57 00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:05,240 Speaker 1: has been in that unit for years, He's got business cards. 58 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:09,760 Speaker 1: I seriously question the validity of whatever that statement is. 59 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 1: It simply makes no sense. You know, I can't investigate 60 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:17,240 Speaker 1: a suicide properly without having open lines of communication with 61 00:04:17,279 --> 00:04:20,520 Speaker 1: the family throughout the process. After notifications, you have to 62 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:22,920 Speaker 1: do follow ups. If it happened, it could have been 63 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:26,479 Speaker 1: an error. But I seriously question the validity of that 64 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:31,240 Speaker 1: ever happening. Again. We've seen the business card, and for 65 00:04:31,279 --> 00:04:34,760 Speaker 1: the record, we did try contacting Detective Andre at his office, 66 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:36,680 Speaker 1: and we not only left him a message on his 67 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:40,080 Speaker 1: cell phone, but we texted him. Either way, we were 68 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:42,080 Speaker 1: still eager to talk to him, so we pressed on 69 00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:46,720 Speaker 1: with the request through Sergeant Granda. What would we need 70 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:49,680 Speaker 1: to do to work on, you know, doing doing an 71 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:53,719 Speaker 1: interview in some form with officer and as a reasonable person, 72 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:57,480 Speaker 1: would you think that Officer Andrew would be interested in 73 00:04:57,480 --> 00:04:59,840 Speaker 1: this after the way that he perceives he was tre 74 00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:05,120 Speaker 1: I don't see how he was mistreated. I we approached 75 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:07,200 Speaker 1: and we said who we were, and we offered him 76 00:05:07,240 --> 00:05:11,160 Speaker 1: the opportunity to schedule an interview. I'm not sure this property, 77 00:05:11,440 --> 00:05:14,440 Speaker 1: and then we immediately left. There's a possibility, though, that 78 00:05:14,520 --> 00:05:18,000 Speaker 1: Officer Andrew might have said, Hey, this is an important story, 79 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:20,640 Speaker 1: but I'm betting the family's giving you some bad information 80 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:23,400 Speaker 1: and you're getting it wrong, and let me tell you, 81 00:05:23,400 --> 00:05:25,600 Speaker 1: you know, my version of this, but but I'm not 82 00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:27,920 Speaker 1: going to do it now. But let's schedule something right 83 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:29,560 Speaker 1: and I will get back to you. But that didn't 84 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:32,640 Speaker 1: happen like that. It was sort of an immediately antagonistic thing, 85 00:05:32,760 --> 00:05:36,480 Speaker 1: and I guess we were taken as you know, intruders. 86 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:39,599 Speaker 1: I find it very inappropriate, and I'm not the affected officer, 87 00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:45,479 Speaker 1: and I don't know just this very conversation could be 88 00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:49,520 Speaker 1: going better that we're having right now. I am trying 89 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:52,200 Speaker 1: to do my best to be patient and listen. We've 90 00:05:52,279 --> 00:05:56,520 Speaker 1: been to the ringer's law enforcement in this region. It 91 00:05:56,640 --> 00:05:59,839 Speaker 1: is a safety concern. But you know how you know 92 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:03,479 Speaker 1: of this works like if we only get the side 93 00:06:03,480 --> 00:06:08,360 Speaker 1: of activists or certain people who may feel that uh there, 94 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:11,120 Speaker 1: you know, there was not a full investigation done of 95 00:06:11,160 --> 00:06:13,680 Speaker 1: dony H Jones, and then we're not able to present 96 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:18,800 Speaker 1: our listeners with the police officers, their personalities, their feelings, 97 00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:21,920 Speaker 1: what they experience, what they saw. Then what you've got 98 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:24,960 Speaker 1: is you've got these three dimensional human beings that they 99 00:06:24,960 --> 00:06:27,320 Speaker 1: empathize with on one side, and you don't get the 100 00:06:27,320 --> 00:06:29,720 Speaker 1: three dimensional human beings on the other side. So I 101 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:32,279 Speaker 1: don't want that, and I want to tell an accurate stories. 102 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:36,000 Speaker 1: I'm very sorry that Officer Andrew was concerned about his 103 00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:38,520 Speaker 1: safety as a result of our visit. We didn't see 104 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:42,400 Speaker 1: that coming. Maybe we just we don't see I don't 105 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:44,200 Speaker 1: think we in my opinion, we don't come up as 106 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:46,440 Speaker 1: intimidating guys that I understand it. The knock at the door, 107 00:06:46,880 --> 00:06:48,839 Speaker 1: I mean, I'd really like to set up a situation 108 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:55,200 Speaker 1: where we could get his experience of investigating this well. 109 00:06:55,480 --> 00:06:58,000 Speaker 1: You talked too sides of the story. This is not 110 00:06:58,440 --> 00:07:03,760 Speaker 1: the police department against the family agree. This call happened 111 00:07:03,760 --> 00:07:08,359 Speaker 1: in June. Dane had died over eight months prior, and 112 00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:11,400 Speaker 1: the St. Louis County Police still hadn't released their final 113 00:07:11,440 --> 00:07:13,960 Speaker 1: report on his death. If it was such a slam 114 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:17,160 Speaker 1: dunk case of suicide, it seems strange to us that 115 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:20,520 Speaker 1: it would take so long to finish the paperwork. By 116 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:23,280 Speaker 1: not finishing the final report, the bed sheet used as 117 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:26,680 Speaker 1: ligature in Dania's death remained locked up as evidence and 118 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:28,760 Speaker 1: could not be released to Melissa and her family for 119 00:07:28,800 --> 00:07:32,680 Speaker 1: independent testing. Remember back in episode one, when County p 120 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:36,080 Speaker 1: D spokesman Sergeant Sean McGuire told us that though we 121 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:38,560 Speaker 1: didn't have a good timeline on it. He figured it 122 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:40,600 Speaker 1: would be a week to a month until the report 123 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:43,920 Speaker 1: would be finished. That was six months prior to this call. 124 00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:47,640 Speaker 1: Almost every single week during that time period we made 125 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:50,080 Speaker 1: a request of the records Department to see if the 126 00:07:50,120 --> 00:07:53,280 Speaker 1: report had been concluded. So, now that we had grand 127 00:07:53,360 --> 00:07:55,720 Speaker 1: on the phone, we asked him why it hadn't been 128 00:07:55,760 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 1: finished yet. I believe that our report will be conclude 129 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:02,600 Speaker 1: it in the near future. Why is that still open? 130 00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:04,880 Speaker 1: It's been it's been seven and a half months. Our 131 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:09,640 Speaker 1: detectives are very been associated. Mind called in January and 132 00:08:08,880 --> 00:08:11,120 Speaker 1: uh it was. We were told at the time that 133 00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:13,280 Speaker 1: it would be wrapped up within a couple of weeks. 134 00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:15,760 Speaker 1: So do you think this will be done by the 135 00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:19,400 Speaker 1: end of the summer or by the one year anniversary 136 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:23,360 Speaker 1: in October? I don't know. It depends on the workload. 137 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:26,560 Speaker 1: You know, if if they get called out in five 138 00:08:26,600 --> 00:08:29,200 Speaker 1: minutes to go work a new homicide or new shooting 139 00:08:29,280 --> 00:08:32,960 Speaker 1: or a new robbery, they have to stop what they're 140 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:34,640 Speaker 1: doing and they have to go work that new case 141 00:08:34,679 --> 00:08:38,040 Speaker 1: the best that they can. Though, Granda insists that detectives 142 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:41,360 Speaker 1: keep open lines of communication with families and people relevant 143 00:08:41,400 --> 00:08:45,400 Speaker 1: to their investigations, Andrew never reached out to Melissa or 144 00:08:45,440 --> 00:08:48,760 Speaker 1: any member of Danye's family to explain the DNA evidence 145 00:08:48,800 --> 00:08:52,440 Speaker 1: his investigation had turned up. He only made one other 146 00:08:52,480 --> 00:08:55,679 Speaker 1: attempt to reach out to Melissa, and what he actually 147 00:08:55,720 --> 00:08:58,000 Speaker 1: did was send two officers to her house to have 148 00:08:58,080 --> 00:09:04,080 Speaker 1: a conversation, which she dis ribes like this set. Yeah, 149 00:09:04,440 --> 00:09:06,680 Speaker 1: they said, we would like to tell to you alone. 150 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:09,280 Speaker 1: You know, good will, I'm not gonna talk to you alone. 151 00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:13,520 Speaker 1: And I said that that won't happen. The families there 152 00:09:13,559 --> 00:09:16,800 Speaker 1: we have Anthony Shahid, My turn was on the phone. 153 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:19,199 Speaker 1: She was like, so you all came over just to 154 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:21,720 Speaker 1: sit in front of them and tell them exactly what 155 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:25,040 Speaker 1: y'all told them the same day it happened. Why and 156 00:09:25,080 --> 00:09:27,160 Speaker 1: they were just sitting there at it. They wanted us 157 00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:29,920 Speaker 1: to say something, And the whole time we just sat 158 00:09:29,960 --> 00:09:34,000 Speaker 1: there like this, a room full of us just sitting 159 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:38,640 Speaker 1: there looking at him like so, when once it got 160 00:09:38,720 --> 00:09:43,839 Speaker 1: awkwardly quiet, we said, crickets critis Well, I guess we're 161 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:48,400 Speaker 1: gonna leave now. You heard from Anthony Shahid in episode one. 162 00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:51,400 Speaker 1: He is the activist who told us what great leaders 163 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:54,280 Speaker 1: both Darren Seals and Melissa were in the movement. He 164 00:09:54,400 --> 00:09:57,880 Speaker 1: was at Melissa's house during this awkward meeting. It was 165 00:09:57,920 --> 00:10:00,880 Speaker 1: never being over there. I make that weight, but I 166 00:10:00,920 --> 00:10:02,840 Speaker 1: wanted to make sure I got the attorney on the phone. 167 00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:05,800 Speaker 1: But they came on in and to get right to it. 168 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:09,520 Speaker 1: Small their research and all their investigations. This is what 169 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:13,679 Speaker 1: they came up with. Don Yo, do you remember them 170 00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:16,280 Speaker 1: asking for like leads to why she was saying publicly 171 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:19,040 Speaker 1: she thought it was homicide? I don't remember them then, 172 00:10:19,040 --> 00:10:22,160 Speaker 1: soil deep on there. Their stated purpose was to find 173 00:10:22,160 --> 00:10:24,480 Speaker 1: out what her allegations were all about that she was 174 00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:27,840 Speaker 1: making publicly. But what was your sense or memory of 175 00:10:27,880 --> 00:10:31,960 Speaker 1: like what they seemed to be there for on some bullshit. 176 00:10:33,400 --> 00:10:35,040 Speaker 1: That's the best way I can sum it up. They 177 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:39,040 Speaker 1: were strictly there to to send a police department to actions. 178 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:42,240 Speaker 1: They have done everything they possibly could. She was pissed. 179 00:10:42,880 --> 00:10:46,400 Speaker 1: Anthony remembers that the police basically came to defend their 180 00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:50,880 Speaker 1: conclusion that Donia had died by suicide. He also remembers 181 00:10:50,880 --> 00:10:53,400 Speaker 1: that Melissa emphasized to them that she wanted the bed 182 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:57,439 Speaker 1: sheet that DNA was hanged with, She wanted his possession, 183 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:00,880 Speaker 1: and she wanted that sheet was one of the main things. 184 00:11:00,880 --> 00:11:03,240 Speaker 1: If I can't remember none, now that she wants the 185 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:05,960 Speaker 1: sheet in that meeting in the house, do you remember 186 00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:11,520 Speaker 1: her saying that to them? Or yea, she wants that sheet. 187 00:11:12,480 --> 00:11:15,120 Speaker 1: We told Granda we were aware of the excessive force 188 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:18,760 Speaker 1: lawsuit against Detective Andrewer. It may not shock you that 189 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:21,920 Speaker 1: we've googled officer andre Er, so we're aware that an 190 00:11:21,920 --> 00:11:25,360 Speaker 1: excessive forced civil suit was put against him by a 191 00:11:25,480 --> 00:11:27,840 Speaker 1: state rep because of the events that happened at a 192 00:11:27,840 --> 00:11:32,520 Speaker 1: mobile gas station in December. Now that suit began in 193 00:11:33,600 --> 00:11:36,880 Speaker 1: the body cam audio of that came out month after 194 00:11:36,960 --> 00:11:40,559 Speaker 1: Danye's death. What action, if any, or what look at 195 00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:44,120 Speaker 1: the appropriateness of the comments that Officer Andrew made were 196 00:11:44,240 --> 00:11:49,559 Speaker 1: conducted once that suit was filed as of Oh, it's 197 00:11:49,559 --> 00:11:52,719 Speaker 1: it's our policy that we don't talk on pending litigation. 198 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:54,880 Speaker 1: I heard it was just settled. Is there any chance 199 00:11:54,920 --> 00:11:56,880 Speaker 1: we could talk in a week if that turns out 200 00:11:56,920 --> 00:12:04,199 Speaker 1: to be the case. I'm not sure, okay, because I mean, 201 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:08,080 Speaker 1: if there are suspicions about an investigation, obviously some of 202 00:12:08,080 --> 00:12:11,680 Speaker 1: the words that were spoken on the on the body cam, 203 00:12:11,720 --> 00:12:13,880 Speaker 1: we would love to give Officer and or a chance 204 00:12:13,920 --> 00:12:16,679 Speaker 1: to kind of explain who he really is and not 205 00:12:16,840 --> 00:12:20,920 Speaker 1: let audio from a body cam speak on his behalf. 206 00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:24,960 Speaker 1: So is this now evolving into a piece against a 207 00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:29,199 Speaker 1: single individual, not at all? But you you surely you 208 00:12:29,240 --> 00:12:32,720 Speaker 1: would agree that if the family says they don't feel 209 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:35,320 Speaker 1: that there was an investigation that looks seriously at the 210 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:38,800 Speaker 1: alternate possibility that this was a homicide. And one of 211 00:12:38,840 --> 00:12:42,200 Speaker 1: the lead detectives his officer Andrew, and the only thing, 212 00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:46,000 Speaker 1: well we we know he was given, I believe, a 213 00:12:46,120 --> 00:12:50,960 Speaker 1: medal as a hero. This is true. Before he was 214 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:53,840 Speaker 1: a detective. Officer, andre r was given the Life Saving 215 00:12:53,840 --> 00:12:56,960 Speaker 1: Award by the Chief of Police. While the specifics of 216 00:12:56,960 --> 00:12:59,960 Speaker 1: the incident aren't available, the award is given to an 217 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:04,400 Speaker 1: officer who performs a life saving measure where valor's circumstances 218 00:13:04,440 --> 00:13:08,120 Speaker 1: do not exist and the victims survived. The year before 219 00:13:08,200 --> 00:13:13,440 Speaker 1: that in officer Andrew also got the Chiefs Commendation awarded 220 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:16,440 Speaker 1: by Police Chief Tim Fitch, and though we had no 221 00:13:16,520 --> 00:13:18,640 Speaker 1: way to know it at the time of this conversation 222 00:13:18,640 --> 00:13:22,880 Speaker 1: with Granda, before the end of yet another police chief, 223 00:13:23,040 --> 00:13:27,280 Speaker 1: the outgoing John Belmar, would award er another Chiefs Commendation. 224 00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:30,760 Speaker 1: So Yeah, Detective Andre has got some accolades on his 225 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:34,000 Speaker 1: record and whatever else one could say about him, his 226 00:13:34,080 --> 00:13:36,679 Speaker 1: police chiefs certainly seemed to think he was there kind 227 00:13:36,720 --> 00:13:39,880 Speaker 1: of guy. Um, so we know there was that. The 228 00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:43,080 Speaker 1: other thing that we basically know is that his audio 229 00:13:43,200 --> 00:13:47,600 Speaker 1: was caught in body cam audio circuit December, and then 230 00:13:47,600 --> 00:13:50,200 Speaker 1: it came out via this excessive course suits. So those 231 00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:53,760 Speaker 1: are like two facts leading two very different directions. But 232 00:13:54,040 --> 00:13:57,120 Speaker 1: it's impossible to look at what was a thorough investigation 233 00:13:57,400 --> 00:14:00,360 Speaker 1: done into the possibility of homicide here or a ventually 234 00:14:00,480 --> 00:14:04,000 Speaker 1: forced to at least get an answer as to the 235 00:14:04,080 --> 00:14:07,880 Speaker 1: contact for those statements and the context for the career. 236 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:10,400 Speaker 1: So we're trying to get the full story. Well, it 237 00:14:10,440 --> 00:14:13,520 Speaker 1: seems that's been working on this story for some time 238 00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:15,880 Speaker 1: and it's only hit our radar in the very very 239 00:14:15,960 --> 00:14:19,280 Speaker 1: recent past. So it seems to me like this story 240 00:14:19,320 --> 00:14:22,760 Speaker 1: has already been written. Oh that's what it seems to me. 241 00:14:23,440 --> 00:14:25,960 Speaker 1: How many local media stories have you seen on this, 242 00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:30,080 Speaker 1: I asked, because our local media ran it for a day. 243 00:14:30,240 --> 00:14:32,240 Speaker 1: In fact, one of them I think did it too 244 00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:35,880 Speaker 1: when Mom did a press conference of it, had a 245 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:39,960 Speaker 1: few conversations told them about the facts and circumstances, and 246 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:44,240 Speaker 1: it's been radio silence since. Regardless of what is put 247 00:14:44,280 --> 00:14:47,440 Speaker 1: out on social media, the reputation of our department, of 248 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:51,400 Speaker 1: our investigators in the Medical Examiner's Office means something around here. 249 00:14:51,640 --> 00:14:54,240 Speaker 1: Not Twitter doesn't understand all that. But there's a reason 250 00:14:54,320 --> 00:14:56,840 Speaker 1: that that hasn't been at the ten o'clock news every night. 251 00:14:57,760 --> 00:15:01,760 Speaker 1: Can you try to look through this from my perspective, 252 00:15:02,680 --> 00:15:05,880 Speaker 1: if you've been working on this since last year. In 253 00:15:06,320 --> 00:15:09,920 Speaker 1: my mind, this story was written before you came here, 254 00:15:10,080 --> 00:15:13,280 Speaker 1: well before you knocked on that door, well before this 255 00:15:13,320 --> 00:15:17,600 Speaker 1: conversation that we're having. Our relationship with St. Louis County 256 00:15:17,640 --> 00:15:20,720 Speaker 1: Police would never improve from here. We would never be 257 00:15:20,760 --> 00:15:23,760 Speaker 1: granted an interview with Andrew and maybe that's on us, 258 00:15:24,600 --> 00:15:28,320 Speaker 1: but we made the effort repeatedly. Something that Granda wanted 259 00:15:28,360 --> 00:15:31,360 Speaker 1: us to take away was that relations between St. Louis 260 00:15:31,360 --> 00:15:34,120 Speaker 1: County p D and the citizens of St. Louis County 261 00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:37,600 Speaker 1: were not nearly as bad as perhaps outsiders might expect. 262 00:15:38,400 --> 00:15:42,600 Speaker 1: In a nutshell, we went through a very challenging time, 263 00:15:42,960 --> 00:15:45,480 Speaker 1: we got through it, and we emerged better on the 264 00:15:45,600 --> 00:15:47,920 Speaker 1: on the other side, where we're perfect in details and 265 00:15:47,960 --> 00:15:51,280 Speaker 1: fourteen no are we perfect today, No, but I think 266 00:15:51,280 --> 00:15:55,240 Speaker 1: we're a lot better. There's not from what I have seen, 267 00:15:55,480 --> 00:15:59,760 Speaker 1: this big confrontational relationship between us and the people that 268 00:15:59,800 --> 00:16:03,920 Speaker 1: we serve. You might be shocked that, if you get 269 00:16:03,960 --> 00:16:06,560 Speaker 1: off social media and you just walk around in a 270 00:16:06,560 --> 00:16:10,640 Speaker 1: police uniform, how supportive people are, even in areas that 271 00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:14,560 Speaker 1: you wouldn't think. We've got great relationships with many people 272 00:16:14,920 --> 00:16:18,240 Speaker 1: of all socioeconomic backgrounds to live in all kinds of hip. 273 00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:22,640 Speaker 1: Goades here, hearing Sergeant Grant to say this, we cannot 274 00:16:22,640 --> 00:16:26,040 Speaker 1: help but see the conflict between his words and what 275 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:29,480 Speaker 1: tef Po told us back in episode one about how 276 00:16:29,480 --> 00:16:33,200 Speaker 1: it's customary for young black men to avoid being four 277 00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:35,600 Speaker 1: or five deep in a car at night in St. 278 00:16:35,640 --> 00:16:38,160 Speaker 1: Louis County because they know it will mean that they're 279 00:16:38,160 --> 00:16:42,080 Speaker 1: getting pulled over. We are also reminded of a story 280 00:16:42,120 --> 00:16:46,040 Speaker 1: that Danyae's younger brother Javon told us about an incident 281 00:16:46,400 --> 00:16:50,080 Speaker 1: that occurred only a few weeks after Danye's death. The 282 00:16:50,240 --> 00:16:54,160 Speaker 1: persons across at the advanced auto. In my car, it 283 00:16:54,240 --> 00:16:56,920 Speaker 1: was easy to spot out blue hee lights on the front, 284 00:16:57,200 --> 00:17:00,160 Speaker 1: so I pulled out to the piece park altar to 285 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:02,480 Speaker 1: going and pick up my pizza. I'll come back out. 286 00:17:02,560 --> 00:17:05,199 Speaker 1: They was surrounding my car. They said that it was 287 00:17:05,240 --> 00:17:08,159 Speaker 1: a car robbery rd jack and they wanted to make 288 00:17:08,200 --> 00:17:10,960 Speaker 1: sure this wasn't the car. And he was asking me, 289 00:17:11,359 --> 00:17:16,159 Speaker 1: who's the who's a primary custody older? Your son? So 290 00:17:16,160 --> 00:17:18,560 Speaker 1: they knew you had a son. Then they asked me, 291 00:17:18,720 --> 00:17:25,880 Speaker 1: I figure out who killed my brother. These officers knew 292 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:29,359 Speaker 1: exactly who Javan was. They knew he was currently going 293 00:17:29,359 --> 00:17:31,480 Speaker 1: through a custody battle with the mother of his son, 294 00:17:31,960 --> 00:17:34,600 Speaker 1: which they must have gleaned from looking at his Facebook 295 00:17:34,640 --> 00:17:38,119 Speaker 1: page or perhaps from a database of court proceedings, and 296 00:17:38,200 --> 00:17:41,480 Speaker 1: they knew that his mother, Melissa, had been claiming online 297 00:17:41,480 --> 00:17:45,119 Speaker 1: that Donya had been murdered. Were they like snicker and 298 00:17:45,200 --> 00:17:47,480 Speaker 1: laughing at you when they did this or no. I 299 00:17:47,480 --> 00:17:50,000 Speaker 1: thought they were trying to plant something, only because right 300 00:17:50,040 --> 00:17:52,960 Speaker 1: in front of my car there was like a fresh 301 00:17:53,040 --> 00:17:55,440 Speaker 1: knife sitting right there. And then it was like, what's 302 00:17:55,560 --> 00:17:57,840 Speaker 1: this right here? Yeah? I said, this is not money, 303 00:17:57,880 --> 00:18:02,400 Speaker 1: you just kick Were these all uh at all uniform? 304 00:18:02,440 --> 00:18:11,320 Speaker 1: He'll play close? It is what it is? What would 305 00:18:11,320 --> 00:18:14,000 Speaker 1: Grant to have to say about an interaction like this 306 00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:17,960 Speaker 1: where officers are apparently harassing the brother of a young 307 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:22,240 Speaker 1: man who had just died, seemingly mocking his family while 308 00:18:22,280 --> 00:18:28,639 Speaker 1: also bringing up his child in an ominous way. With 309 00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:32,320 Speaker 1: the police report into Danye's death still not available, we 310 00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:36,160 Speaker 1: kept digging into what leads we could. Of primary concern 311 00:18:36,359 --> 00:18:38,920 Speaker 1: was who Donya intended to meet up with the last 312 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:43,040 Speaker 1: night he was alive. Did he seem excited about going 313 00:18:43,080 --> 00:18:45,359 Speaker 1: on that night? That seemed like it was like something 314 00:18:45,440 --> 00:18:48,840 Speaker 1: you Danny said, he did. It's my brother, he said, 315 00:18:48,840 --> 00:18:50,760 Speaker 1: he did. He got his little o. When I beg, 316 00:18:52,320 --> 00:18:55,600 Speaker 1: I wish that I had asked him leading with. So 317 00:18:55,640 --> 00:18:58,399 Speaker 1: it's like Larifa Ordaja, right, were you're any third person 318 00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:00,639 Speaker 1: that pops into your mind that you and implying to 319 00:19:00,680 --> 00:19:05,480 Speaker 1: go see late nights is more of a thing. He 320 00:19:05,520 --> 00:19:07,840 Speaker 1: had an overnight bag with clothes he had asked his 321 00:19:07,920 --> 00:19:11,200 Speaker 1: mom to wash, which made Melissa presume he was likely 322 00:19:11,280 --> 00:19:14,240 Speaker 1: going to see a young woman because Dania had highlighted 323 00:19:14,280 --> 00:19:18,080 Speaker 1: that he needed clean underwear. At this time in Danyae's life. 324 00:19:18,119 --> 00:19:20,320 Speaker 1: There were two young women who were the most likely 325 00:19:20,400 --> 00:19:22,480 Speaker 1: candidates as to whom he was going to meet on 326 00:19:22,560 --> 00:19:28,040 Speaker 1: his last night alive, Loretha and Deja Loreta was Danye's 327 00:19:28,080 --> 00:19:30,879 Speaker 1: ex girlfriend that we mentioned in episode three when we 328 00:19:30,920 --> 00:19:33,440 Speaker 1: talked about positive things he had going in his life. 329 00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:37,320 Speaker 1: Loretha was the ex Whodnia had reconnected with via text 330 00:19:37,320 --> 00:19:41,400 Speaker 1: on October fift that's two days before he died. He 331 00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:43,760 Speaker 1: had sent her a long love poem and then they 332 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:45,879 Speaker 1: started chatting and she asked him if he would like 333 00:19:45,920 --> 00:19:49,320 Speaker 1: to go to a restaurant with her that weekend. Apparently, 334 00:19:49,440 --> 00:19:52,160 Speaker 1: at one point when they were dating, she had gotten pregnant, 335 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:55,520 Speaker 1: and Donia had spoken to his sister Militia about picking 336 00:19:55,520 --> 00:19:58,800 Speaker 1: out a ring for Loretha and he's excited. He was like, this, 337 00:19:58,920 --> 00:20:00,960 Speaker 1: I think she didn't wanted she to one, and he 338 00:20:01,080 --> 00:20:02,680 Speaker 1: was like, when you come back, I need your help 339 00:20:02,720 --> 00:20:05,479 Speaker 1: picking out a ring. So I'm like, okay, I'm excited 340 00:20:05,480 --> 00:20:07,240 Speaker 1: and stuff and did. At the while, they kind of 341 00:20:07,480 --> 00:20:10,840 Speaker 1: break up, get back together and or and off. So 342 00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:13,119 Speaker 1: I didn't hear too much about the ring after that, 343 00:20:13,560 --> 00:20:14,960 Speaker 1: but she asked me about it. She was like, Hey, 344 00:20:15,040 --> 00:20:18,080 Speaker 1: didn't don't say anything about um give me a ring. 345 00:20:18,560 --> 00:20:20,000 Speaker 1: I ain't. I didn't answer it because I'm like, I 346 00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:23,560 Speaker 1: don't know. LUs le be surprised. She asked me, because 347 00:20:23,720 --> 00:20:25,320 Speaker 1: he must say it something like to marry you and 348 00:20:25,359 --> 00:20:27,959 Speaker 1: I'll just on that. How much did you talk to her? 349 00:20:28,119 --> 00:20:31,520 Speaker 1: Talk to Areta? I just stopped her off in one 350 00:20:31,560 --> 00:20:33,720 Speaker 1: before he passed. But after he passed, I kind of 351 00:20:33,760 --> 00:20:36,800 Speaker 1: was rude to her. I just didn't know what was 352 00:20:36,840 --> 00:20:39,800 Speaker 1: going on, who was responsible, and I just maybe I 353 00:20:39,840 --> 00:20:42,320 Speaker 1: don't know she was sweet. I just don't know her. 354 00:20:43,600 --> 00:20:45,359 Speaker 1: It took a long time for us to get in 355 00:20:45,400 --> 00:20:48,600 Speaker 1: touch with Loresa, but when we finally did, it was 356 00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:51,960 Speaker 1: via email, and when she responded to us, she said 357 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:53,919 Speaker 1: she did not wish to be part of this podcast, 358 00:20:54,440 --> 00:20:56,520 Speaker 1: but she did go on to say several things about 359 00:20:56,520 --> 00:20:59,600 Speaker 1: her relationship with don Ye, most of which were not 360 00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:03,040 Speaker 1: pause sative. We shared the contents of that email with 361 00:21:03,080 --> 00:21:08,480 Speaker 1: Melissa and Militia. We did get in touch with Loresa 362 00:21:08,640 --> 00:21:11,399 Speaker 1: one time email. I can read it out loud to 363 00:21:11,520 --> 00:21:13,439 Speaker 1: It's not so for longer. You can come look at 364 00:21:13,440 --> 00:21:16,960 Speaker 1: it if you like. But basically, she said she dated him. 365 00:21:17,080 --> 00:21:19,200 Speaker 1: He didn't contribute anything when you lived with me, try 366 00:21:19,240 --> 00:21:20,880 Speaker 1: to be a blessing to him. I did not enjoy 367 00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:23,920 Speaker 1: his lifestyle, so I moved. He kept trying to threaten me, 368 00:21:24,600 --> 00:21:26,640 Speaker 1: just dating other people while he was dating me. She's 369 00:21:26,640 --> 00:21:29,600 Speaker 1: told us that he was a hard actor. He's gonna 370 00:21:29,640 --> 00:21:33,520 Speaker 1: be a hard actor. She's no pretty class. He's not 371 00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:37,960 Speaker 1: right with her. Something is not right. The email seemed 372 00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:41,560 Speaker 1: a bit odd to us as well, for two reasons. Now, 373 00:21:41,600 --> 00:21:44,560 Speaker 1: we didn't know Loretha, but she wrote in the email 374 00:21:44,560 --> 00:21:48,720 Speaker 1: that Melissa and Danyae were involved in a retaliation against 375 00:21:48,800 --> 00:21:52,399 Speaker 1: the police, which she broadly did not support. This is 376 00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:56,560 Speaker 1: how she seemed to characterize the entire Ferguson movement. But 377 00:21:56,640 --> 00:22:00,480 Speaker 1: beyond that, knowing only a day before Danyae died, Loretha 378 00:22:00,560 --> 00:22:03,200 Speaker 1: was asking if Donya wanted to meet up for dinner 379 00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:05,920 Speaker 1: that weekend. It was weird that she spoke as if 380 00:22:06,040 --> 00:22:09,520 Speaker 1: she just wanted nothing to do with him. Loretha didn't 381 00:22:09,560 --> 00:22:12,320 Speaker 1: specifically say that she met with her planned to meet 382 00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:14,520 Speaker 1: with Donya, than that he died, which was what we 383 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:18,120 Speaker 1: were primarily interested in for the time being. We would 384 00:22:18,119 --> 00:22:20,000 Speaker 1: have to take the fact that she didn't say anything 385 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:23,679 Speaker 1: about Danyae's last night as an inference that it was 386 00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:27,440 Speaker 1: not her that he set out to meet. The other 387 00:22:27,480 --> 00:22:31,200 Speaker 1: young woman, Deja was also an ex girlfriend of Donyae's, 388 00:22:31,680 --> 00:22:35,200 Speaker 1: but they had retained a friendship Melissa and Milicia told 389 00:22:35,240 --> 00:22:38,480 Speaker 1: us about Desa, and let's just say they both have 390 00:22:38,600 --> 00:22:45,840 Speaker 1: some strong opinions about her. She's trifling sets too. I 391 00:22:45,840 --> 00:22:47,640 Speaker 1: don't know if you if I had to say, yeah, 392 00:22:47,680 --> 00:22:51,480 Speaker 1: she's I would get calls like that danger she didn't 393 00:22:51,520 --> 00:22:54,080 Speaker 1: got me for some more money. And I'm not just 394 00:22:54,240 --> 00:22:58,320 Speaker 1: one probably five different pepe very shafe, very shape. I 395 00:22:58,320 --> 00:23:02,680 Speaker 1: don't care. I would never be term. Deja Jones, obviously 396 00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:05,560 Speaker 1: no relation to Danya, was actually one of the founding 397 00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:09,240 Speaker 1: members of Lost Voices. Remember episode two when a young 398 00:23:09,280 --> 00:23:11,600 Speaker 1: woman in a red sweatshirt is arrested at a Lost 399 00:23:11,680 --> 00:23:15,000 Speaker 1: Voices tent encampment by two officers who carried her off 400 00:23:15,040 --> 00:23:18,199 Speaker 1: as though she was hog tied. That was Deja. And 401 00:23:18,240 --> 00:23:20,720 Speaker 1: when Melissa was in court and cleared of her charges 402 00:23:20,720 --> 00:23:23,440 Speaker 1: in the Chris Shaefer case and Donya was sitting next 403 00:23:23,480 --> 00:23:26,600 Speaker 1: to a young woman before getting up to hug his mom, 404 00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:29,959 Speaker 1: that was Deja, who was in court that day coincidentally 405 00:23:30,040 --> 00:23:34,600 Speaker 1: to deal with their own charges. According to Militia, when 406 00:23:34,640 --> 00:23:37,720 Speaker 1: Danye started dating Deja a few years before he died, 407 00:23:38,040 --> 00:23:42,040 Speaker 1: things in his life just started going downhill. They had 408 00:23:42,080 --> 00:23:44,040 Speaker 1: a nice apport. I mean in hazel Wood, he had 409 00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:46,560 Speaker 1: a car, hit a nice shop. He didn't smoke at all. 410 00:23:46,600 --> 00:23:49,439 Speaker 1: He didn't smoke weed at all. So he's like Dila 411 00:23:49,560 --> 00:23:55,200 Speaker 1: or her. He lost everything everything. It was so hard 412 00:23:55,320 --> 00:23:58,680 Speaker 1: to get Danye out of the house. He would only 413 00:23:58,720 --> 00:24:03,720 Speaker 1: go out to show some proper that was it. He 414 00:24:03,800 --> 00:24:07,480 Speaker 1: really didn't get out like you told me before, you 415 00:24:07,600 --> 00:24:10,520 Speaker 1: like one of like true best friend, he says, But 416 00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:13,320 Speaker 1: this damon guy. And did he go out and hang 417 00:24:13,320 --> 00:24:17,760 Speaker 1: out with him? No, Damon come over here, yes, but 418 00:24:18,119 --> 00:24:22,800 Speaker 1: damon Holly ever like up in before this happened, like 419 00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:27,600 Speaker 1: Danya was not getting out at all. Was that was 420 00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:29,639 Speaker 1: this like a weird irregular period where all of a 421 00:24:29,640 --> 00:24:31,880 Speaker 1: sudden he was just staying homes or was he always 422 00:24:31,960 --> 00:24:35,960 Speaker 1: like no, No, that was just that just recently week 423 00:24:36,080 --> 00:24:39,080 Speaker 1: was just and he had a new period where all 424 00:24:39,080 --> 00:24:44,359 Speaker 1: of a sudden he just didn't want to leave. But 425 00:24:44,480 --> 00:24:46,320 Speaker 1: if he's dealing somewhere, he was outside and the call 426 00:24:46,400 --> 00:24:48,919 Speaker 1: with the girl. He was outside in the cart with 427 00:24:48,960 --> 00:24:52,720 Speaker 1: the girl, and he didn't he's he's not the type 428 00:24:52,720 --> 00:24:54,639 Speaker 1: of person that talks to a lot of females or 429 00:24:54,880 --> 00:24:58,640 Speaker 1: leave out with them. But um, he noddn't like her 430 00:24:59,200 --> 00:25:01,040 Speaker 1: so just strang time and you don't want He didn't 431 00:25:01,080 --> 00:25:04,040 Speaker 1: want to leave nowhere. But she's the one who is 432 00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:10,280 Speaker 1: password pound. She was over here and I'm just this 433 00:25:10,359 --> 00:25:14,760 Speaker 1: is me speculating she found those messages said he was 434 00:25:14,800 --> 00:25:21,080 Speaker 1: writing to his egg. According to Danye's family, in the 435 00:25:21,119 --> 00:25:24,040 Speaker 1: week or so preceding his death, done didn't leave the 436 00:25:24,080 --> 00:25:26,240 Speaker 1: house unless it was to go show one of the 437 00:25:26,240 --> 00:25:28,760 Speaker 1: properties he was trying to sell, and we'll get into 438 00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:32,280 Speaker 1: his real estate business in a future episode. It's important 439 00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:34,840 Speaker 1: to stop and note this as some people may take 440 00:25:34,880 --> 00:25:38,199 Speaker 1: this as a sign of depression, which is possible, but 441 00:25:38,359 --> 00:25:41,560 Speaker 1: we think it is equally important to remember that Donye's 442 00:25:41,600 --> 00:25:44,680 Speaker 1: car wasn't working that last week, meaning that even when 443 00:25:44,720 --> 00:25:47,480 Speaker 1: he went to show properties, he had to borrow a car. 444 00:25:48,440 --> 00:25:51,040 Speaker 1: This may have been one reason he wasn't leaving as much, 445 00:25:51,760 --> 00:25:56,000 Speaker 1: or he may have been avoiding somebody. Then. According to Melissa, 446 00:25:56,200 --> 00:25:59,280 Speaker 1: Danye was very focused on studying the world of real estate, 447 00:25:59,520 --> 00:26:01,480 Speaker 1: so when he was at home he had been spending 448 00:26:01,520 --> 00:26:04,000 Speaker 1: most of his time watching videos or reading books in 449 00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:06,840 Speaker 1: the basement where he had his room. One of the 450 00:26:06,880 --> 00:26:09,399 Speaker 1: lone exceptions to this period of staying at home was 451 00:26:09,440 --> 00:26:11,760 Speaker 1: that he would hang out with Deja, though this usually 452 00:26:11,800 --> 00:26:14,280 Speaker 1: just meant sitting in a car parked out front, talking 453 00:26:14,320 --> 00:26:18,800 Speaker 1: and sometimes smoking pot. I say four stop Byron every 454 00:26:18,880 --> 00:26:22,600 Speaker 1: once in a while it's nighttime. I want Pant's car 455 00:26:22,480 --> 00:26:25,760 Speaker 1: or his voice. What's up, cleous or whatever? So I'm 456 00:26:25,760 --> 00:26:27,639 Speaker 1: trying to see who who want to package us out. 457 00:26:27,720 --> 00:26:29,760 Speaker 1: I see who it is and I'm like, I love 458 00:26:29,800 --> 00:26:32,000 Speaker 1: my brother. Bob was like uh and she was like 459 00:26:32,080 --> 00:26:34,040 Speaker 1: it's your brother, girl, And I'm like, what's up? Bro? 460 00:26:34,600 --> 00:26:38,679 Speaker 1: So went the house and they was just smoking whatever. 461 00:26:39,480 --> 00:26:42,160 Speaker 1: Getting in touch with Deja was going to be critical. 462 00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:45,119 Speaker 1: If she was one of the few people that Danye 463 00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:47,320 Speaker 1: would break away to hang out with, and if they 464 00:26:47,359 --> 00:26:50,520 Speaker 1: usually met up at night, it was very possible that 465 00:26:50,560 --> 00:26:52,800 Speaker 1: she was the person he set out to see on 466 00:26:52,840 --> 00:26:56,439 Speaker 1: the night of the sixteen and Melissa believes that Deja 467 00:26:56,520 --> 00:27:00,000 Speaker 1: had Danya's pass code to his phone, and she speculates 468 00:27:00,040 --> 00:27:02,840 Speaker 1: that Desa became upset when she saw the texts that 469 00:27:02,920 --> 00:27:07,280 Speaker 1: Donia was sending to Loretha. Finding her contact information took 470 00:27:07,320 --> 00:27:11,520 Speaker 1: some creative problem solving, but after some sleuthing, we were 471 00:27:11,560 --> 00:27:14,280 Speaker 1: able to come up with her cell phone number. When 472 00:27:14,280 --> 00:27:17,720 Speaker 1: we finally called we weren't sure what to expect after 473 00:27:17,800 --> 00:27:20,600 Speaker 1: all of the things that Melissa and Milicia had told 474 00:27:20,680 --> 00:27:29,000 Speaker 1: us about her killer. Hi is this Desa Jones? Yes, 475 00:27:29,119 --> 00:27:32,159 Speaker 1: this is hi Deja. My name is John Duffy, and 476 00:27:32,320 --> 00:27:35,240 Speaker 1: I'm a journalist working on a story that's sort of 477 00:27:35,280 --> 00:27:39,520 Speaker 1: about Ferguson and the history of activism and stuff like that. 478 00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:42,840 Speaker 1: And I was hoping you'd be willing to talk to me, 479 00:27:42,880 --> 00:27:46,359 Speaker 1: if not right now, at some point about your time 480 00:27:46,400 --> 00:27:51,159 Speaker 1: and lost voices and things like that. Um. Yes, I 481 00:27:51,200 --> 00:27:55,080 Speaker 1: am definitely interested, but right now I am a little busy. 482 00:27:55,200 --> 00:27:59,920 Speaker 1: So could you give me a callback like a little later. Um, well, 483 00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:01,760 Speaker 1: I think we'll might were better. But you just tell 484 00:28:01,800 --> 00:28:04,240 Speaker 1: me what day and time works for you and we'll 485 00:28:04,240 --> 00:28:06,000 Speaker 1: just we'll arrange it around your skill. It doesn't have 486 00:28:06,040 --> 00:28:10,679 Speaker 1: to be today. Our first impression was that Deja actually 487 00:28:10,760 --> 00:28:13,840 Speaker 1: seemed really nice. We arranged a time to talk for 488 00:28:13,880 --> 00:28:17,040 Speaker 1: a few days later. Your name comes up a lot, 489 00:28:17,320 --> 00:28:20,480 Speaker 1: You're you're there sort of at the beginning, Yeah, and 490 00:28:20,520 --> 00:28:22,679 Speaker 1: then that's sort of where it all starts, and then 491 00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:25,640 Speaker 1: it goes all the way up through now when several 492 00:28:25,640 --> 00:28:30,920 Speaker 1: people who were activists have died and things like that. 493 00:28:31,240 --> 00:28:33,240 Speaker 1: I was kind of hoping to talk to you about 494 00:28:33,600 --> 00:28:35,400 Speaker 1: a handful of these things and to kind of start 495 00:28:35,440 --> 00:28:37,520 Speaker 1: at the beginning and see if you could tell me 496 00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:41,080 Speaker 1: about your experience that day Mike Brown was shot and 497 00:28:41,120 --> 00:28:44,840 Speaker 1: then kind of go into how lost voices came together 498 00:28:44,880 --> 00:28:47,480 Speaker 1: and what that was like for you. I remember that 499 00:28:47,640 --> 00:28:53,440 Speaker 1: day exactly. Actually was my baby's father's house to get 500 00:28:53,480 --> 00:28:57,040 Speaker 1: my daughter, and it was a whole bunch of emotion 501 00:28:57,480 --> 00:29:02,760 Speaker 1: because indeed, the you know, on the streets. So I'm like, 502 00:29:02,800 --> 00:29:05,360 Speaker 1: what is going on? So I started to walk around 503 00:29:05,680 --> 00:29:10,200 Speaker 1: and so I'm got to work everything was and I 504 00:29:10,320 --> 00:29:13,760 Speaker 1: was just like, oh my god. So I'm standing there 505 00:29:13,840 --> 00:29:18,960 Speaker 1: and staying Michael Brown on the ground. The explained that 506 00:29:19,120 --> 00:29:21,720 Speaker 1: she called her daughter's father and asked if their child 507 00:29:21,720 --> 00:29:24,280 Speaker 1: could stay with him for the night. She stayed out 508 00:29:24,320 --> 00:29:27,360 Speaker 1: with the crowds and so as that they kind of 509 00:29:27,480 --> 00:29:32,320 Speaker 1: ended kind of protested against them because they wouldn't get 510 00:29:32,320 --> 00:29:35,280 Speaker 1: the body of So that was like my first time 511 00:29:35,600 --> 00:29:42,240 Speaker 1: ever protesting. So my first actual chant was for them 512 00:29:42,280 --> 00:29:44,640 Speaker 1: to get him off the ground. There was a couple 513 00:29:44,680 --> 00:29:47,760 Speaker 1: of other people there that I didn't know at first, 514 00:29:47,880 --> 00:29:50,560 Speaker 1: like we kind of like all this all We're on 515 00:29:50,640 --> 00:29:52,480 Speaker 1: the same page. We are kind of had at the 516 00:29:52,520 --> 00:29:57,520 Speaker 1: same mind frame. One day we just came to I 517 00:29:57,600 --> 00:30:01,840 Speaker 1: believe it was an old into parking lot, furniture store 518 00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:04,520 Speaker 1: parking lot. We went there one day, we all met 519 00:30:04,640 --> 00:30:08,600 Speaker 1: up and we just started to have like little tense 520 00:30:08,720 --> 00:30:11,480 Speaker 1: and tables and things for people that were walking through 521 00:30:11,520 --> 00:30:16,640 Speaker 1: because we were protesting nice with words like every day. 522 00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:21,000 Speaker 1: Desia had the same frustrations as other Lost Voices activists 523 00:30:21,160 --> 00:30:24,000 Speaker 1: who felt that they helped to bur the wider movement 524 00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:28,760 Speaker 1: that then left them and Ferguson behind. I've got a lot. 525 00:30:28,760 --> 00:30:30,719 Speaker 1: It was a lot of groups and like kind of 526 00:30:31,160 --> 00:30:35,000 Speaker 1: blossomed up if we were marching on with force, and 527 00:30:35,160 --> 00:30:37,120 Speaker 1: it was a lot of people taking credit for what 528 00:30:37,320 --> 00:30:40,600 Speaker 1: we were doing, and they never ever even stood flood 529 00:30:41,160 --> 00:30:44,720 Speaker 1: out on with florthing. So that that was done with 530 00:30:44,840 --> 00:30:46,920 Speaker 1: my issue. Like a lot of people were getting a 531 00:30:46,960 --> 00:30:49,960 Speaker 1: lot of attention, a lot of fame and things, I 532 00:30:49,960 --> 00:30:52,520 Speaker 1: guess you could say, and they weren't even doing none 533 00:30:52,560 --> 00:30:55,840 Speaker 1: of this stuff. She told us that she missed activism 534 00:30:55,840 --> 00:30:58,520 Speaker 1: and wanted to get back into it. So you want 535 00:30:58,520 --> 00:31:03,160 Speaker 1: to get back into it, Oh, yes, definitely. It's slow stopping. 536 00:31:03,320 --> 00:31:06,920 Speaker 1: Like my dad was killed by a police officer when 537 00:31:06,920 --> 00:31:09,480 Speaker 1: I was younger, I was about seven. It's been in 538 00:31:09,520 --> 00:31:11,920 Speaker 1: my blood. You know, the only reason why I stopped, 539 00:31:11,920 --> 00:31:15,240 Speaker 1: like I said, because I did a couple months, like 540 00:31:15,320 --> 00:31:18,400 Speaker 1: three or four months of jail time, and it wasn't 541 00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:20,280 Speaker 1: fair to me that I had to get back on 542 00:31:20,360 --> 00:31:22,960 Speaker 1: my feet and too, you know, things like that. But so, 543 00:31:23,040 --> 00:31:25,000 Speaker 1: which which ar wrestler do you happen to do a 544 00:31:25,040 --> 00:31:27,880 Speaker 1: couple of months? So they were trying to basically charge 545 00:31:27,960 --> 00:31:30,760 Speaker 1: me from some ponds and that stuff that happened along 546 00:31:30,960 --> 00:31:34,200 Speaker 1: a long while ago, And they finally found out that 547 00:31:34,320 --> 00:31:38,560 Speaker 1: I wasn't even at the scene. So it just been 548 00:31:38,680 --> 00:31:42,280 Speaker 1: like three months to figure that out. But so, wait, 549 00:31:42,320 --> 00:31:44,280 Speaker 1: were you sitting in Were you sitting in jail the 550 00:31:44,320 --> 00:31:47,800 Speaker 1: whole time awaiting trial? He basically I was They do 551 00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:50,920 Speaker 1: activists very wrong. When they found out that you're protesting, 552 00:31:50,960 --> 00:31:55,800 Speaker 1: you're protesting against their their systems that they built, they 553 00:31:55,840 --> 00:31:58,160 Speaker 1: feel like, okay, well we're gonna do whatever we can 554 00:31:58,240 --> 00:32:02,440 Speaker 1: they keep her in. So they, I guess, ben't heard 555 00:32:02,480 --> 00:32:05,640 Speaker 1: about me a lot. I'm on a radar, and they 556 00:32:05,680 --> 00:32:08,800 Speaker 1: were just like, okay, well we're gonna take the longest 557 00:32:08,920 --> 00:32:12,520 Speaker 1: time ever to figure out if she was the truth 558 00:32:12,520 --> 00:32:15,000 Speaker 1: of that. So I had my lawyer and things like that, 559 00:32:15,080 --> 00:32:17,800 Speaker 1: but it was just my jods. My judge was very shitty. 560 00:32:18,160 --> 00:32:20,479 Speaker 1: He wanted to do stuff when he wanted to do it. 561 00:32:20,600 --> 00:32:25,440 Speaker 1: So which municipality was it in? Was Munici? I wasn't 562 00:32:25,640 --> 00:32:31,080 Speaker 1: um the county. County was county. Yeah, they are horrible. 563 00:32:31,240 --> 00:32:33,880 Speaker 1: I had to pay so much money. It was just ridiculous. 564 00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:36,720 Speaker 1: I mean, my daughter's third birthday. I would never forget that, 565 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:40,000 Speaker 1: you know, things like that. When did all that end? Actually, 566 00:32:40,440 --> 00:32:43,600 Speaker 1: it just ended like it was still going on, Like 567 00:32:43,680 --> 00:32:46,240 Speaker 1: they tried to put me on papers and everything for that. 568 00:32:47,120 --> 00:32:50,840 Speaker 1: Like I just literally closed that case. Like they were 569 00:32:50,840 --> 00:32:52,520 Speaker 1: trying to charge me for a lot of things. Like 570 00:32:52,600 --> 00:32:54,760 Speaker 1: it was another instant there for a lot of playss 571 00:32:54,840 --> 00:32:58,080 Speaker 1: had a lady had no a man. He had got 572 00:32:58,080 --> 00:33:01,280 Speaker 1: his own oland or something. He was trying to come 573 00:33:01,320 --> 00:33:03,320 Speaker 1: in some one of our secret meetings, and he made 574 00:33:03,400 --> 00:33:05,840 Speaker 1: up a whole ordeal. He had somebody to beat him up, 575 00:33:05,920 --> 00:33:09,600 Speaker 1: and it was just so crazy. And so they tried 576 00:33:09,600 --> 00:33:12,880 Speaker 1: to targe me for the stealing of the phone and 577 00:33:13,880 --> 00:33:20,080 Speaker 1: what else for I thought that's what it would deja 578 00:33:20,200 --> 00:33:23,280 Speaker 1: is referring to the incident with Chris Shaffer that Melissa 579 00:33:23,320 --> 00:33:26,719 Speaker 1: told us about back in episode two. Chris was beaten up, 580 00:33:26,760 --> 00:33:29,920 Speaker 1: if you remember, and Melissa, who actually was the one 581 00:33:29,920 --> 00:33:34,560 Speaker 1: to return his phone, was charged with assaulting and robbing him. Apparently, 582 00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:37,959 Speaker 1: according to Deja, the county also tried to pin charges 583 00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:41,160 Speaker 1: on her for that crime. Right after she told us this, 584 00:33:41,520 --> 00:33:44,000 Speaker 1: Deja had to jump off the phone. You called me 585 00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:48,040 Speaker 1: back in five minutes. Absolutely, I'll call you five minutes, okay, 586 00:33:48,200 --> 00:33:52,360 Speaker 1: all right. When we called back in five minutes, Dejah 587 00:33:52,360 --> 00:33:55,720 Speaker 1: didn't answer. She did respond to a text, though, and 588 00:33:55,720 --> 00:34:03,640 Speaker 1: said we could set up another time to talk. Hey, 589 00:34:03,720 --> 00:34:10,920 Speaker 1: is Daja there? No? Uh? Is it John? Yeah? They 590 00:34:11,360 --> 00:34:20,839 Speaker 1: lock stuff right now? What what happened? She posaations, Well, shit. 591 00:34:21,800 --> 00:34:25,239 Speaker 1: In our first conversation, we've been chatting with Deja about 592 00:34:25,239 --> 00:34:28,719 Speaker 1: her background and her activism with Lost Voices. This was 593 00:34:28,800 --> 00:34:31,200 Speaker 1: stuff we really wanted to know about, and it was 594 00:34:31,239 --> 00:34:34,680 Speaker 1: pretty revealing to hear that all these years later, she 595 00:34:34,840 --> 00:34:37,880 Speaker 1: was still dealing with the legal fallout from those original 596 00:34:37,920 --> 00:34:42,239 Speaker 1: protest activities five years previous. It reminded us of what 597 00:34:42,360 --> 00:34:46,680 Speaker 1: Darren Seals said in his video about how nationally recognized 598 00:34:46,800 --> 00:34:50,759 Speaker 1: black lives matter activists were doing speaking gigs while the 599 00:34:50,800 --> 00:34:53,760 Speaker 1: people who are on the front lines and ferguson taking 600 00:34:53,760 --> 00:34:57,200 Speaker 1: all the risks, they were still suffering. We're still trying 601 00:34:57,200 --> 00:35:00,520 Speaker 1: to get their lives back in order. We ever even 602 00:35:00,560 --> 00:35:04,240 Speaker 1: got to talking with Asia about DNA in those first calls, 603 00:35:04,800 --> 00:35:06,520 Speaker 1: so we never got to ask whether or not she 604 00:35:06,600 --> 00:35:09,280 Speaker 1: saw him or planned to see him the night he died. 605 00:35:10,000 --> 00:35:13,200 Speaker 1: And we had another question for her too, a big one. 606 00:35:14,040 --> 00:35:16,759 Speaker 1: Since Danyae's death, no one in his family had been 607 00:35:16,800 --> 00:35:20,000 Speaker 1: able to get into either of his cell phones. The 608 00:35:20,040 --> 00:35:23,360 Speaker 1: phone he primarily used was as Android in Both Melissa 609 00:35:23,480 --> 00:35:27,399 Speaker 1: and Militia believed Desia knew Danyae's pass code. So even 610 00:35:27,400 --> 00:35:30,520 Speaker 1: if Desia wasn't the person Dania packed an overnight bag 611 00:35:30,600 --> 00:35:33,000 Speaker 1: to go see the night he died, she might be 612 00:35:33,040 --> 00:35:36,279 Speaker 1: able to help us unlock his phone, which very well 613 00:35:36,360 --> 00:35:41,640 Speaker 1: could hold crucial clues regarding well everything. And now Desia 614 00:35:41,760 --> 00:35:44,160 Speaker 1: was back in jail, how long would it take for 615 00:35:44,160 --> 00:35:47,160 Speaker 1: her to get out? And if she ever actually knew 616 00:35:47,239 --> 00:35:52,000 Speaker 1: Danyae's pass code but she still remember it, that's next 617 00:35:52,040 --> 00:35:59,640 Speaker 1: time and after the uprising. After the uprising is directed, produced, investigated, written, 618 00:35:59,640 --> 00:36:02,600 Speaker 1: and report did by myself, Raino Vashelski, and John Duffy. 619 00:36:02,719 --> 00:36:05,600 Speaker 1: John Duffy was also the editor. Dave Cassidy was producer, 620 00:36:05,840 --> 00:36:09,440 Speaker 1: sound engineering, design and mixed by Josh Condon. Executive producers 621 00:36:09,440 --> 00:36:11,880 Speaker 1: were Matt McDonough and Tina x Eros for Now This, 622 00:36:12,160 --> 00:36:14,960 Speaker 1: Brett Kushner for Group nine Media, and Jeff Borov was 623 00:36:15,000 --> 00:36:18,000 Speaker 1: executive in charge of production. Jonathan Hartwig and Bradley Rayford 624 00:36:18,000 --> 00:36:21,120 Speaker 1: were consulting producers. Eliza Craig was assistant producer and did 625 00:36:21,120 --> 00:36:25,160 Speaker 1: additional reporting. Malory Keenoy was a writer's assistant. Kristen McVicker 626 00:36:25,239 --> 00:36:28,239 Speaker 1: and Taya Wilson were production assistants, and Haley Klezmer was 627 00:36:28,280 --> 00:36:31,640 Speaker 1: a post production assistant. Fact checking by Alison Humes. Theme 628 00:36:31,719 --> 00:36:34,520 Speaker 1: song and other music by Zachary Walter, legal by Keith 629 00:36:34,560 --> 00:36:38,320 Speaker 1: Sklar and Peter Yazy. Special thanks to Ann Frado, Danny Gonzalez, 630 00:36:38,360 --> 00:36:43,120 Speaker 1: Barbara Copple, Alex Lester, Bethan Mcalouzo, Emily Maronoff, Ruth Vaka, 631 00:36:43,239 --> 00:36:45,680 Speaker 1: and the Reporter's Committee for Freedom of the Press. After 632 00:36:45,719 --> 00:36:48,000 Speaker 1: the Uprising is a production of Double asterisk I, Heart 633 00:36:48,080 --> 00:36:50,880 Speaker 1: Media and Now This in association with True Stories. You 634 00:36:50,920 --> 00:36:53,200 Speaker 1: can find us on Twitter and Facebook. If you have 635 00:36:53,280 --> 00:36:56,000 Speaker 1: useful information about the death of Danye Jones or anything 636 00:36:56,000 --> 00:36:58,279 Speaker 1: we've covered, please leave a message on our tip line 637 00:36:58,320 --> 00:37:01,839 Speaker 1: at three four seven six seven four seven four zero one.