1 00:00:01,440 --> 00:00:05,040 Speaker 1: Hey, listeners, Jessica here. Be sure to check out new 2 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:09,680 Speaker 1: episodes of Undetermined every Tuesday for free wherever you get 3 00:00:09,680 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 1: your podcasts. For early and ad free listening, check out 4 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 1: Tenderfoot plus on Apple Podcasts. The views and opinions expressed 5 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:24,680 Speaker 1: in this podcast are solely those of the individuals interviewed 6 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:28,280 Speaker 1: and participating in the show, and do not represent those 7 00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:33,360 Speaker 1: of Tenderfoot TV and Resonate recordings. All individuals described or 8 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:37,160 Speaker 1: mentioned in the podcast should be considered innocent until found 9 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:41,320 Speaker 1: guilty in a court of law. This podcast contains subject 10 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:45,239 Speaker 1: matter such as violence and graphic descriptions, which may not 11 00:00:45,320 --> 00:00:57,440 Speaker 1: be suitable for all audiences. Listener discretion is advised. As 12 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:02,360 Speaker 1: January twenty twenty rolled around, Jessica's family was waiting on 13 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:07,560 Speaker 1: pins and needles for any update from police, any shred 14 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:12,199 Speaker 1: of new information or details that could shed some light 15 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:16,240 Speaker 1: on what happened to their Jessica. As far as the 16 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:22,199 Speaker 1: investigation was going, it had been a long five months. Sure, 17 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 1: they were getting snippets from Erica during that month's long 18 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:29,560 Speaker 1: text conversation she and Justin had, but as you know 19 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:32,600 Speaker 1: from our last episode, it was right around this time 20 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:37,280 Speaker 1: in early twenty twenty that Erica and Justin's conversation ended, 21 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:43,160 Speaker 1: and since Justin had zero contact with Jessica's family at 22 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:47,120 Speaker 1: this point, they were pretty much in the dark until 23 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:53,680 Speaker 1: one day in late January when an officer informed Audrey 24 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:56,520 Speaker 1: that there was a woman who wished to speak with her. 25 00:01:57,960 --> 00:02:00,440 Speaker 1: Her name Jessica. 26 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:06,880 Speaker 2: I got a message from a cop in New Orleans 27 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:15,120 Speaker 2: telling me that this girl named Jessica wanted to reach 28 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 2: out to me. 29 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:16,880 Speaker 3: She had information. 30 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:21,400 Speaker 2: I read the message from her, and she wanted me 31 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:24,680 Speaker 2: to call her. I was thinking to myself, Oh my god, 32 00:02:24,919 --> 00:02:25,800 Speaker 2: this is Justin. 33 00:02:26,440 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 3: This is just some fake person. 34 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:33,280 Speaker 2: I ended up calling her anyway, and I found out 35 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:36,440 Speaker 2: that she had a run in with Justin at the 36 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:37,520 Speaker 2: bar that she worked at. 37 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:41,680 Speaker 4: You came in very quickly, so it caught my attention, 38 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:45,920 Speaker 4: and he said, while you really reminded me of my wife, 39 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:49,280 Speaker 4: she just committed suicide. But tried telling the New Orleans 40 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:53,760 Speaker 4: Police Department that in twenty six years of bartending, I've 41 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:55,640 Speaker 4: met a lot of people and had a lot of 42 00:02:55,680 --> 00:03:00,200 Speaker 4: strange interactions and some scary interactions, and this was top 43 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:00,760 Speaker 4: of the list. 44 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 1: The late Anthony Bourdain once said, New Orleans is quote 45 00:03:38,560 --> 00:03:42,520 Speaker 1: a must see city because there's no explaining it, no 46 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:48,200 Speaker 1: describing it. You can't compare it to anything, end quote. 47 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:55,560 Speaker 1: Everything in this city has a history, a uniqueness, a story. 48 00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:59,440 Speaker 1: You never know where a day in New Orleans will 49 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:05,520 Speaker 1: take you for toddy. This particular day brings us to 50 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:10,320 Speaker 1: the outskirts of downtown, to a quaint Mexican restaurant called 51 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:12,040 Speaker 1: Elpavo rial. 52 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:14,000 Speaker 5: Soar. 53 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:22,480 Speaker 1: Upon entering, we're immediately hit with the aroma of freshly 54 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:29,159 Speaker 1: chopped cilantro and warm homemade tortillas. The walls are lined 55 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:34,279 Speaker 1: with bright, vivid artwork by locals, including a mosaic style 56 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:39,400 Speaker 1: painting depicting the church next door. The entire place is 57 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:45,279 Speaker 1: immaculate and colorfully decorated. Our reason for being here isn't 58 00:04:45,279 --> 00:04:48,719 Speaker 1: as uplifting as the restaurant we're sitting in, nor it's 59 00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:53,960 Speaker 1: cheerful decor. We're here because back in January of twenty twenty, 60 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:58,640 Speaker 1: just a week after Jessica's Corner's report was released, another 61 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:02,960 Speaker 1: woman named Jessica or Jessica Vee as we'll call her, 62 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:08,560 Speaker 1: supposedly had an unforgettable encounter with Justin Derning in this 63 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:13,039 Speaker 1: very restaurant, and she wasn't alone when she met Justin. 64 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:15,640 Speaker 1: Her friend Nate was there too. 65 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:18,360 Speaker 3: Do you think both have. 66 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:21,400 Speaker 1: Been in the service industry for a long time, so 67 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:25,560 Speaker 1: they've had their fair share of strange encounters, but they 68 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:28,279 Speaker 1: say this one was different. 69 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:32,839 Speaker 4: I've interacted with strangers my whole life and my jobs, 70 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 4: and I've come into contact with any number of real 71 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:41,000 Speaker 4: strange people, but this was, I mean, this was by 72 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:42,880 Speaker 4: far the most. 73 00:05:43,839 --> 00:05:46,400 Speaker 6: The whole thing was such a mind fuct to be honest, Yeah, 74 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:48,480 Speaker 6: I just thought it was all bullshit until I was 75 00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:51,560 Speaker 6: just like, there's something insane going on inside him. 76 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:55,880 Speaker 1: Todd and I sat down with both Jessica, Vee, and 77 00:05:56,000 --> 00:05:58,880 Speaker 1: Nate to get the full story of what happened the 78 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:01,160 Speaker 1: day they met Justin at the restaurant. 79 00:06:03,120 --> 00:06:06,520 Speaker 6: So me and jess had planned to hang out after 80 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:08,600 Speaker 6: she had gotten off work, and I just lived down 81 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:11,359 Speaker 6: the street at the time, so I was going to 82 00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:13,400 Speaker 6: go in and sit down at the bar and wait 83 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:16,800 Speaker 6: for her to get off. I decided to stay at 84 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:21,040 Speaker 6: the bar and she made me a half watermelon, half 85 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:24,360 Speaker 6: lime swirl frozen margarita, which is my favorite. We were 86 00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:29,400 Speaker 6: just drinking and eating and Justin came in. Didn't know 87 00:06:29,440 --> 00:06:33,200 Speaker 6: who he was of course at the time, he looked 88 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:39,520 Speaker 6: frantic and unhealthy, like in a way like he maybe 89 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:45,560 Speaker 6: hadn't been like eating good or he didn't look aneberated 90 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:51,040 Speaker 6: or anything. But he just looked frantic, disheveled, and scrawny. 91 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:56,560 Speaker 6: But right away I was like, please, don't talk to 92 00:06:56,600 --> 00:06:58,680 Speaker 6: me right when I saw him, but I could tell 93 00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:02,240 Speaker 6: that he really needed to talk to someone. Obviously. 94 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:06,080 Speaker 4: He started walking towards us and immediately asked us about 95 00:07:06,120 --> 00:07:09,120 Speaker 4: the food pantry next door. There's a church that runs 96 00:07:09,120 --> 00:07:11,880 Speaker 4: a food pantry next door. We could see the very 97 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:13,920 Speaker 4: expensive car he pulled up, and so it was just 98 00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:20,560 Speaker 4: right off the bat a seemingly weird situation, and I said, well, 99 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:24,960 Speaker 4: I think that closes about three hours ago. He said, 100 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:28,560 Speaker 4: of course it's closed. This is just what my life 101 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:32,600 Speaker 4: is right now. I should just kill myself. That's immediately 102 00:07:32,640 --> 00:07:36,000 Speaker 4: what he said. I responded, and I said, oh, hey, hey, man, 103 00:07:36,600 --> 00:07:39,600 Speaker 4: don't hurt yourself. And I said I always tell the 104 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:41,960 Speaker 4: people around me when I'm upset that they'd better be 105 00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:43,160 Speaker 4: the ones to watch out. 106 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:49,560 Speaker 1: Justin was not out of sorts. She says. She noticed 107 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:54,000 Speaker 1: that he smelled and his hair was disheveled. She characterizes 108 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:56,600 Speaker 1: him as being twitchy. 109 00:07:56,720 --> 00:07:59,160 Speaker 4: Then when he mentioned the death and he was saying 110 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:01,720 Speaker 4: he want to kill himself that you know that, I'm like, uh, 111 00:08:02,080 --> 00:08:03,400 Speaker 4: maybe he's just having a middle breakdown. 112 00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:03,680 Speaker 3: You know. 113 00:08:03,880 --> 00:08:05,520 Speaker 4: At first I was kind of given the benefit of 114 00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:08,120 Speaker 4: the doubt of like, you know, maybe I just need 115 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:10,040 Speaker 4: to calm this dude down, and like if he sits 116 00:08:10,040 --> 00:08:12,920 Speaker 4: here a second, maybe just collect his bearings, then he'll go. 117 00:08:14,040 --> 00:08:18,400 Speaker 4: But then yeah, it got really uncomfortable very quickly. And 118 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:21,960 Speaker 4: he said, wow, you really reminded me of my wife. 119 00:08:22,880 --> 00:08:26,040 Speaker 4: She just committed suicide. But try telling the New Orleans 120 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:30,040 Speaker 4: Police Department that I'm not certain what I responded to him, 121 00:08:30,040 --> 00:08:32,040 Speaker 4: and he said again, he's like, you really remind me 122 00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:34,320 Speaker 4: a lot of my wife. What's your name And I 123 00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:38,760 Speaker 4: said Jessica, and he said that is my wife's name. 124 00:08:40,880 --> 00:08:43,839 Speaker 4: He's like, you look about her size. I have all 125 00:08:43,880 --> 00:08:45,640 Speaker 4: of this shit of hers in my house. I gotta 126 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:47,120 Speaker 4: get rid of it. I gotta get it out of there. 127 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:51,520 Speaker 4: I have her hope chest, I have all of her clothes. 128 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:54,480 Speaker 4: They're all designer, they're all amazing, they're all expensive. 129 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:57,240 Speaker 3: He's telling me all this and telling me he's got 130 00:08:57,280 --> 00:08:58,040 Speaker 3: to go to the food. 131 00:08:57,840 --> 00:09:01,040 Speaker 4: Pantry, and I said, you know, there's some consignments that 132 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:04,200 Speaker 4: you could probably make a lot of money on these things. 133 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:07,440 Speaker 4: Maybe you should do that. I said, did she have 134 00:09:07,800 --> 00:09:12,040 Speaker 4: family that might want it? He said yeah, but yeah, 135 00:09:12,040 --> 00:09:14,040 Speaker 4: they're not getting it. 136 00:09:14,040 --> 00:09:16,920 Speaker 6: It just went from like I said, a stranger walking 137 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:19,760 Speaker 6: into just all of a sudden, you look like my 138 00:09:19,840 --> 00:09:24,800 Speaker 6: dead wife that committed suicide. And then I have all 139 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:27,200 Speaker 6: of her things and I need to get rid of them, 140 00:09:27,280 --> 00:09:29,280 Speaker 6: like I need to get her like out of my 141 00:09:29,480 --> 00:09:33,000 Speaker 6: house because I can't handle But it was very like 142 00:09:33,040 --> 00:09:36,079 Speaker 6: a sad like I can't handle having all her things around. 143 00:09:36,640 --> 00:09:39,600 Speaker 6: I mean, it just went so gross really fast. When 144 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:42,040 Speaker 6: you know when a man's like what's your shoe size? 145 00:09:42,679 --> 00:09:45,280 Speaker 6: You know, what kind of fashion do you like? What 146 00:09:45,440 --> 00:09:48,640 Speaker 6: size shirt do you wear? And stuff? Because you can 147 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:52,160 Speaker 6: come get all my dead wife's things. But then it 148 00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:54,480 Speaker 6: went from there to like, maybe we should hang out sometime, 149 00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:57,920 Speaker 6: like what are you into? It was mostly very focused 150 00:09:57,920 --> 00:10:02,199 Speaker 6: on jess and he started talking about how him and 151 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:06,120 Speaker 6: Jessica should hang out and how he loves diving and 152 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:09,160 Speaker 6: how he has all this scuba equipment and how he 153 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:14,680 Speaker 6: loves knife and he loves hunting and shooting bows and 154 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:18,400 Speaker 6: arrows and all this stuff. I'm like, I'm so confused. 155 00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:20,960 Speaker 6: It was a whirlwind for sure. 156 00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:27,120 Speaker 1: At this point, Jessica Vee says she pretty much quit 157 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:30,600 Speaker 1: engaging with Justin and went on to warn her coworkers. 158 00:10:30,640 --> 00:10:34,120 Speaker 1: In this situation, she wanted to wrap up her shift 159 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:37,440 Speaker 1: so she could get out of there, but before she could, 160 00:10:37,920 --> 00:10:41,040 Speaker 1: she needed to give Justin his bill. And it was 161 00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:45,720 Speaker 1: then that Jessica VV and Nate both noticed him frantically 162 00:10:45,760 --> 00:10:49,920 Speaker 1: scribbling something into a notebook. They weren't sure what. 163 00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:53,319 Speaker 4: I was leaving as I put his bill in front 164 00:10:53,320 --> 00:10:54,839 Speaker 4: of him, and he said, wait, wait, wait, wait wait, and 165 00:10:55,240 --> 00:10:57,480 Speaker 4: turned around to the notebook and ripped the page out 166 00:10:58,320 --> 00:10:59,960 Speaker 4: and folded it up and gave it to me. 167 00:11:00,800 --> 00:11:04,080 Speaker 1: Could you open up the letter and just like read 168 00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:08,479 Speaker 1: through the gibberish that it is okay. 169 00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:11,600 Speaker 4: It starts with his personal information at the top. It's 170 00:11:12,480 --> 00:11:15,840 Speaker 4: says Justin Durning. It gives his address, it says Grace daughter. 171 00:11:16,880 --> 00:11:19,280 Speaker 4: It gives me exact directions how to get there. It 172 00:11:19,320 --> 00:11:22,280 Speaker 4: gives his cell phone number and his landline and his 173 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:26,880 Speaker 4: email address. Immediately it goes to the items he wants 174 00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:30,920 Speaker 4: to give me of Jessica's purses, Kate Spade, Betsy Johnson, 175 00:11:30,960 --> 00:11:36,120 Speaker 4: Mark Jacobs, Calvin Klein, Barbery, Chanel Shoes, Christian Leubatan, Jimmy Choos, 176 00:11:36,120 --> 00:11:39,400 Speaker 4: Steve Madden, all kinds of shit jewelry, mid to high 177 00:11:39,440 --> 00:11:43,000 Speaker 4: end costume jewelry. I have some furniture that I just 178 00:11:43,040 --> 00:11:48,480 Speaker 4: don't need. Dresser Cedar Chest, Hope chest questions. Do you 179 00:11:48,559 --> 00:11:52,960 Speaker 4: like to shoot guns? Do you like knives? Parentheses, tactical? 180 00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:56,440 Speaker 4: Do you dive or want to learn? If you or 181 00:11:56,440 --> 00:11:58,880 Speaker 4: your husband or into any of this, please let me know. 182 00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:04,160 Speaker 4: Southern heels, Nola custom high end flip flops. He had 183 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:06,720 Speaker 4: mentioned that sitting at the bar, that his wife had 184 00:12:06,720 --> 00:12:09,920 Speaker 4: this business that was just sitting there and it was 185 00:12:10,200 --> 00:12:12,920 Speaker 4: a It was just a cash cow, and I could 186 00:12:12,960 --> 00:12:17,599 Speaker 4: have that too, So it was just all very confusing. 187 00:12:19,960 --> 00:12:22,080 Speaker 1: Jessica Vee was eager to get out of there, so 188 00:12:22,120 --> 00:12:25,360 Speaker 1: she took the note Justin handed her and promptly left 189 00:12:25,360 --> 00:12:28,840 Speaker 1: the restaurant for the night. Her shift and her brush 190 00:12:28,880 --> 00:12:34,480 Speaker 1: with Justin had ended, but her story didn't end there. 191 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:40,400 Speaker 1: After leaving the restaurant, Jessica V and Nate, still reeling 192 00:12:40,400 --> 00:12:44,720 Speaker 1: from the bizarre experience, googled Justin's full name to see 193 00:12:44,720 --> 00:12:48,520 Speaker 1: if they could find any more information about him, and 194 00:12:48,600 --> 00:12:53,120 Speaker 1: in doing so, they quickly learned about his wife, Jessica's death. 195 00:12:54,280 --> 00:12:55,840 Speaker 3: This was a big story in New Orleans. 196 00:12:56,120 --> 00:12:58,160 Speaker 4: We'd all heard about Jessica, but we didn't know the 197 00:12:58,240 --> 00:13:03,680 Speaker 4: names Jessica's or his. I immediately grew. 198 00:13:03,480 --> 00:13:04,800 Speaker 3: More concerned for his daughter. 199 00:13:05,679 --> 00:13:07,640 Speaker 4: We've read the stories that he doesn't appear to be 200 00:13:07,679 --> 00:13:11,559 Speaker 4: involved in the search or any other thing, and there 201 00:13:12,120 --> 00:13:15,200 Speaker 4: he's not the person contact. You know, this is our 202 00:13:15,240 --> 00:13:17,360 Speaker 4: family that's in the media, not him. That he had 203 00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:22,480 Speaker 4: been speaking about weapons, and then the note had really 204 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:25,280 Speaker 4: odd things about weapons. Did I like to shoot guns? 205 00:13:25,320 --> 00:13:31,440 Speaker 4: Did I like tactical knives? Those things obviously concerned me 206 00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:32,359 Speaker 4: a little more. 207 00:13:32,200 --> 00:13:33,560 Speaker 3: Once I found out who he was. 208 00:13:34,559 --> 00:13:39,280 Speaker 4: So that's kind of what kept nagging at me till 209 00:13:39,360 --> 00:13:41,960 Speaker 4: the next day. When I called the police department to 210 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:44,439 Speaker 4: just turn the note in. I just assumed there'd be 211 00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:47,520 Speaker 4: a homicide investigator working on this case. I thought I 212 00:13:47,520 --> 00:13:49,559 Speaker 4: could just call and someone would come to the restaurant 213 00:13:49,640 --> 00:13:51,560 Speaker 4: pick up the note. I really thought that that would 214 00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:54,880 Speaker 4: be it. I thought that would be all of my involvement. 215 00:13:56,400 --> 00:14:00,439 Speaker 1: While this may have sounded easy, in theory turned out 216 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:03,120 Speaker 1: to be a lot more complicated than Jessica Vee thought 217 00:14:03,160 --> 00:14:03,560 Speaker 1: it would be. 218 00:14:04,480 --> 00:14:06,760 Speaker 4: They said, we've don't handle stuff like that. There isn't 219 00:14:06,760 --> 00:14:08,480 Speaker 4: a homicide investigator working on. 220 00:14:09,200 --> 00:14:09,959 Speaker 3: We don't do that. 221 00:14:10,360 --> 00:14:12,120 Speaker 4: You got to turn that into the corner. Are you 222 00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:14,760 Speaker 4: afraid he's going to hurt himself or someone else? I'm 223 00:14:14,760 --> 00:14:16,680 Speaker 4: not concerned he's going to hurt me, but himself or 224 00:14:16,720 --> 00:14:20,760 Speaker 4: someone else. Yes, I am concerned, highly concerned, and that 225 00:14:20,800 --> 00:14:23,480 Speaker 4: there's a child in his care. That is what I'm 226 00:14:23,520 --> 00:14:26,880 Speaker 4: calling about. And they explained to me that I would 227 00:14:26,960 --> 00:14:30,800 Speaker 4: have to take the letter to the coroner's office. She 228 00:14:30,960 --> 00:14:33,280 Speaker 4: told me that where that was and told me that 229 00:14:34,240 --> 00:14:35,920 Speaker 4: they would be able to pick him up for a 230 00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:36,880 Speaker 4: mental health hold. 231 00:14:38,640 --> 00:14:41,520 Speaker 1: So Jessica v drives to the corner's office around seven 232 00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:45,120 Speaker 1: or eight that night. She walks inside and meets a 233 00:14:45,160 --> 00:14:48,280 Speaker 1: woman who she thinks is a receptionist but is later 234 00:14:48,360 --> 00:14:52,160 Speaker 1: told is one of the coroners. Jessica Vee starts telling 235 00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:55,440 Speaker 1: her about the exchange she'd had with Justin and was 236 00:14:55,480 --> 00:14:56,960 Speaker 1: stunned by the woman's reaction. 237 00:14:58,960 --> 00:15:03,240 Speaker 4: She said, Oh, my god, I probably shouldn't be telling 238 00:15:03,320 --> 00:15:08,760 Speaker 4: you this, but she's still here. He has not released 239 00:15:08,800 --> 00:15:13,040 Speaker 4: her body to her family, so she's still here. 240 00:15:15,240 --> 00:15:18,760 Speaker 3: So and we're talking five months. So at that point 241 00:15:19,080 --> 00:15:20,000 Speaker 3: she's been there five months. 242 00:15:20,600 --> 00:15:24,640 Speaker 4: This is January and this has been since Oko so yes, 243 00:15:25,240 --> 00:15:28,320 Speaker 4: So that was very distressing for me to hear. She 244 00:15:28,360 --> 00:15:33,360 Speaker 4: started to prepare all this paperwork, making copies of the note. 245 00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:37,040 Speaker 4: She wouldn't keep the note. She's filling out some other paperwork. 246 00:15:37,600 --> 00:15:39,640 Speaker 4: She picks up the phone and calls a friend that 247 00:15:39,720 --> 00:15:41,920 Speaker 4: She tells me, I'm calling my friend at the New 248 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:45,040 Speaker 4: Orleans Police apartment. So I think this is kind of 249 00:15:45,040 --> 00:15:48,320 Speaker 4: going to be the end of my situation. She starts 250 00:15:48,320 --> 00:15:50,760 Speaker 4: talking to her friend and she says, Hey, I've got 251 00:15:50,800 --> 00:15:55,000 Speaker 4: this girl in here who had an interaction with Justin Darning. 252 00:15:55,080 --> 00:15:57,440 Speaker 4: So she's like telling her about the note and she's 253 00:15:57,560 --> 00:16:01,200 Speaker 4: kind of talking to her, but it's not it's in 254 00:16:01,240 --> 00:16:04,600 Speaker 4: a personal way. It's not in a you're recounting this 255 00:16:04,640 --> 00:16:08,520 Speaker 4: to a person who is taking official notes about this. 256 00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:12,840 Speaker 4: She was reading parts of the note about the questions 257 00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:15,480 Speaker 4: at the bottom about the tactical knives and do you 258 00:16:15,560 --> 00:16:19,080 Speaker 4: like to shoot guns and scuba dinive mentioned it by name, 259 00:16:20,440 --> 00:16:22,840 Speaker 4: and the person must have known who that was. And 260 00:16:23,080 --> 00:16:25,960 Speaker 4: quickly I realized she's just like gossiping with a friend 261 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:28,440 Speaker 4: there maybe or just wanting to tell her like she 262 00:16:28,560 --> 00:16:32,000 Speaker 4: had wanted to tell me Jessica was still there. That 263 00:16:32,080 --> 00:16:35,440 Speaker 4: was a little off putting for me and distressing to 264 00:16:35,480 --> 00:16:36,920 Speaker 4: be honest. 265 00:16:38,160 --> 00:16:40,680 Speaker 1: And to add to that, once the woman wrapped up 266 00:16:40,720 --> 00:16:44,360 Speaker 1: the paperwork, she told Jessica Vee that since she's the 267 00:16:44,400 --> 00:16:48,520 Speaker 1: person instigating the mental healthhold, her name would be on 268 00:16:48,560 --> 00:16:53,040 Speaker 1: the paperwork, allowing doctors, lawyers, or whoever could be involved 269 00:16:53,440 --> 00:16:56,720 Speaker 1: to see her name. And while this wasn't what Jessica 270 00:16:56,800 --> 00:16:59,160 Speaker 1: Vie preferred, it didn't stop. 271 00:16:58,920 --> 00:17:02,600 Speaker 4: Her at that point. I didn't feel like I couldn't 272 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:02,920 Speaker 4: do it. 273 00:17:03,080 --> 00:17:05,720 Speaker 3: I just didn't feel like I could not do it. 274 00:17:06,760 --> 00:17:10,840 Speaker 4: I was very obviously distressed, and I mean I even 275 00:17:10,880 --> 00:17:12,920 Speaker 4: said to her, I was like, that is so fucked up. 276 00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:14,880 Speaker 3: I can't believe that's the process. 277 00:17:15,840 --> 00:17:19,240 Speaker 1: And the Unfortunately for dusk A Vee, this wouldn't conclude 278 00:17:19,320 --> 00:17:22,680 Speaker 1: what was turning out to be a complicated and rather 279 00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:24,560 Speaker 1: frustrating process. 280 00:17:25,040 --> 00:17:28,359 Speaker 4: She prepared all this paperwork and made a copy of 281 00:17:28,400 --> 00:17:30,800 Speaker 4: the note, gave me the noteback, wouldn't keep it, put 282 00:17:30,840 --> 00:17:33,600 Speaker 4: all of them in an envelope with an official seal 283 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:35,800 Speaker 4: all over it, and she leaned across the desk and 284 00:17:35,840 --> 00:17:38,520 Speaker 4: handed it to me, and she said, now you need 285 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:42,200 Speaker 4: to take this to whatever precinct it is, the Lakeview 286 00:17:42,200 --> 00:17:45,800 Speaker 4: Police Department. You need to deliver this to them in 287 00:17:45,840 --> 00:17:48,360 Speaker 4: the next forty eight hours. I said, but I'm here 288 00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:50,960 Speaker 4: to give it to you. You've made all this official. 289 00:17:51,720 --> 00:17:53,639 Speaker 4: You have spoken to someone at the police department and 290 00:17:53,680 --> 00:17:56,359 Speaker 4: told them this is happening. And now I really don't 291 00:17:56,440 --> 00:17:59,320 Speaker 4: understand why I have to do this. And now I'm 292 00:18:00,240 --> 00:18:03,960 Speaker 4: really am a little concerned that this is the procedure. 293 00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:08,959 Speaker 1: The process itself caused Jessica viv to have second thoughts 294 00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:11,520 Speaker 1: as to whether or not the hassle was worth it. 295 00:18:12,520 --> 00:18:14,280 Speaker 1: She took the rest of the day to think on it, 296 00:18:14,760 --> 00:18:17,639 Speaker 1: but eventually she decided to go ahead and give the 297 00:18:17,720 --> 00:18:18,720 Speaker 1: letter to police. 298 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:22,480 Speaker 4: Like, at this point, I feel really bad if I 299 00:18:22,480 --> 00:18:25,520 Speaker 4: don't see it through, because the whole reason I got 300 00:18:25,560 --> 00:18:29,359 Speaker 4: involved was this kid, and so I mean, it's just 301 00:18:29,440 --> 00:18:34,240 Speaker 4: typical New Orleans shit. This is not the right way 302 00:18:34,280 --> 00:18:37,040 Speaker 4: for any of this to happen. Maybe this is ridiculous 303 00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:40,120 Speaker 4: for me to be involved anyway, But at that point, 304 00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:42,400 Speaker 4: my conscience wasn't gonna be all right. 305 00:18:44,040 --> 00:18:47,800 Speaker 1: While speaking with the officer, Jessica Vie was very direct 306 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:51,360 Speaker 1: about her frustrations how things were being handled. 307 00:18:52,600 --> 00:18:54,480 Speaker 4: I said the same things to him that I'd said 308 00:18:54,520 --> 00:18:56,679 Speaker 4: to the corner. This is just garbage that I have 309 00:18:56,720 --> 00:18:59,160 Speaker 4: to be here. This is insane to me that this 310 00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:02,160 Speaker 4: is the process. I don't know anyone else. 311 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:05,800 Speaker 3: That would do this. He was, you know, yeah, well, 312 00:19:05,840 --> 00:19:07,159 Speaker 3: I mean because you're. 313 00:19:06,760 --> 00:19:09,720 Speaker 4: Worried about him, right, You're worried about his daughter and 314 00:19:10,280 --> 00:19:11,119 Speaker 4: other people's safety. 315 00:19:11,119 --> 00:19:12,920 Speaker 3: I said, yes, yeah, I am. 316 00:19:13,440 --> 00:19:17,760 Speaker 4: In twenty six years of bartending, I've met a lot 317 00:19:17,800 --> 00:19:20,040 Speaker 4: of people and had a lot of strange interactions and 318 00:19:20,080 --> 00:19:24,080 Speaker 4: some scary interactions, and this was top of the list. 319 00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:29,800 Speaker 4: Bananas to me, this god's behavior. So he asked me 320 00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:32,720 Speaker 4: could he see the note because the paperwork was sealed, 321 00:19:33,320 --> 00:19:36,960 Speaker 4: He looked at it, he made a copy. He told 322 00:19:37,040 --> 00:19:39,040 Speaker 4: me that will be at his house by seven to 323 00:19:39,040 --> 00:19:40,160 Speaker 4: pick him up and take him in. 324 00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:46,520 Speaker 1: Jessica Vee then left the station and that was the 325 00:19:46,600 --> 00:19:50,240 Speaker 1: end of it. She also never saw or heard from 326 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:54,520 Speaker 1: Justin again. According to a source within the n OPD, 327 00:19:54,600 --> 00:19:57,679 Speaker 1: Justin was in fact picked up and held on a 328 00:19:57,720 --> 00:20:01,679 Speaker 1: mental health hold or some digging, we found out that 329 00:20:01,720 --> 00:20:05,879 Speaker 1: in Louisiana, a mental healthhold request does in fact go 330 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:11,040 Speaker 1: through the corner's office, not the police. Since our interview 331 00:20:11,080 --> 00:20:13,199 Speaker 1: with her, she's been trying to get a copy of 332 00:20:13,200 --> 00:20:16,320 Speaker 1: the paperwork she filed and at the very least a 333 00:20:16,320 --> 00:20:19,920 Speaker 1: copy of the affid David that she signed, but without success, 334 00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:22,919 Speaker 1: and it was the same outcome for us. In our 335 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:26,600 Speaker 1: request for a copy of the paperwork, the corner denied 336 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:30,960 Speaker 1: our request, citing it's not considered a public record and 337 00:20:31,560 --> 00:20:36,160 Speaker 1: citing hippolaws. The NOPD also denied our request for any 338 00:20:36,200 --> 00:20:40,560 Speaker 1: paperwork pertaining to the mental healthhold, police pickup, or any 339 00:20:40,600 --> 00:20:46,000 Speaker 1: supplemental or supporting materials, including, but not limited to, any 340 00:20:46,119 --> 00:20:49,280 Speaker 1: signed requests or documents by Jessica Vee. 341 00:20:50,240 --> 00:20:52,080 Speaker 4: It made me feel good that I didn't live in 342 00:20:52,119 --> 00:20:55,240 Speaker 4: New Orleans anymore. I don't know that I would have 343 00:20:55,240 --> 00:20:57,480 Speaker 4: participated if I still lived there. I don't know that 344 00:20:57,520 --> 00:20:59,760 Speaker 4: I would have gotten and started talking about the corner 345 00:20:59,800 --> 00:21:03,200 Speaker 4: and the police department. I mean, who's supposed to help 346 00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:05,679 Speaker 4: me if something happens to me. I don't have to 347 00:21:05,680 --> 00:21:07,600 Speaker 4: be scared about it. I don't need their help I 348 00:21:08,560 --> 00:21:11,360 Speaker 4: don't live there anymore, and I don't have to worry 349 00:21:11,359 --> 00:21:14,000 Speaker 4: about him turning up at my work, which that's lesser. 350 00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:18,000 Speaker 4: That's still a lesser fear to me than talking about 351 00:21:18,040 --> 00:21:20,320 Speaker 4: the Corners Office the police Department saying these things that 352 00:21:20,359 --> 00:21:22,280 Speaker 4: I've said about them and my interactions with them, but 353 00:21:22,320 --> 00:21:26,080 Speaker 4: they're true. That's what happened, and it was upsetting. It 354 00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:28,959 Speaker 4: was super upsetting that these are the professionals that were 355 00:21:28,960 --> 00:21:30,040 Speaker 4: supposed to do something. 356 00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:33,760 Speaker 6: I think the New Orleans Police Department needs to take 357 00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:39,240 Speaker 6: accountability for a lot of missing persons and murder cases 358 00:21:39,359 --> 00:21:42,680 Speaker 6: inside the city of New Orleans, because this is not 359 00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:46,480 Speaker 6: the only one. It's a very easy city to just 360 00:21:47,440 --> 00:21:50,520 Speaker 6: forget about what happened yesterday and move on to tomorrow, 361 00:21:51,240 --> 00:21:53,360 Speaker 6: because we love to have a good time and love 362 00:21:53,440 --> 00:21:56,440 Speaker 6: to just keep living life, and we love to celebrate 363 00:21:56,520 --> 00:22:01,600 Speaker 6: death and celebrate anything we can celebrate. But we still 364 00:22:01,640 --> 00:22:04,600 Speaker 6: need to hold people accountable so there's not evil walking 365 00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:07,280 Speaker 6: around us. 366 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:12,480 Speaker 1: And that accountability applies to law enforcement just as much 367 00:22:12,520 --> 00:22:17,399 Speaker 1: as criminals and everyday citizens. Thankfully, there are some people 368 00:22:17,440 --> 00:22:20,640 Speaker 1: out there who care and will go to great lengths 369 00:22:20,680 --> 00:22:22,960 Speaker 1: to help someone that they don't even know. 370 00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:28,879 Speaker 4: I mean, I got very invested in there'd be in 371 00:22:28,920 --> 00:22:32,639 Speaker 4: some resolution for them, because it was heartbreaking to talk 372 00:22:32,680 --> 00:22:35,359 Speaker 4: to Audra. My sister, Jennifer is my best friend in 373 00:22:35,359 --> 00:22:39,040 Speaker 4: the world, and those were very emotional conversations for me 374 00:22:39,080 --> 00:22:42,760 Speaker 4: to have with her. I felt very sorry for her 375 00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:50,240 Speaker 4: and I can't imagine being in there she is. I 376 00:22:50,280 --> 00:22:53,480 Speaker 4: would do anything, I would not stop if it were 377 00:22:53,800 --> 00:22:58,120 Speaker 4: my sister. So I have a twin sister too, So 378 00:22:58,280 --> 00:23:01,200 Speaker 4: I have two sisters and yeah, and a half sister. 379 00:23:01,359 --> 00:23:07,399 Speaker 3: I any of them, Yeah, I don't. I cannot. I 380 00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:08,919 Speaker 3: cannot imagine. 381 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:11,399 Speaker 4: And again, my interactions at the corner and with the 382 00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:16,359 Speaker 4: police were so unsettling and instilled zero confidence in me 383 00:23:17,080 --> 00:23:19,280 Speaker 4: that I thought, well, these are the people that they 384 00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:23,360 Speaker 4: have to help them, and it felt very inadequate and 385 00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:24,560 Speaker 4: really sad. 386 00:23:26,080 --> 00:23:28,480 Speaker 3: I just had a lama heart broke for. 387 00:23:30,400 --> 00:23:30,600 Speaker 5: Yeah. 388 00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:33,480 Speaker 6: I just hope the family knows and everyone that's been 389 00:23:33,960 --> 00:23:39,000 Speaker 6: involved that I'm really happy that they're speaking out and they're, 390 00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:41,960 Speaker 6: you know, standing up for someone who can't stand up 391 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:42,560 Speaker 6: for herself. 392 00:23:44,119 --> 00:23:46,600 Speaker 4: She seems to have been a really kind person with 393 00:23:46,640 --> 00:23:49,919 Speaker 4: a lot of people that love her, and regardless of 394 00:23:49,920 --> 00:23:51,440 Speaker 4: what was going on in our personal life, or whatever 395 00:23:51,520 --> 00:23:54,280 Speaker 4: struggles she was having, it just doesn't matter. 396 00:23:55,119 --> 00:23:56,119 Speaker 3: Somebody killed her. 397 00:23:56,680 --> 00:24:07,400 Speaker 4: And I think that's really clear to everybody. 398 00:24:08,200 --> 00:24:11,919 Speaker 1: Jessica Vee has a point. Through what we've seen in 399 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:15,479 Speaker 1: Jessica's personal life so far, it's pretty clear she had 400 00:24:15,480 --> 00:24:19,439 Speaker 1: her struggles. From the outside looking in, it appeared like 401 00:24:19,520 --> 00:24:23,000 Speaker 1: she was having some issues with both her health and 402 00:24:23,080 --> 00:24:27,439 Speaker 1: her relationship with Justin. But Jessica wasn't the type to 403 00:24:27,520 --> 00:24:31,359 Speaker 1: open up about her personal life, even to those she 404 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:36,960 Speaker 1: was closest with. However, at Thanksgiving the year before she died, 405 00:24:37,680 --> 00:24:41,720 Speaker 1: she did let Maria in on one thing, a secret 406 00:24:41,800 --> 00:24:46,840 Speaker 1: part of her and Justin's life. 407 00:24:47,240 --> 00:24:51,600 Speaker 5: She told me about it to some degree before they 408 00:24:51,640 --> 00:24:54,840 Speaker 5: came to stay in my home. I just thought they 409 00:24:54,840 --> 00:24:57,960 Speaker 5: were bored. I thought they were a couple in their forties. 410 00:24:58,560 --> 00:25:01,840 Speaker 5: Maybe the spark was gone. They spend too much time together, 411 00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:03,960 Speaker 5: so maybe they were just trying to spice things up, 412 00:25:04,080 --> 00:25:06,560 Speaker 5: you know. And I was like, you know, whatever, do 413 00:25:06,640 --> 00:25:10,520 Speaker 5: you that's entertaining to you. I didn't know that it 414 00:25:10,640 --> 00:25:14,000 Speaker 5: was really for the income the way I think it 415 00:25:14,040 --> 00:25:16,480 Speaker 5: turned out to be. But I think it's part of 416 00:25:16,520 --> 00:25:19,480 Speaker 5: what held her in place after she was ready to leave. 417 00:25:19,640 --> 00:25:22,919 Speaker 5: Is she had this dirty secret. It was a huge 418 00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:26,480 Speaker 5: departure from who I knew her to be. She was 419 00:25:26,520 --> 00:25:27,960 Speaker 5: a shadow of her former self. 420 00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:46,560 Speaker 1: Undetermined is a production of Resonate Recordings and Tenderfoot TV 421 00:25:47,080 --> 00:25:51,520 Speaker 1: in conjunction with Cadence thirteen, written and hosted by me 422 00:25:51,960 --> 00:25:56,520 Speaker 1: Jessica Nole and produced by Dennis Cooper and Todd Mcoma's 423 00:25:56,920 --> 00:26:02,359 Speaker 1: with additional production by Whitney Bozart. Executive producers are Dennis Cooper, 424 00:26:02,800 --> 00:26:08,400 Speaker 1: Mark Minnery, Jacob Bozarth, Donald Albright, and Payne Lindsay. Our 425 00:26:08,440 --> 00:26:14,160 Speaker 1: senior producer is John Street. Editing, mixing, mastering and sound 426 00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:18,760 Speaker 1: design by Caleb Melcher, Dayton Cole and Pat kick Glider 427 00:26:19,160 --> 00:26:22,480 Speaker 1: of the Resonate Recordings team. If you have a podcast 428 00:26:22,600 --> 00:26:25,480 Speaker 1: or a looking to start one, check us out at 429 00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:30,159 Speaker 1: Resonate Recordings dot com. Our theme song and original score 430 00:26:30,600 --> 00:26:34,440 Speaker 1: is by Dirt Poor Robbins, with additional scoring by Dayton Cole. 431 00:26:35,280 --> 00:26:39,000 Speaker 1: Our cover art is by Station sixteen. You can follow 432 00:26:39,080 --> 00:26:44,119 Speaker 1: Undetermined Podcast on Facebook and on Twitter at Undetermined Pod. 433 00:26:45,080 --> 00:26:47,879 Speaker 1: Show notes as well as bonus content can be found 434 00:26:47,880 --> 00:26:52,879 Speaker 1: on our website Undetermined pod dot com. If you enjoyed 435 00:26:52,920 --> 00:26:57,240 Speaker 1: this episode, please take time to subscribe, rate, and review. 436 00:26:57,760 --> 00:27:02,399 Speaker 1: Your feedback is greatly appreciated. And finally, if you have 437 00:27:02,600 --> 00:27:06,960 Speaker 1: any information about this case, call crime Stoppers at one 438 00:27:07,320 --> 00:27:11,879 Speaker 1: eight seven seven nine zero three seven eight six seven