WEBVTT - Hope | 9 0:00:01.440 --> 0:00:05.040 Hey listeners Jessica here, be sure to check out new 0:00:05.080 --> 0:00:09.680 episodes of Undetermined every Tuesday for free wherever you get 0:00:09.680 --> 0:00:13.520 your podcasts. For early and ad free listening, check out 0:00:13.560 --> 0:00:20.720 Tenderfoot plus on Apple Podcasts. The views and opinions expressed 0:00:20.720 --> 0:00:24.680 in this podcast are solely those of the individuals interviewed 0:00:24.920 --> 0:00:28.280 and participating in the show, and do not represent those 0:00:28.320 --> 0:00:33.360 of Tenderfoot TV and resonate recordings. All individuals described or 0:00:33.440 --> 0:00:37.160 mentioned in the podcast should be considered innocent until found 0:00:37.200 --> 0:00:41.320 guilty in a court of law. This podcast contains subject 0:00:41.320 --> 0:00:45.239 matter such as violence and graphic descriptions, which may not 0:00:45.320 --> 0:00:53.040 be suitable for all audiences. Listener discretion is advised. Jessica's sister, Audrey, 0:00:53.400 --> 0:00:56.160 has never forgotten a sit down she had with three 0:00:56.360 --> 0:01:01.240 n OPD detectives back in January twenty twenty, a meeting 0:01:01.440 --> 0:01:05.120 that lit a fire in her which still burns to 0:01:05.200 --> 0:01:09.000 this day. 0:01:09.080 --> 0:01:12.279 So, in this meeting, they told me and my dad 0:01:12.520 --> 0:01:16.640 that it was a cold case and that there was 0:01:16.800 --> 0:01:18.480 nothing that homicide. 0:01:17.920 --> 0:01:18.720 Could do about it. 0:01:19.920 --> 0:01:26.000 And I got really upset and I slammed my fist 0:01:26.040 --> 0:01:28.240 down on the table. I stood up and I said, 0:01:28.720 --> 0:01:33.280 how can it possibly be a cold case, and then 0:01:33.319 --> 0:01:36.240 that was really just about all of it, because by 0:01:36.280 --> 0:01:41.319 that time I was just like, I'm done. I'm fucking done. 0:01:41.600 --> 0:01:42.479 This means war. 0:01:44.880 --> 0:01:48.800 Growing up, Audrey was always the self proclaimed rebel out 0:01:48.840 --> 0:01:53.040 of the three sisters, the one who spoke out, stood out, 0:01:53.600 --> 0:01:58.680 and stood up. And since Jessica's death in twenty nineteen, 0:01:59.240 --> 0:02:03.520 Audrey's been a rebel with a cause because getting justice 0:02:03.800 --> 0:02:08.000 for her Jessica. No matter what it takes, it's just. 0:02:07.960 --> 0:02:11.359 A fucked up situation and it has me questioning life 0:02:11.480 --> 0:02:16.640 and just everything in general. We were always taught, you know, 0:02:16.639 --> 0:02:20.080 if you need help, then you ask the cops for help. 0:02:20.160 --> 0:02:24.800 But this is just opened my eyes and it's like 0:02:25.720 --> 0:02:28.880 they're not doing anything. Why would we How can we 0:02:28.919 --> 0:02:31.200 even trust someone that's not even doing their job? 0:02:33.240 --> 0:02:36.760 Believe it or not, Audrey's actually been fighting two separate 0:02:36.800 --> 0:02:40.760 battles since losing Jessica, one of course, with the NPD 0:02:41.360 --> 0:02:44.720 over the lack of resolution in her sister's case, but 0:02:44.840 --> 0:02:49.480 another with the Corner's office over her sister's remains, which 0:02:49.520 --> 0:02:52.640 have been stuck there since her family discovered her body 0:02:52.720 --> 0:02:57.120 on August twenty second, twenty eighteen. But come early twenty 0:02:57.200 --> 0:03:02.280 twenty one, the family was finally given some hope, though 0:03:02.320 --> 0:03:06.080 for Audrey this still loved one unnerving question. 0:03:07.360 --> 0:03:12.080 I felt like, oh my god, finally they're releasing her 0:03:12.120 --> 0:03:12.519 to us. 0:03:13.000 --> 0:03:16.320 But then I was also upset because I was like, well. 0:03:16.520 --> 0:03:19.400 Why did they give him five hundred and thirty days 0:03:19.440 --> 0:03:22.480 before they actually told us we. 0:03:22.520 --> 0:03:23.040 Could have her. 0:03:51.200 --> 0:03:55.040 Inside Jessica's mother's home, there's a memorial set up on 0:03:55.080 --> 0:04:00.800 a table. White angels perched on wooden pedestals keep over 0:04:00.840 --> 0:04:04.560 a photo of Jessica that's placed inside a small bible 0:04:05.120 --> 0:04:09.560 propped open, along with a white tapered candle standing tall 0:04:10.000 --> 0:04:14.840 in a gold holder. A silver and white pearl rosary 0:04:15.320 --> 0:04:20.560 is draped nearby. All of it centered around a glass cross, 0:04:21.080 --> 0:04:24.479 which sits on top of Jessica's round marble urn with 0:04:24.640 --> 0:04:27.960 stars and a large crescent moon etched on the top. 0:04:28.360 --> 0:04:33.200 For her love of astrology and celestial beauty. It reads 0:04:34.120 --> 0:04:41.120 Jessica Renee Easterly Heaven's Melody Starlit Cosmic Dancer crossing the Universe. 0:04:42.240 --> 0:04:48.440 Born August seventeenth, nineteen seventy six, deceased August twenty second, 0:04:49.120 --> 0:04:53.880 twenty nineteen. Many loved ones have written their memories of 0:04:53.960 --> 0:04:58.440 Jessica in an online obituary, like her best friend Maria, 0:04:58.560 --> 0:05:03.040 whom Jessica called low, who wrote, I don't know how 0:05:03.080 --> 0:05:06.520 to accept this theft of light from the world. I 0:05:06.600 --> 0:05:10.280 miss you like crazy. I hear the music you send me. 0:05:11.240 --> 0:05:15.520 I love you always and forever. And our mother Donna, 0:05:15.680 --> 0:05:21.040 who wrote, you are worth every day, every prayer, every 0:05:21.160 --> 0:05:24.560 fear and every tear I shed those four months in 0:05:24.640 --> 0:05:28.560 bed waiting for you to grow to term. I love you, 0:05:28.640 --> 0:05:34.560 Jessica Easterly. Audrey thinks about her younger sister Jessica every 0:05:34.600 --> 0:05:38.920 single day. Inside her home hangs a beautiful silver wind 0:05:39.000 --> 0:05:43.200 chime that Jessica had given to her. It reminds Audrey 0:05:43.240 --> 0:05:46.599 of her sister each time a gentle breeze passes through. 0:05:47.839 --> 0:05:50.960 The top is a full sun linked to a series 0:05:51.000 --> 0:05:55.960 of metal chimes, holding all the pieces together. Dangling by 0:05:55.960 --> 0:05:59.040 a thin wire. Just below the chimes is a moon 0:05:59.400 --> 0:06:03.920 holding a Audrey remembers the day Jessica bought it, and 0:06:03.960 --> 0:06:07.159 she told Audrey that it reminded her of the bond 0:06:07.200 --> 0:06:11.880 they shared. The two even had matching astrology themed tattoos, 0:06:12.480 --> 0:06:15.720 Audrey with the sun and Jessica with the moon and 0:06:15.760 --> 0:06:20.279 a star. It's the wind chime blowing softly in the 0:06:20.360 --> 0:06:24.760 southern breeze. Each time Audrey opens the door that reminds 0:06:24.800 --> 0:06:29.120 her family. With every twist and turn throughout Jessica's story, 0:06:29.720 --> 0:06:34.880 there was a reason, a purpose. Take Jessica's urn for example, 0:06:35.320 --> 0:06:37.760 the one in the middle of that elaborate memorial back 0:06:37.800 --> 0:06:41.880 at her mother's house, a symbol of closure, but for 0:06:41.960 --> 0:06:45.800 this family, so much more than that. Jessica may be 0:06:45.920 --> 0:06:48.720 at rest and at home now, where she should be, 0:06:49.400 --> 0:06:53.799 but she didn't get there through normal circumstances, not even close, 0:06:54.720 --> 0:07:01.159 I'll explain. From August twenty nineteen to February twenty twenty one, 0:07:01.360 --> 0:07:06.200 Jessica's body sat in the morgue unclaimed. Throughout that time, 0:07:06.360 --> 0:07:11.040 Audrey remained persistent with the coroner's office, but ultimately it 0:07:11.120 --> 0:07:16.080 was out of her control. The family was stuck hopeless. 0:07:16.800 --> 0:07:20.360 Not only was Jessica's case in limbo, Jessica herself was 0:07:20.400 --> 0:07:24.960 also in limbo. That was until January of twenty twenty one, 0:07:25.480 --> 0:07:28.120 when out of the blue, Audrey received a call she'd 0:07:28.120 --> 0:07:30.440 been waiting on for a long time. 0:07:32.120 --> 0:07:36.760 So January fifth, the coroner called me and asked me 0:07:37.160 --> 0:07:39.880 if my name was Audrey Schmidt, and I said yes, 0:07:40.840 --> 0:07:44.440 And I said, can we have Jessica? He said, well, 0:07:44.640 --> 0:07:47.400 he goes, I'm going to have to make it legal 0:07:47.680 --> 0:07:52.680 and send justin legal notices. I was like okay. I 0:07:52.720 --> 0:07:54.800 was like, well, can you give me a timeline? He said, 0:07:54.840 --> 0:07:57.320 I cannot give you a timeline. 0:07:57.640 --> 0:08:01.280 Fortunately for Audrey, it didn't take long to hear something 0:08:01.520 --> 0:08:07.400 more definitive. She remembers the wave of emotions excitement, of course, 0:08:08.160 --> 0:08:09.920 but she felt conflicted. 0:08:11.160 --> 0:08:15.960 I felt like, oh my god, finally they're releasing her 0:08:16.000 --> 0:08:18.840 to us. But then I was also upset because I 0:08:19.000 --> 0:08:20.880 was like, well, hawkm it took. 0:08:20.920 --> 0:08:24.840 Five hundred and thirty days. Why did they give him 0:08:24.880 --> 0:08:29.240 five hundred and thirty days before they actually told us we. 0:08:29.280 --> 0:08:29.840 Could have her. 0:08:31.560 --> 0:08:35.000 Audrey immediately reached out to her cousin, Doug, who, if 0:08:35.000 --> 0:08:37.439 you remember, works in the funeral home industry. 0:08:38.840 --> 0:08:41.920 It took about what a year and five months before 0:08:42.640 --> 0:08:45.720 the chain of custody moved to the next link. And 0:08:46.520 --> 0:08:49.640 that was a bittersweet moment because right of custody and 0:08:49.720 --> 0:08:53.600 right of disposition are two different things, and it was 0:08:53.640 --> 0:08:57.199 both frustrating and a relief at the same time, because 0:08:57.200 --> 0:09:01.720 it's still left open for one important invariable because naturally 0:09:01.760 --> 0:09:04.560 an next of kin would still be justin. He's the spouse, 0:09:05.280 --> 0:09:07.599 but we had to try to make attempts to contact 0:09:07.640 --> 0:09:11.480 him throughout a ten day period in order to see 0:09:11.480 --> 0:09:14.960 if there's any objection on his part before the next Mexicican, 0:09:15.080 --> 0:09:18.520 which is Jessica's mom, can take the right of disposition. 0:09:19.240 --> 0:09:19.920 And that was a. 0:09:19.840 --> 0:09:24.160 Hard ten days because you just don't know. We didn't 0:09:24.200 --> 0:09:28.520 know if he was going to object, and he did not. 0:09:29.400 --> 0:09:32.400 Ten days passed. On the eleventh day, we made arrangements 0:09:32.840 --> 0:09:36.520 for Louisiana Funeral Home to drive to pick her up. 0:09:37.720 --> 0:09:41.160 After five hundred and thirty days at the Corner's office, 0:09:41.800 --> 0:09:47.040 Jessica was finally coming home. As Audrey made arrangements to 0:09:47.040 --> 0:09:50.240 pick up Jessica's body from the Corner's office, she had 0:09:50.400 --> 0:09:53.720 just one important request when. 0:09:53.520 --> 0:09:56.880 She told me that, hey, you know, I have custody 0:09:57.000 --> 0:09:59.280 and I want to get a second autopsy. I immediately 0:09:59.320 --> 0:10:03.480 asked one of my line balmer coworkers and friends. I said, hey, man, 0:10:04.040 --> 0:10:07.720 they said that there's not much left to do an autopsy. 0:10:08.240 --> 0:10:10.680 You know, she's been in a cooler. She wasn't involved 0:10:10.760 --> 0:10:13.440 for a year and five months, he said, and he 0:10:13.600 --> 0:10:17.040 was able to paint a picture for me of what 0:10:17.200 --> 0:10:20.000 to expect at that level of dcom. 0:10:20.600 --> 0:10:24.400 The picture he described Doug was disturbing, to say the least, 0:10:24.880 --> 0:10:27.440 but it at least left room for optimism when it 0:10:27.480 --> 0:10:31.199 came to the possibility of a second autopsy. But when 0:10:31.240 --> 0:10:33.480 they finally received her remains. 0:10:34.120 --> 0:10:36.480 It was a little box of bones and they looked 0:10:36.520 --> 0:10:41.840 like they were perfectly cleaned, organized in a box, complete 0:10:41.920 --> 0:10:46.880 opposite of what I was expected from these guys who 0:10:46.920 --> 0:10:50.920 have been doing this upwards of twenty years. They couldn't 0:10:50.960 --> 0:10:54.960 explain while it was a box of bones. They say, so, 0:10:55.280 --> 0:10:58.720 did did y'all want this thing like cleaned and organized 0:10:58.800 --> 0:11:01.520 or something really and give them any instruction to do 0:11:01.600 --> 0:11:03.439 any of that? We didn't even know that was an option. 0:11:04.640 --> 0:11:07.959 And that is one question, the biggest question I have, 0:11:08.240 --> 0:11:12.480 just because of my profession. What did y'all do to 0:11:12.559 --> 0:11:16.720 these remains to reduce it to this? Because from what 0:11:16.800 --> 0:11:20.400 I understand that this is not a normal thing. It 0:11:20.400 --> 0:11:24.600 blew my mind because I'm like I work here. I've 0:11:24.760 --> 0:11:27.439 personally gone and picked up people who have been sitting 0:11:27.440 --> 0:11:32.160 in corners office, medical examiners offices, or crime labs and 0:11:32.280 --> 0:11:35.080 Jackson that have been there for a long time and 0:11:35.120 --> 0:11:41.000 they're still intact. But dcomp obviously still happens. Never seen 0:11:41.040 --> 0:11:42.439 it like that, Absolutely not. 0:11:56.360 --> 0:11:56.800 Boons. 0:11:57.760 --> 0:12:01.840 That's all that was left of Jessica. To make matters worse, 0:12:02.440 --> 0:12:06.640 no further medical examinations can ever be performed on her body, 0:12:07.559 --> 0:12:10.120 no more answers when it comes to her death, at 0:12:10.160 --> 0:12:14.520 least not from a medical perspective. The unfortunate news was 0:12:14.600 --> 0:12:17.600 like a punch in the gut for Audrey, who was 0:12:17.720 --> 0:12:21.360 really hinging on the idea of a second autopsy, but 0:12:21.480 --> 0:12:24.120 she did her best to remain strong and focused on 0:12:24.160 --> 0:12:27.480 the positive. At this point, she was ready to bring 0:12:27.520 --> 0:12:31.319 her sister home, and on February second, twenty twenty one, 0:12:31.520 --> 0:12:34.000 she and Doug made the drive to New Orleans to 0:12:34.040 --> 0:12:34.720 do just that. 0:12:36.080 --> 0:12:39.960 That was the first victory in all of this, the 0:12:40.040 --> 0:12:45.199 first of this whole chain of events, this whole discovery, 0:12:45.320 --> 0:12:49.600 this whole thing that was the one thing only because 0:12:49.600 --> 0:12:52.080 it relied on him being the exact person that he 0:12:52.240 --> 0:12:54.560 is to not be smart enough to say I can 0:12:54.600 --> 0:12:58.640 object and then they can't do anything. Well, that's exactly 0:12:58.800 --> 0:13:01.439 what we were hoping. It wouldn't happened because it was 0:13:01.480 --> 0:13:04.960 a very real possibility. He had a very important card 0:13:05.800 --> 0:13:08.959 that he didn't play. We're thankful he didn't do it. 0:13:10.360 --> 0:13:15.120 This was the family's first real triumph. They had Jessica. 0:13:16.400 --> 0:13:21.000 It felt amazing, It felt like a win, like of 0:13:21.040 --> 0:13:24.680 nothing but losses and this haunt ore thing. 0:13:26.520 --> 0:13:27.520 It was totally awesome. 0:13:29.720 --> 0:13:33.199 With only a box of her bones, Jessica's family has 0:13:33.240 --> 0:13:38.480 her cremated, and shortly after Valentine's Day, Audrey, Amanda, and 0:13:38.520 --> 0:13:42.960 their parents gathered in Mississippi to say their goodbyes to Jessica. 0:13:44.679 --> 0:13:47.720 With Jessica at home and at rest, there was now 0:13:47.840 --> 0:13:51.360 just one thing to focus on, finding out what really 0:13:51.440 --> 0:13:56.200 happened to Jessica. So Audrey, more energized than ever before, 0:13:56.600 --> 0:14:00.640 got to work. She went on the Internet and made 0:14:00.679 --> 0:14:05.400 a website, Justice for Jessica dot org, dedicated to her 0:14:05.400 --> 0:14:09.080 sister's case, and also created a Twitter page to share 0:14:09.160 --> 0:14:13.800 related information. And then in April twenty twenty one, she 0:14:13.960 --> 0:14:17.839 drafted an online petition on change dot org designed to 0:14:17.920 --> 0:14:21.920 nab the attention of newly elected New Orleans District Attorney 0:14:22.320 --> 0:14:28.240 Jason Williams, whose Twitter handle is the People's DA. The petition, 0:14:28.440 --> 0:14:32.280 which included a timeline Audrey created started with a very 0:14:32.320 --> 0:14:37.280 straightforward ask at the top, requesting DA Jason R. Williams 0:14:37.320 --> 0:14:41.600 to investigate the death of Jessica Easterly dearning, it goes 0:14:41.640 --> 0:14:46.000 on to read, in part. 0:14:44.600 --> 0:14:47.480 We fully believe that this case has not been taken 0:14:47.560 --> 0:14:52.119 seriously by local authorities from the beginning, and this impression 0:14:52.320 --> 0:14:55.960 is based on the following elements of Jessica's story and 0:14:56.280 --> 0:14:59.640 the collective solid information that we have obtained over the 0:14:59.680 --> 0:15:04.520 course of its investigation. It is our firm belief that 0:15:04.560 --> 0:15:07.720 once you examine the information we have gathered, you will 0:15:07.760 --> 0:15:11.640 agree that the evidence pointing to Jessica's murder is palpable, 0:15:12.240 --> 0:15:14.760 and the fact that it has been blatantly ignored by 0:15:14.760 --> 0:15:18.080 the law is nothing short of derelict to their duties 0:15:18.480 --> 0:15:23.080 to protect and seek justice for all members of their community. 0:15:24.160 --> 0:15:27.400 We love and miss Jessica more than we can put 0:15:27.440 --> 0:15:30.440 into words. She was a human being who did not 0:15:30.640 --> 0:15:34.240 deserve to die so young, much less by the hands 0:15:34.280 --> 0:15:39.440 of another person. Jessica was a living, breathing life, and 0:15:39.480 --> 0:15:44.520 she had dreams, a favorite food, a favorite song. She 0:15:44.680 --> 0:15:48.440 was smart and funny, and she loved with all of 0:15:48.480 --> 0:15:53.720 her heart, sometimes to a fault. We implore you, the 0:15:53.760 --> 0:15:58.080 People's DA Jason R. Williams, to please commence your own 0:15:58.120 --> 0:16:01.840 investigation of the death of Ja Jessica easterly darning and 0:16:01.920 --> 0:16:07.400 bring charges and retributions to the individuals responsible. Thank you 0:16:07.440 --> 0:16:09.560 for your time and I look forward to working with 0:16:09.600 --> 0:16:12.200 you to finally resolve my sister's case. 0:16:14.600 --> 0:16:18.680 The virtual signature steadily grew by the hundreds and then 0:16:19.080 --> 0:16:24.000 the thousands. Eventually the petition garnered the attention of true 0:16:24.000 --> 0:16:26.120 crime YouTuber Kindle Ray for. 0:16:26.280 --> 0:16:30.160 Jessica because they deserve answers. Jessica deserves justice. This case 0:16:30.320 --> 0:16:32.320 just tore my heart apart. So again I'll put all 0:16:32.320 --> 0:16:35.360 that information below. You can follow Justice for Jessica, you 0:16:35.400 --> 0:16:37.640 can fign the petition, and you can make a short 0:16:37.640 --> 0:16:39.520 phone call in an email. It's going to make a 0:16:39.600 --> 0:16:40.280 huge difference. 0:16:41.760 --> 0:16:44.360 So I reach out to Kendall to talk about how 0:16:44.480 --> 0:16:48.840 an internet community helped stretch Jessica's village by the hundreds 0:16:48.880 --> 0:16:53.120 of thousands. In fact, it was on Twitter where she 0:16:53.200 --> 0:16:56.840 first learned about Jessica's case with a tweet by you 0:16:56.920 --> 0:17:02.040 Guessed It. Audrey seen tweets from Audrey about the case, 0:17:02.200 --> 0:17:05.240 and I reached out to her and then she followed 0:17:05.280 --> 0:17:07.920 me and we connected via DM and then I kind 0:17:07.920 --> 0:17:10.720 of got her email from there, And when I really 0:17:10.800 --> 0:17:12.800 started to dive into the case and go over all 0:17:12.800 --> 0:17:15.480 the information that was available, I was just blown away 0:17:15.560 --> 0:17:18.200 that there wasn't any movement in the case and there 0:17:18.200 --> 0:17:20.520 was very minimal coverage from what I was seeing. So 0:17:21.200 --> 0:17:23.560 I just wanted to be of help in some way 0:17:23.640 --> 0:17:26.639 and get some traction going and hopefully work towards justice. 0:17:26.680 --> 0:17:28.639 And I mean I was just blown away by the 0:17:28.680 --> 0:17:31.840 strength of their family and after all the trauma that 0:17:31.880 --> 0:17:34.080 they had been through, for them to still be fighting 0:17:34.160 --> 0:17:37.600 and doing everything they can with minimal help and resources. 0:17:37.640 --> 0:17:41.000 I just really wanted to be part of that. This 0:17:41.200 --> 0:17:43.919 wasn't the first time Kendall has used her social media 0:17:43.960 --> 0:17:47.320 prowess for good. She's well aware of the impact the 0:17:47.359 --> 0:17:50.040 public can make in a case like Jessica's. 0:17:51.119 --> 0:17:55.480 We have done several petitions over the years, and sometimes 0:17:55.480 --> 0:17:58.400 we have luck with them, sometimes we don't. Normally, when 0:17:58.400 --> 0:18:00.920 we pair it with a calling and email campaign, that 0:18:01.280 --> 0:18:04.320 really gets things going. But the petition was basically an 0:18:04.320 --> 0:18:07.560 easy way for anyone to participate if they didn't want 0:18:07.560 --> 0:18:10.000 to take the extra step to email and call. We 0:18:10.160 --> 0:18:12.919 just kind of came up with the idea to really 0:18:12.960 --> 0:18:17.760 go after Jason Williams and get him to step up 0:18:17.800 --> 0:18:19.879 to the plate and be the people's DA that he 0:18:19.960 --> 0:18:23.880 claimed to be and investigate the case and basically get 0:18:23.880 --> 0:18:27.600 any movement going. And basically I've realized that the power 0:18:27.880 --> 0:18:29.840 of the masses is real and that we can really 0:18:29.880 --> 0:18:33.520 make a change if enough people demand. It just really 0:18:33.560 --> 0:18:38.720 takes enough people demanding justice, demanding action to actually get 0:18:38.720 --> 0:18:42.160 people to do things sometimes, and there's been so many 0:18:42.200 --> 0:18:45.280 cases that I've worked on where we've sent people to 0:18:45.400 --> 0:18:48.040 call an email and sign petitions and it really just 0:18:48.080 --> 0:18:51.880 works wonders because when they start feeling the pressure, then 0:18:51.960 --> 0:18:53.159 action is actually taken. 0:18:54.720 --> 0:18:58.960 Once Kendle Ray's video hit the Internet, the signature skyrocketed 0:18:59.040 --> 0:19:03.400 to over one hundred thousand between the now largely supported 0:19:03.400 --> 0:19:06.840 petition and all the retweets tagging the DA with the 0:19:06.880 --> 0:19:11.439 hashtag justice for Jessica. Less than a month later, on 0:19:11.560 --> 0:19:16.200 May fourth, twenty twenty one, District Attorney Jason Williams made 0:19:16.240 --> 0:19:19.680 a public announcement on his Twitter page using the same 0:19:19.760 --> 0:19:21.920 hashtag Justice for Jessica. 0:19:23.680 --> 0:19:27.400 District Attorney Wims is absolutely willing to meet with the 0:19:27.400 --> 0:19:31.920 family of Jessica Easterly Derning to discuss this horrible matter. 0:19:32.760 --> 0:19:36.040 He is also committed to re examining this matter with 0:19:36.200 --> 0:19:41.320 fresh eyes and revisiting all facts and evidence involved with 0:19:41.440 --> 0:19:45.280 this case in any other in New Orleans. DA Wims 0:19:45.359 --> 0:19:47.880 is dedicated to seeking justice. 0:19:48.880 --> 0:19:53.120 And the DA followed through on his promise. In May 0:19:53.119 --> 0:19:56.200 of twenty twenty one, less than a month after Audrey 0:19:56.240 --> 0:20:00.280 created the petition, DA Jason Williams sat down with the 0:20:00.280 --> 0:20:04.959 family to talk about Jessica's case. Audrey shared the update 0:20:05.080 --> 0:20:08.200 on the change dot org page on May sixteenth, twenty 0:20:08.240 --> 0:20:08.760 twenty one. 0:20:10.640 --> 0:20:14.360 We have met with the People's DA Jason Williams. At 0:20:14.359 --> 0:20:17.080 this time, we are unable to comment regarding this meeting. 0:20:17.840 --> 0:20:20.560 The world is watching and I hope this injustice is 0:20:20.600 --> 0:20:24.960 taken seriously and accountability and justice will be served. Thank 0:20:25.000 --> 0:20:27.520 you to everyone who has taken an interest in getting 0:20:27.560 --> 0:20:31.480 Jessica the justice she deserves. It takes a village, and 0:20:31.560 --> 0:20:34.560 I'm so thankful that you are part of Jessica's village, 0:20:34.560 --> 0:20:39.560 demanding answers and accountability. Today, I leave you with one 0:20:39.600 --> 0:20:45.119 thought said by doctor Martin Luther King, injustice anywhere is 0:20:45.160 --> 0:20:47.320 a threat to justice everywhere. 0:20:51.080 --> 0:20:53.880 Audrey shared a glimpse of their three hour meeting. When 0:20:53.880 --> 0:20:55.040 we spoke over the phone. 0:20:56.440 --> 0:21:01.480 It was me, my sister, Amanda, Maria, my dad, and 0:21:01.520 --> 0:21:03.480 we all went down there and we met with them, 0:21:03.800 --> 0:21:07.760 and it was the DA. It was Alison Morgato, the 0:21:07.800 --> 0:21:11.880 head of homicide was in there. He sounded very interested. 0:21:12.480 --> 0:21:16.480 He said that he was sorry for what has happened 0:21:16.760 --> 0:21:21.080 and how NPD have I handled this, And we just 0:21:21.119 --> 0:21:24.280 talked to him about everything that we had and then 0:21:24.520 --> 0:21:27.199 he was telling me that, you know, basically they were 0:21:27.240 --> 0:21:30.960 going to look into it. And then I don't know, probably, 0:21:31.040 --> 0:21:34.040 like I want to say, maybe a week or two later, 0:21:34.760 --> 0:21:41.040 we heard from Alison Morgato and she said that Investigator 0:21:41.119 --> 0:21:44.639 Joe Lorenzo was going to be handling the case. 0:21:45.760 --> 0:21:49.560 Detective Joe Lorenzo is an investigator with the DA's office. 0:21:50.320 --> 0:21:54.520 I sent him over everything. I mean, he does keep 0:21:54.520 --> 0:21:56.320 in contact with me if I have a question and 0:21:56.400 --> 0:21:57.280 he'll answer it. 0:21:58.600 --> 0:22:03.040 The case is now in the office's hands, and Audrey 0:22:03.119 --> 0:22:07.679 admits that after their initial meeting, she felt optimistic for 0:22:07.800 --> 0:22:10.000 what seemed like the first time. 0:22:10.840 --> 0:22:14.480 I felt very hopeful, like he actually cared, like he 0:22:14.600 --> 0:22:17.400 is fixing to solve this case. We're going to find 0:22:17.400 --> 0:22:18.800 out exactly what happens to. 0:22:18.760 --> 0:22:21.040 My sister Jessica. 0:22:21.320 --> 0:22:24.879 And just as momentum started to swing in the family's favor, 0:22:25.520 --> 0:22:31.119 Audrey's hope was further manifested an announcement from the DA himself. 0:22:31.680 --> 0:22:35.080 He was planning to hold a press conference about Jessica's case, 0:22:36.080 --> 0:22:39.480 So on August twenty fifth, twenty twenty one, I hopped 0:22:39.520 --> 0:22:43.119 on a flight and headed back to New Orleans. The 0:22:43.160 --> 0:22:46.800 press conference is scheduled for four o'clock in the Lakeview neighborhood, 0:22:47.280 --> 0:22:50.639 near the area where Jessica's body was found. There's a 0:22:50.680 --> 0:22:53.720 podium set up on top of a hill next to 0:22:53.760 --> 0:22:57.680 the train tracks. The air is thick and the heat 0:22:57.960 --> 0:23:02.480 is almost unbearable. Moisture balls up and slowly drips from 0:23:02.480 --> 0:23:06.639 my nose onto the blank pages of my notebook. Local 0:23:06.680 --> 0:23:10.679 media starts shuffling in, setting up their tripods and cameras 0:23:11.080 --> 0:23:15.479 as reporters hold their recorders and notebooks. Everyone has their 0:23:15.520 --> 0:23:20.840 phone out ready to snap photos. Jessica's mom, Donna Schmidt, 0:23:21.119 --> 0:23:23.960 stands just to the side of the podium along with 0:23:24.000 --> 0:23:28.000 her father, who's holding a white homemade sign with Jessica's 0:23:28.000 --> 0:23:33.719 photo and the hashtag Justice for Jessica. The sign reads 0:23:34.400 --> 0:23:37.000 we are not going to rest, We are not going 0:23:37.040 --> 0:23:39.080 to give up on this. We are not going to 0:23:39.200 --> 0:23:41.920 wash our hands of this or back down at all 0:23:42.160 --> 0:23:47.160 until justice is served in this case. Behind them, more 0:23:47.240 --> 0:23:50.960 family members hold neon pink signs in support of Jessica. 0:23:52.040 --> 0:23:55.320 Her sister, Audrey, is wearing a purple T shirt, and 0:23:55.359 --> 0:23:58.280 her fingernails peeking around the corner of a sign she's 0:23:58.320 --> 0:24:04.800 holding are also perple, Jessica's favorite color. Audrey holds steady, 0:24:05.160 --> 0:24:09.399 a face of grit and determination as the clock ticks 0:24:09.480 --> 0:24:14.439 past four. Then a hush comes over the small crowd 0:24:14.880 --> 0:24:18.280 as a suited man walks to the microphone, puts on 0:24:18.359 --> 0:24:23.199 a pair of tortoiseshell glasses, and clears his throat. District 0:24:23.240 --> 0:24:27.080 Attorney Jason Williams of Orleans Parish kicks off the press 0:24:27.119 --> 0:24:30.600 conference by welcoming the family to the site where they 0:24:30.640 --> 0:24:33.160 found Jessica's body just two years earlier. 0:24:34.720 --> 0:24:37.760 First of all, let me just say to the family 0:24:38.520 --> 0:24:43.800 of Jessica, I want to thank them for being at 0:24:43.840 --> 0:24:47.479 this place, at this site. I know it is not easy. 0:24:48.160 --> 0:24:51.240 I know every time they come anywhere close to this area. 0:24:51.440 --> 0:24:56.840 They are reliving the worst moment of their lives. As 0:24:56.880 --> 0:25:03.800 you know, two years ago, we unfortunately lost Jessica after 0:25:03.880 --> 0:25:09.760 going missing. Jessica's sisters found her deceased just steps away 0:25:10.760 --> 0:25:15.440 from where we're standing right now. And since that day, 0:25:15.520 --> 0:25:21.119 this family has had absolutely no closure in this case. 0:25:22.000 --> 0:25:27.000 They've gotten no answers in this case. Each of these 0:25:27.040 --> 0:25:32.320 strong family members behind me is a constant reminder of 0:25:32.359 --> 0:25:35.960 the work that this office has to do. Frankly, the 0:25:36.160 --> 0:25:41.600 entire criminal legal system at large must do to solve 0:25:42.359 --> 0:25:45.560 cases like this one and many other cases across the 0:25:45.600 --> 0:25:52.439 city that remain unsolved after two years. Unsolved, a case 0:25:52.600 --> 0:25:57.520 is considered cold, and we all know that for far 0:25:57.600 --> 0:26:01.159 too many decades, too many murder cases is in the 0:26:01.200 --> 0:26:06.080 Parish of Orleans have gone unsolved, and every single day. 0:26:05.880 --> 0:26:09.560 That goes the DA announces he's starting a cold case unit, 0:26:10.280 --> 0:26:13.879 using Jessica's case as a segue to discuss the bigger picture. 0:26:14.600 --> 0:26:19.119 Since nineteen sixty four, approximately five thousand, four hundred and 0:26:19.200 --> 0:26:24.119 thirty two cases murder cases have gone unsolved in our city. 0:26:25.160 --> 0:26:29.080 And when you add the numbers of those loss lives 0:26:29.119 --> 0:26:33.919 to the family and friends, impacted by these unsolved murders. 0:26:33.960 --> 0:26:37.920 You can easily understand the cycle of trauma and violence 0:26:37.960 --> 0:26:43.720 in our communty. Solving cold cases is a hard job. 0:26:45.000 --> 0:26:49.760 It is difficult. It is an uphill battle. But I 0:26:49.880 --> 0:26:53.199 ran for DA so that this office could lead and 0:26:53.280 --> 0:26:56.080 be a partner with the rest of the criminal legal 0:26:56.119 --> 0:27:02.240 system doing the hardest things, doing the difficult task. This 0:27:02.280 --> 0:27:07.800 cold Case Unit will specifically and strategically target and review 0:27:08.480 --> 0:27:11.600 cases that have not been resolved. This unit is going 0:27:11.680 --> 0:27:15.760 to revisit past data and put fresh eyes on the evidence, 0:27:16.600 --> 0:27:20.320 put fresh eyes on the people and persons of interest 0:27:21.400 --> 0:27:26.800