tv Dateline MSNBC November 24, 2024 2:00am-3:00am PST
2:00 am
be answered. as part of his plea deal, jeff brown received a 20 year prison sentence and cindy reese got 40 years. as for michael reese, the unwitting victim of a love triangle he wanted no part of, all that is left of him now our memories. amorous of a kind and gentle soul with a big laugh and an even bigger heart. >> reporter: how do you want people to remember michael? >> that he was a fun guy and he enjoyed life so much. he was just a good person and anybody that every knew him would tell you the same thing. i am andrea canning and this is "dateline". >> she opened her boutique and had gone to europe and was going out dancing at night. >> she was taking lots of
2:01 am
pictures and posting on social media. >> it was a whole new world and she was excited. >> i think someone is breaking into my facebook and i think someone is breaking into my house. >> she felt like she had a stalker. >> i have not heard from my daughter since tuesday. >> inside the apartment there d stains on the carpet and blood spatter on the wall. >> and she is missing. >> they find a notebook and it says i will have great pleasure tearing her apart. >> the hairs on your neck stand up. >> i went, my god. you have to look into the sky. >> do you have a suspect and i said, yes. he said who. i said you.
2:02 am
welcome to "dateline". it can be very unsettling, the feeling that you're being watched. she suspected all those things were happening to her. but who would threaten the hard- working mother of two. friends and family since she was in trouble but no one could predict what was about to happen. here is josh with the, dead of night. >> reporter: it was the dead of night and she ran as fast as she could. frightened and panicked. wearing next to nothing. she climbed over the iron gate. pounded on the door and begged for help. who was this woman? what or who wish you running from? and which you make it out alive? monrovia, california. acquaint, family 30s in the nestled in the san gabriel
2:03 am
mountains. one of the many suburbs of los angeles. it was the ideal landing spot for 31-year-old lajoya mccoy. she worked hard to get here. >> she was the only one in my family who went to college the way she did being raised by a single mother. >> reporter: for david clark and his wife, there nieces success always seemed within her reach. >> she knew what she wanted and education was her top thing. >> school is where lajoya, a star student would shine the brightest. >> i went to a couple of graduations down at the university and i cannot have been more proud.>> reporter: for lajoya her gift was something she could share. >> growing up poor, although it did not feel like it sometimes, she just wanted better for herself and for the rest of us. >> reporter: when lajoya's mom
2:04 am
and younger siblings left california and moved to las vegas, lajoya stay behind and strengthen the bond she had with her aunt and uncle. >> i knew it was unconditional love when she told me, uncle dave, i think you should run for mayor. i am thinking, you really think a lot of me. >> reporter: soon lajoya met josi turner, an aspiring actor and playwright and things got serious and they moved in together and had two children . that relationship did not last. but lajoya and josi were devoted to their kids and committed to coparenting. and she continue to pursue her dreams. >> that is one thing about her, she never gave up. she was very determined. >> she kept evolving. >> reporter: lajoya had a good job with l.a. county as an auditor. and she also opened her own clothing boutique and was developing a smart phone app. >> she was moving forward and
2:05 am
enjoyed her job and loved it and when she started who boutique, i'm thinking, where she getting this time to do these things? >> reporter: lajoya is good friend, visited the boutique. and understood why success was critical for lajoya. >> what she wanted to do was definitely the her own boss. to spend more time with her kids. she just wanted them to have the best life. >> she was learning the piano. ♪ >> she was teaching what she learned to her kids. >> reporter: lajoya was spreading her wings but was she also spreading herself too thin ? even though she shared childcare duties with josi, she needed a helping hand. so lajoya called her mom in las vegas and asked her to have one of lajoya sisters come out to california to help watch the kids . in the next day the
2:06 am
vegas bus pulled into l.a., almost an hour late. and her sister stepped off the bus and did not see lajoya. it was supposed to meet her. her uncle david, then got a call. >> i was at work and she said -- he was crying. and lajoya do not show up and she is like, am worried because she said she sent for her. >> reporter: you called lajoya and no answer. and her texting her and she is not at home. >> no. >> reporter: david left work to collect his younger niece and he was perplexed. >> i was hoping she was somewhere and would say, i am sorry and i was doing this are doing that. >> i thought she lost track of time and we do that. i said, she was struggling the boutique, work and maybe, she lost track of time. >> according to social media,
2:07 am
lajoya might have been juggling something else. just a week before, she had posted a message on facebook that red, okay, he made me breakfast. and has rooftop pool. he is a keeper. the man in the photograph, david and alicia had no clue. >> when i seen that, i'm like okay. she is back in relationship and i am hoping this is a good one.>> the way the picture look , what is he a record producer or, i did not know what he did. maybe they took a flight somewhere. i don't know.no sign of lajoya. on friday, june 12th, 2015, her mom called the monrovia police department. she was worried. because she knew things about lajoya. the police did not. >> reporter: coming up. what lajoya had been telling friends. >> she said i think someone is breaking into my facebook.
2:08 am
>> reporter: even scarier. was someone breaking into her house? >> i know for sure i am leaving some stuff somewhere and when i am coming home it is somewhere else. i was always worried about her. >> reporter: when "dateline" continues. care for more people managing diabetes with insulin. this is progress. ask your doctor today. ♪♪ my moderate to severe plaque psoriasis held me back. now with skyrizi, i'm all in with clearer skin. ♪ things are getting clearer ♪ ♪♪ ♪ yeah... i feel free ♪ ♪ to bare my skin yeah that's all me. ♪ ♪♪ ♪ nothing is everything ♪ ♪♪ with skyrizi 3 out of 4 people achieved 90% clearer skin at 4 months. and most people were clearer even at 5 years. skyrizi is just 4 doses a year, after 2 starter doses. don't use if allergic. serious allergic reactions, increased infections, or lower ability to fight them may occur.
2:09 am
before treatment, get checked for infections and tb. tell your doctor about any flu-like symptoms or vaccines. ♪nothing and me go hand-in-hand♪ ♪ nothing on my skin, that's my new plan.♪ ♪ nothing is everything ♪ now's the time ask your doctor about skyrizi, the number one dermatologist-prescribed biologic in psoriasis. learn how abbvie could help you save. ♪ ♪ have you always had trouble with your weight? same. discover the power of wegovy®. with wegovy®, i lost 35 pounds. and some lost over 46 pounds. and i'm keeping the weight off. i'm reducing my risk. wegovy® is the only weight-management medicine proven to reduce risk of major cardiovascular events
2:10 am
such as death, heart attack, or stroke in adults with known heart disease and obesity. don't use wegovy® with semaglutide or glp-1 medicines, or in children under 12. don't take if you or your family had mtc, men 2, or if allergic to it. tell your prescriber if you are breastfeeding, pregnant, or plan to be. stop taking and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or any of these allergic reactions. serious side effects may include pancreas inflammation and gallbladder problems. call your prescriber if you have any of these symptoms. wegovy® may cause low blood sugar in people with diabetes, especially if you take medicines to treat diabetes. call your prescriber about vision changes, if you feel your heart racing while at rest, or if you have mental changes. depression or thoughts of suicide may occur. common side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain, flu, or upset, headache, feeling tired, dizzy, or bloated, gas, and heartburn. some side effects lead to dehydration, which may cause kidney problems. with wegovy®,... ...i'm losing weight,...
2:11 am
...i'm keeping it off,... ...and i'm lowering my cv risk. check your coverage before talking to your prescriber about wegovy®. life has twists and curls. but you define them and make them bounce. tresemme flawless curls defining mousse. 24 hour. hydrating curl definition. style your life the way you want. ♪♪ tresemme, style your way. june 12th 2015 was a summer friday in monrovia, california.
2:12 am
families gathered at the local streit fair leaving their hectic work weeks behind them. not so for summer jackson, a long nightmare was about to begin. her daughter, lajoya mccoy was not answering calls or texts. and now summer was on the phone to police. for many department the call is as routine as a calm. adult children do not always check in with her parents. then summer show this.>> she keeps telling me her tires were slashed. two days before. >> reporter: lajoya's mom was
2:13 am
one of the few people who knew about her daughter's closely guarded secret. she believed someone was stalking her. lajoya also told her friend . >> i was always worried about her.>> reporter: lajoya had just broken up with josi when they became friends. >> it was a whole new world. she opened up her boutique and started going to the beach in bikinis and had gone to europe and was going out dancing at night . >> reporter: she said lajoya loved her new freedom and was starting to date again. >> she was very beautiful. very beautiful. she never had a problem. at least when she was with me. with guys coming up to her and trying to get her number. >> reporter: were there guys you were going out that you were worried about that you do not trust? >> me. anybody. i did not just any guy. >> reporter: lajoya rekindled old flames and started new ones. often posting about them on
2:14 am
facebook. like this guy, luther walls, a friend from her past she had reconnected with. >> she was looking for marriage , you know. a life partner. >> reporter: it turned out that was not there. they did remain friends. and according to eva, lajoya's dating life really blossomed into anything serious and something seem to be her back. >> i think she was like someone is breaking into my facebook and i also think someone is breaking into my house. and i said, what makes you think that? she goes, i know for sure that i am leaving some stuff somewhere and when i am coming home it is somewhere else. >> reporter: lajoya said things were not just moved around , some of them are missing. >> the first thing that came into my mind is you are under a lot of stress and it is easy to forget where you leave things
2:15 am
are misplaced things. i told her it happens to all of us and i think you're just under stress.>> reporter: now lajoya was missing. after her mom called monrovia pd they went to lajoya's apartment. >> the blinds were drawn and they could not see the windows and check the doors and the door was locked.>> reporter: he was a detective in 2015. and he said patrol officers found lajoya's apartment locked and secure. >> could not find anything suspicious or anything out of the normal. everything looked normal at the time. so they went ahead and contacted lajoya's mother and told her that nothing seems peculiar and left it at that. >> reporter: lajoya's mom was not alone. that might police heard from other worried friends and family. >> i texted her last night and she did not respond. >> i have an employee who did not report to work. >> reporter: officers s and not out of the ordinary again.>> reporter: police called
2:16 am
lajoya's ex, josi turner the father of their two children. he said the last time he saw lajoya was the previous weekend when he dropped off the kids at her place . and a few days later he picked up the kids as usual. and police also called lajoya cell phone carrier who told them that lajoya cell was active that day. when lajoya's mom heard that, she told police that she would hold off on filing a missing persons report . maybe lajoya will contact her. >> we waited a few days. >> reporter: as friday night drew to a close, news about lajoya's at disappearance was making the rounds. lajoya sister breana heard it from her grandmother. >> she said it very nonchalant. she just told me that lajoya has not talked to my mom in a few days and me, knowing lajoya, i felt like maybe she just wanted some space. it was not uncommon for her to disconnect from time to time. >> reporter: eva remember the
2:17 am
conversation she had with lajoya the week before. >> she said she wanted to just escape and she found a place, a retreat an arizona, no cell phones or whatever and meditation and whatnot and i think it is a great idea. i think will help you gather your thoughts. >> reporter: lajoya had a lot to think about. earlier that week should gone to happy hour with her friend bernadette, who sometimes helped out with lajoya's clothing boutique. they talked about lajoya's decision to close her store. due to financial problems. despite the said that, bernadette said she did not see any signs with joy you wanted to escape. unplug, or vanish. >> things are okay now because she close the store now she has that stress off of her. she was very positive about the future. >> reporter: she posted this video of herself dancing in the boutique. just days before the doors closed for good. so where was she? lajoya's brother called luther,
2:18 am
even though they had never met. to ask if he had heard from lajoya. he had, luther told him but that was a few days ago. after the call, luther said, he went by lajoya's apartment. >> i went to see if i could see her car but i did not . her parking space was in the back and like to the side right there. >> reporter: so luther said he did not knock on her door. it had now been nearly a week since lajoya had gone silent . with the clock ticking loudly in her head. lajoya's mother again called police. officers made a third trip to lajoya's apartment . and this time they forced their way in. and what they found was a crime scene. >> i went to the window and yelled who i was and yelled for lajoya and i noticed there was blood stands on the carpet. >> reporter: what had happened and where was lajoya 's the
2:19 am
answer just might be on video. >> a neighbor directly across from her apartment was having a problem with some petty theft. so he decided to put up a motion camera. and that camera was faced at the perfect position. >> reporter: when "dateline" continues. ♪♪ fun recip... (high pitched sound) (high pitched sound) (high pitched sound)
2:23 am
the streets were quiet that warm afternoon in moravia. inside lajoya mccoy's apartment it was quite. >> i went in through the window and i yelled who i was and yelled for lajoya and no answer. >> reporter: detective harvey opened the front door for his partner. >> as we did we entered and still announcing our presence and nobody was inside. >> reporter: what does it look like? >> it is clean and does not look out of the normal. some clothes lying around. normal everyday things. >> reporter: then they looked in the main bedroom. where it did not look normal at all.>> i noticed there was blood stains on the carpet. i noticed blood stains on the mattress. and blood spatter on the wall. >> reporter: all of lajoya's bedding was gone. >> and she is missing.
2:24 am
>> reporter: you have been doing this a while and what are the odds that the person who is missing is still alive? >> we like to think they are and we do not know that they aren't.>> reporter: in l.a. county a small department like monrovia often turns to the sheriff's department. for a possible murder case like this one. that evening detective eddie brown and his partner were on call. >> we got called from our residents and we go straight to the location. >> reporter: brown scanned lajoya's apartment. >> the kids room was totally disheveled. the drawers were taken out. some of them were on the floor and some were partially open. clothing and materials on the floor. and it looked a mess. the car was gone and detectives noticed her person for missing. had someone robbed the apartment and taken lajoya with them? detective brown did not think so. >> there was no forced entry.
2:25 am
we make someone could push their way in. >> why would they take the bedsheets? >> reporter: if he is a push and that got or disables or kills or, he will steal what he can steal. and no reason to take her body. brown believe the most likely scenario was that someone staged the scene to look like a robbery. which meant, lajoya was probably the target. >> because the woman's bedsheets were gone. which i believe that was used to transport her out of the house so she was either knocked out, unconscious or dead. >> the apartment also smelled like bleach. >> which tells me someone probably tried to clean the crime scene.>> reporter: and then came a lead. was there a video record of what had happened? >> a neighbor directly across from her apartment was having a problem with some petty theft.
2:26 am
so he decided to put up a motion camera and it's the type of camera that has to be activated by a sensor. an animal or a person walking by. and that camera was faced at the perfect position. >> reporter: investigators downloaded the neighbors video. you don't usually get that lucky. >> no. ng the video. because you can see the door clear, clear as a bell. >> reporter: brown watch that video. for hours. >> i keep playing it over and over and open, to see her being carried out of that apartment. >> reporter: that is what he wanted to see but it was not there. >> reporter: her door is too far away for the motion to activate the camera. >> reporter: you are lucky but unlucky. >> i needed a cat to walk past. at just the what -- right time.
2:27 am
>> reporter: no cut and no lajoya mccoy. police put out a bulletin for a silver camry, lajoya's car. after the alert went out a patrol officer found it, not far from her apartment . parked in a residential neighborhood. a parking ticket have been wedged into the door frame. and there was something inside. >> the passenger in drivers windows were tinted. >> reporter: the officer took a closer look and he saw it. it was a body. >> reporter: the identity of the body will solve one history, but the questions are only beginning. coming up. who would want to do this? >> she is a mother. she is a sister. she is a daughter. i just cannot understand it. >> i just felt like my world had ended. >> reporter: lajoya's loved ones get terrible news and
2:28 am
investigators make a discovery. reporter: when "dateline" continues. when you live with diabetes, progress is... having your coffee like you like it without an audience. ♪♪ [silence] the freestyle libre 3 plus sensor tracks your glucose in real time so everyone else doesn't have to, and over time it can help lower your a1c confident choices for more control of your life. this is progress. learn more and try for free at freestylelibre.us
2:29 am
♪♪ regina king is in our studio looking radiant as ever. don't cover up your glow. ♪♪ flawless. all eyes on you. skin esteem is a beautiful thing. ♪♪ life has twists and curls. but you define them and make them bounce. tresemme flawless curls defining mousse. 24 hour. hydrating curl definition. style your life the way you want. ♪♪
2:31 am
i am richard dewey with a news update. israel's airstrikes killing at least 11 people saturday in beirut, lebanon. dozens more injured as a broker a cease-fire. it is the fourth to hit the lebanese capital and one week. an infant has died and several adults second amid a four state listeria outbreak. the cdc and public health officials are investigating the outbreak linked to recalled ready to eat meat and poultry products. for now, back to the line. -- back to "dateline". welcome back to "dateline". i am entry canning.
2:32 am
lajoya mccoy had been missing for nearly a week when detectives searched her apartment and discovered a crime scene. bloodstained the bedroom wall and mattress. and there was evidence of a cleanup. investigators did not think it looked like a robbery but there was something or someone missing. lajoya . where was she? back to josh with, the dead of night. >> reporter: less than two miles from lajoya mccoy's apartment set her silver toyota camry. it had been parked beneath the summer sun for who knows how many days. inside, beneath a blanket, was a female body. she is on the passenger side or driver-side? >> passenger side. which tells us clearly the perpetrator drove her to this location. she had a ligature marked around her neck. >> reporter: news spread quickly. a candlelight vigil was held at lajoya's apartment. nbc station k nbc was there.
2:33 am
>> reporter: throughout the night more and more gathered, word spread. lajoya mccoy was not missing anymore. >> i just felt like my world had ended. it was tough. >> reporter: her and at uncle kept hoping it was all some kind of the mistake. >> it will not be her. they will say she is okay or it was somebody else. >> she is a mother. she is a sister. she is a daughter. who would want to do this to her? i just cannot understand it. >> reporter: they cannot think of anyone who had an issue with lajoya, except maybe the father of her children. josi turner. >> she moved on and i think he did not like that. >> reporter: according to alicia, josi would sometimes do things to spite lajoya like when he would pick up the kids
2:34 am
from the youth center without letting lajoya know about it. he is just kind of being a pain. >> a . yes, a trying to make her mad. >> yeah. there had to be some envy. >> reporter: bernadette thought the same. >> i believe that he became very jealous. of lajoya after a while. >> reporter: her life was going somewhere and his was not. >> right. i believe he was an aspiring actor the billy was not getting many offers. >> reporter: and there was something else that bothered david and alicia. the day after the joy i did not show up to meet her younger sister at the bus station. josi showed up at their house with the kids. and during the visit they say, not once did josi ask about lajoya. no matter what was going on between them, that is the
2:35 am
mother of his kids. >> yes. i did not understand it. like, you are that selfish. person. >> reporter: of course detective eddie brown heard all the stories about josi including a comment josi had made to the monrovia pt. the second time they called him while lajoya was still missing. >> mr. turner had said , i'm going to stop answering any questions and you can talk to my lawyer. >> reporter: that has to make everybody sit up a little taller.>> it is a red flag for us, yes. >> reporter: while there was another side to josi, this woman got to know josi and lajoya. >> i remember seeing them with their kids together and i was like, oh my goodness, i wish that i was cool, common collected like these guys are. there was kindness.
2:36 am
>> reporter: is a respected lajoya said tammy and detective brown new just because jose had clammed up, that did not mean he was a killer .>> we do not zero in on him and we cannot initially. initially and an investigation everybody is a suspect and we look at everything. and everybody. >> reporter: tips started coming into police. one from a local chiropractor who had seen the news reports about lajoya. he told detectives he met lajoya and a friend of hers at a restaurant about a week earlier. it turns out that was the night bernadette was out with lajoya. detectives reviewed the restaurants security cameras and there was the chiropractor. he is seen talking with lajoya. and later leaving the restaurant. lajoya and her friend leave a couple minutes later. it does not look like anybody
2:37 am
is following her and she does not look like she is having trouble with anybody on our way out of the restaurant or to the car. whatever happened, happened there. the chiropractor was one of the last people to see lajoya alive . but his story was corroborated by what detective saw on the security cameras. he was nothing more than a helpful citizen. and then there was something lajoya had left behind. something in her own words. >> we locate her journals, her journals tell us a lot. we find out that there was a boyfriend she had before. >> reporter: and there was a new man. she was falling for. >> i remember reading that she had met somebody and that she was going forward to see him again. >> reporter: was at the man she had posted about on facebook just days before she went missing? detectives needed more. >> we do a warrant on her phone and we do get the return on her
2:38 am
phone.>> reporter: lajoya cell phone records show on the evening she was out with bernadette , the last time lajoya was seen alive , she was texting with someone. >> analysts person to be in contact with lajoya was not josi turner. >> no. >> reporter: coming up. >> she expressed concerns that someone could be stalking her.>> reporter: who was that? >> she never told me who. >> reporter: investigators turn to the scene of the crime hoping to smoke out a suspect. >> i did that on purpose on the location so he would be uncomfortable. >> reporter: and then they spring their child.>> he is like, do have a suspect? i said yes. he said to? and i said, you. >> reporter: when "dateline" continues. chew. fizz. feel better fast. no water needed. new alka-seltzer plus fizzychews.
2:39 am
type 2 diabetes? no water needed. discover the ozempic® tri-zone. i got the power of 3. i lowered my a1c, cv risk, and lost some weight. in studies, the majority of people reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. i'm under 7. ozempic® lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events such as stroke, heart attack, or death in adults also with known heart disease. i'm lowering my risk. and adults lost up to 14 pounds. i lost some weight. ozempic® isn't for type 1 diabetes or children. don't share needles or pens, or reuse needles. don't take if you or your family had mtc, men 2, or if allergic to it. stop taking and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or any of these allergic reactions. tell your prescriber if breastfeeding, pregnant, or plan to be. serious side effects may include inflammation of pancreas, gallbladder problems, or changes in vision. call your prescriber if you have any of these symptoms. taking with a sulfonylurea or insulin may increase low blood sugar risk.
2:40 am
common side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, constipation. some side effects lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. living with type 2 diabetes? ask about the power of 3 with ozempic®. when you sleep more deeply, you wake up more energized. introducing purple's new mattresses. our unique gel flex grid draws away heat, helping you fall asleep faster. it relieves pressure for less "ow", and more "ahh". and instantly adapts as you move, without ever disturbing your partner. amazing. sleep better. live purple. right now save up to $1,000 during our black friday sale. visit purple.com or a store near you. my moderate to severe crohn's symptoms kept me out of the picture. now i have skyrizi. ♪ i've got places to go and i'm feeling free. ♪ ♪ control of my crohn's means everything to me. ♪
2:41 am
♪ control is everything to me.♪ and now i'm back in the picture. feel significant symptom relief at 4 weeks with skyrizi, including less abdominal pain and fewer bowel movements. skyrizi helped visibly improve damage of the intestinal lining. and with skyrizi, many were in remission at 12 weeks, at 1 year, and even at 2 years. don't use if allergic. serious allergic reactions, increased infections, or lower ability to fight them may occur. before treatment, get checked for infections and tb. tell your doctor about any flu-like symptoms or vaccines. liver problems leading to hospitalization may occur when treated for crohn's. now's the time to take control of your crohn's. ♪ control is everything to me. ♪ ask your doctor about skyrizi, the #1 prescribed biologic in crohn's disease. [ screeching ] [ chuckling ] the #1 prescribed biologic [ vocalizing ]
2:42 am
that's a choice. [ vocalizing ] and any modern-day criminal investigation, a person's digital footprint can be as valuable as their actual fingerprints. unfortunately in this case, lajoya mccoy's cell phone was nowhere to be found. it last pink several miles away from her home. and in that area there is a lot of dumpsters. never find the phone. or the bedding or her purse. >> nothing. >> reporter: officials obtained lajoya cell phone records and they discovered the cell phone number that lajoya last texted
2:43 am
belonged not to over expose turner, and not to the new guy with the rooftop pool. but to lajoya's friend, luther walls. the guy who had helpfully driven by her apartment to check on her. like lajoya, luther and a boutique. brown and his partner found him there. he said they had been involved romantically but now they were just friends. >> correct. >> my experience is, when guys say that with a mean his, i wanted to be involved romantically and she wanted to be just friends. >> that is probably what i took out of that also. but i do not want to push that.>> reporter: luther knew what was coming. >> i knew they would go through text messages and i knew i was one of the last text messages she sent. >> reporter: luther kept the text he received from lajoya and share them with detective brown.
2:44 am
and you get a good vibe off luther. >> i did. i have been doing this job for long time and you can tell generally when someone is lying. >> reporter: he did not seem to be lying. >> not at all. >> reporter: detectives came to believe that luther had nothing to do with lajoya's murder. you can tell by his phone he was not at her apartment. >> correct. >> reporter: instead luther helped detectives with an understanding of what was going on with lajoya, just prior to her disappearance. because luther had heard some of the same stories lajoya had heard her mom and her friend eva. >> she had expressed concerns that someone could be stalking her. >> reporter: even without a name, luther did know exactly who lajoya was talking about. >> she did tell me if something or somebody did something to me, check her baby daddy. >> reporter: and that is josi turner.
2:45 am
>> i believe her sixth sense of fear was kicking in. >> reporter: she knew she was in danger. >> yes. she knew. >> reporter: just not in time. >> correct. which unfortunately i have seen that occur a lot of my career. >> reporter: and perhaps this was about the time in the investigation when josi turner's sixth sense with kicking and because josi picked up the phone and called monrovia pd. the call was recorded. >> i want you to pick up some things for the kids if that is possible. >> reporter: kids games and things he said were still in lajoya's apartment. and revia pd told josi to call the detectives and when brown's phone rang, he saw an opportunity.
2:46 am
>> reporter: the detective told jose he would be happy to meet with them. i did that on purpose. that location. so that he would be uncomfortable. >> reporter: and they met at the scene of the crime. how does he seem? >> like a suspect. >> reporter: detective brown had a surprise for jose , he would hand over the kids things . but he wanted something in return. >> i would get a dna swab from
2:47 am
him and i told him that and i showed him the paperwork. >> reporter: which was a search warrant. and here is the swab and open your mouth. >> exactly. >> reporter: brown had a question for jose . >> i said, how come you have not asked about lajoya. you don't want to know about the investigation or anything? yes. yeah. he said, -- >> reporter: now that you bring it up i do. >> he said do you have a suspect? and i said, yes. and i said who? and i said, you. >> reporter: they submitted josi turner's dna to the lab and they waited while lajoya's family and friends mourned. >> it was very hard. very hard sitting. it should not have happened. and we should not have been at her funeral. >> reporter: at the funeral with
2:48 am
lajoya's kids was josi turner. >> to see him there was disturbing. >> night nothing happen. nothing. >> reporter: david and alicia knew something had happened. they had seen it with their own eyes. >> reporter: lajoya story -- family shows a story about josi turner and they are not the only ones with a tale to tell. coming up, -- >> he beat me so bad that i ran out of the house naked. >> reporter: an eerie conversation. >> it was like i was speaking with lajoya . >> reporter: could a single phone call crack this case? that is the missing piece. >> yes. >> reporter: when "dateline" continues. in . severe allergic reactions can occur. get help right away for face, mouth, tongue, or throat
2:49 am
swelling, wheezing or trouble breathing. tell your doctor of new or worsening eye problems like eye pain, vision changes, or blurred vision, joint aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop asthma or other medicines without talking to your doctor. ask about dupixent. money is tight, so we must make sacrifices. i give up my bespoke shaving subscription. and i'll stop ordering everything that's trending on instagram. and i will no longer agree to the add-ons at the oil change place just because the mechanic called me "ma'am." it really is a top-of-the-line filter, ma'am. and of course, we'll downgrade our insurance -to get a lower rate. -well, you know, you don't have to make sacrifices now that you're saving money with the progressive home and auto bundle. you couldn't have said that like 6 seconds ago? (cough cough) (sneeze) (♪♪) new alka-seltzer plus cold or flu fizzy chews. chew. fizz. feel better fast. no water needed. new alka-seltzer plus fizzychews. the freestyle libre 3 plus sensor
2:50 am
tracks your glucose in real time, and over time it can help lower your a1c. ♪♪ this is progress. learn more and try for free at freestylelibre.us ♪♪ how are folks 60 and older having fun these days? family cookouts! ♪♪ playing games! ♪♪ dancing in the par... (high pitched sound) (high pitched sound) (high pitched sound) life has twists and curls.
2:51 am
2:52 am
welcome back. who killed lajoya mccoy? detectives zeroed in on the father of her children, josi turner. as they collected belongings from the crime scene, they collected his dna for testing and soon someone once close to lajoya what dropped a bombshell and break this case wide open. the first lajoya's family share their own harrowing tale. with the conclusion of, the dead of night.
2:53 am
>> reporter: april, 2013. it was close to 2:00 a.m. and david and alicia were jolted awake.>> frantic banging. >> reporter: it grew louder. >> at first we think it is the police and maybe someone is breaking in. >> reporter: someone was pounding on the front door and david got up to see who it was.>> and we hear, uncle david. >> who is that? >> reporter: remember the desperate woman at the start of our story? that was lajoya. standing at her aunt and uncles doorstep half naked and terrified.>> i immediately seen the way she was dressed and crying and i knew it had to do with him. >> reporter: him, meaning jose turner. david pulled his knees and sighed as she wept. >> i have never in my life seen her that way and for her to
2:54 am
come the way she did, i have a wall that is three feet tall in front of the apartment building and then it has cast-iron rods with points on the tip and she jumped over that. to get to my place to get away from him.>> reporter: lajoya she said jose and her were arguing and he turned violent. >> she said i came out of the bathroom and he flipped out. >> reporter: she said jose choked her and she found the strength to hit back . >> and she ran out the door. >> reporter: in terror, lajoya ran to her aunt and uncle some. and romantically and away, she never looked back. she dumped lajoya and moved on with her life , at least, lajo murdered and now her uncle could not understand how jose turner was still a free man. >> you start havingubt like this is not going to get resolved and unique closure. >> reporter: that is when detective brown heard from the
2:55 am
crime lab and they tested the dna found on lajoya's car and under her fingernails . against the swab brown had taken from jose . it was enough of a match to make an arrest. that is the missing piece.>> yes. >> reporter: 47-year-old jose turner, arrested this morning on suspicion of killing his ex- girlfriend 31-year-old lajoya mccoy. >> reporter: lajoya's mom, found it hard to accept . >> her mom did not want to believe it because that is her grandkids father. >> reporter: no one wants to believe that. least of all the woman who came forward to say that long before lajoya mccoy, she knew exactly what jose turner was capable of . >> jose was so good at pretending . >> reporter: her name was
2:56 am
adrien. jose 's ex-girlfriend from years ago. she came forward when she learned jose had been arrested. detective brown recorded her interview. for asian, lajoya story was like a bad memory. >> it was like i was speaking with lajoya. >> reporter: and summer, 2017, jose one on trial for transfers murder. >> when you take this to it jury you want to prove it beyond any possible doubt. >> reporter: she prosecuted the case and said the evidence was overwhelming.
2:57 am
the bloodsoaked note found in lajoya's car in her own writing . documenting jose stalking. and that red , i got a flat tire after he says he is in my area. jose turner dna at the scene of the crime. and the jury heard from jose 's former girlfriend, adrien, whose own story echoed lajoya's. and one more thing. the items missing from lajoya's apartment, detectives found them in jose 's car. along with this, a green notebook with notes in jose 's writing. >> they find almost a stream of conscious writing, event session on this one page and it says, i will have great pleasure tearing her apart. >> reporter: the defense, the writing was fiction and he was after all an actor and playwright and as for jose's
2:58 am
dna at the crime scene, his attorney argued there was no way of knowing how and when it got there. jurors did not buy it. after just eight hours of deliberation, they found jose turner guilty of first-degree murder. his sentence, 26 years to life. >> i was heartbroken. yet very relieved that my sister got justice. >> reporter: looking back on lajoya's story there is one obvious fork in the legal road . that i she said jose choked her and she ran to her uncle's house . how is jose not locked up that night? >> she did not call the police and did not want the police involved. 3 she thinks it will make it worse? >> yes. she is not wrong. i have cases where the women call the police and they agree to prosecute and they end up being murdered. what is the right way? i wish i knew.
2:59 am
>> reporter: lajoya did her best to move on . >> she was acutely aware of the danger in front of her but she just hoped that he would not go that far. she hoped that he would not take that ultimate step and kill her. >> reporter: it is crazy when i have going for you is hoping.>> i think she started reaching out to people towards the end when his behavior was escalating. >> reporter: in fact, detectives say her murder came a few days before an appointment lajoya made with the security company. to have an alarm system installed at her apartment . today, lajoya's aunt and uncle have become parents all over again. lajoya's two children came to live with them. >> we adopted them. so they are our kids. >> reporter: how are they? >> they are doing well. i mean, you wonder what is going to their mind. >> reporter: david and alicia say when lajoya disappeared,
3:00 am
jose told the kids she abandoned them. and you told them the truth about what happened to her. >> they ask in certain ways and when i told him i will not hide anything from you and i will tell you as much as i can, the oldest son, he told me, my dad tricked us. and i said yes. >> reporter: your dad did not tell you the truth but we will. >> yes. >> reporter: the truth about a woman who never gave up on her cell for the future she wanted. edition of dateline. i am andrea canning. thank you for watching. . good morning, and welcome to the sunday edition of morning joe weekend. it was another fast-moving newsweek. there some of the conversations you might've missed.
20 Views
IN COLLECTIONS
MSNBC WestUploaded by TV Archive on
