Investigators say she was sodomized then suffocated. Police caught Jerry on surveillance video and the Kansas City Crime Lab found Deja’s DNA on his genitals. And that was the hardest thing to deal with was to be in Deja’s shoes to see her own father take advantage of her and she was helpless.
What if your child’s last meeting with their father turned out to be deadly? When 18-year-old Deja Bosby agreed to meet with her father on a Sunday evening in March of 2016, no one could guess that just a few hours later, her body would be found in a motel room in what cops would call a scene of total horror and betrayal.
Warning, this story contains shocking details that might be too much for sensitive people, especially those who find it hard to hear about violence and sex crimes against young people. Friends, before I keep going with this tough story, I’d like to ask you to write in the comments which city you’re watching this video from.
Also, don’t forget to subscribe to the channel and share this video with your friends. This story needs to be heard so that similar tragedies don’t happen again and so that Deja’s memory stays alive in our hearts. Deja Bosby was born on September 23rd, 1997 in Kansas City, Missouri. She was the second of four kids born to Lita and Jerry Bosby.
From early childhood, Deja showed amazing abilities. She was known as a loving, full of life girl with a sweet smile that could brighten any room. As a little girl, she was always curious and creative. She loved singing, dancing, and playing with her siblings. However, Deja’s family life was far from perfect. Her parents had met as teenagers, but their relationship was rocky from the start.
Deéja’s father, Jerry, already had a criminal record going back to 1994 with court papers showing problems with drugs, many dies, and violent behavior. When Deja was 8 years old in 2005, her father admitted to domestic violence charges, including attacking a family member. He hit and kicked the victim, even throwing a TV at them.
Jerry also broke a restraining order that had been filed against him. The following year, when Deja was nine, Jerry was getting treatment for drug addiction at the Ozark Correctional Center. During this time, he wrote a letter to a Jackson County judge asking forgiveness for breaking some rule. In this letter, he wrote, “I miss my kids badly and can’t wait to get out to see how they’re doing.
I never wanted my children to go through such a shock and be around strangers. By the time Deja was 11 years old in 2008, her parents officially divorced. Despite his troubled past, Jerry stayed in his kids’ lives. Although Deéja spent most of her time with her mom and siblings. Even with these difficult family circumstances, young Deja stayed positive and found ways to enjoy her childhood.
From an early age, teachers noticed her bright mind and eagerness to learn. In elementary school, she was already showing signs of the academic success she would later achieve. Deéja was the kind of kid who would help others, share what she had, and always offered kindness to those around her. When she was around 13, Deja started her own YouTube channel.
She called herself goofy and loved making funny videos to share online. This creative outlet helped her develop her rare gift for finding joy even in the hardest times. Teachers and friends noticed her energy, kindness, and special way of never treating strangers as outsiders. She greeted everyone with real warmth. As she entered high school, Deja became a real star at Southwest High School.
What she achieved was truly amazing. She joined a special program called the Early College Academy, which let her earn a college degree while still in high school. Thanks to this program, when she graduated, Deja was set to get not only a high school diploma, but also a 2-year college degree, something that takes a lot of hard work and focus.
Her school life was super busy. Orchestra director Alan Sturdivan said she was full of energy and perfect for school groups. Deéja did track and field, played volleyball and basketball, was a cheerleader, and even joined junior rock. She was part of the school’s Red Storm Orchestra, where she showed off her musical skills.
Despite her packed schedule of afterchool activities, Deja found time to work at Foot Locker and stayed in the top five students of her class. By spring of 2016, she was about to graduate as Saludatoran, the second best student in her class. Colleges across the country wanted her. Deja had gotten more than 12 scholarship offers and planned to go to Grahamling State University in Louisiana.
One of her friends later called Deja a rose that grew from a crack in concrete, referring to Tupac Shakur’s poem about a beautiful flower that grows where it seems impossible. This really fit Deja’s life. Because behind all her success was a tough family story that she had overcome through determination and positivity.
According to her teacher, Haley Steel. From the moment I met her, I knew she was special. She had been through a lot. Her family life was hard, but she was the most positive person I had ever met. On Sunday, March 20th, 2016, Deja’s life ended in a way that shocked the entire Kansas City community.
Around 8:30 in the evening, having just finished her shift at Foot Locker and returned home in her work uniform, Deja got a phone call from her father. They talked briefly, and soon Jerry picked his daughter up from home. According to one of Deéja’s closest friends, the reason for this meeting was likely that she wanted to convince her father to go to rehab for his drug addiction.
Despite her father’s troubled past, Deja still cared about him and really wanted to help him get better. This caring for loved ones was just how she was. No matter what, she saw the best in people and believed they could change. About an hour after Jerry picked up Deja from home, security cameras recorded him walking into the lobby of the 4 Acres Motel on Hickman Mills Drive.
The recording clearly shows him renting room 253 at 9:30 in the evening. Then cameras caught him returning to his car, which then drives toward the rented room. The next footage shows both Deja and her father entering this room. What happened behind the closed door of the motel room during the next 6 hours? Investigators could only figure out later based on evidence and medical reports.
But one thing was clear. Security cameras didn’t lie. Between 9:30 in the evening and 3:30 in the morning of the next day, no one except Deja and Jerry entered or left room 253. At 3:30 in the morning on March 21st, cameras recorded someone matching Jerry’s description leaving the motel on foot.
He was wearing a black jacket and gray pants heading south on Hickman Mills Drive, having left his car in the motel parking lot. About 10 minutes walk away, the same person, now clearly Jerry was caught on camera at the nearest convenience store buying cigarettes. He was wearing the same black jacket, gray pants, and yellow shirt.
After this, Jerry never returned to the motel. No one else entered room 253 either. Deja stayed there alone, already dead, while her killer calmly bought cigarettes and disappeared into the night, leaving behind a scene of unimaginable horror. On Monday, March 21st, 2016, around 12:15 in the afternoon, a normal morning for a maid at the 4 Acres Motel turned into a nightmare.
Starting her daily cleaning duties, she opened the door to room 253 and found a scene that would later be described by Union County Sheriff Eddie Cathy as like something from the most horrifying horror movie. On the bed lay the lifeless body of 18-year-old Deja Bosby. She was lying on her back with many cuts on her forehead, neck, lips, and nose.
Especially disturbing were the marks on her neck and face. Experts would later say these were signs of strangling, where the killer had closed off her airways with his hands, leaving finger marks and causing bleeding in her eyes. Deja’s clothing was clearly messed up, showing someone tried to move the body after death.
Her blouse was unbuttoned, several buttons torn off and scattered across the bed. Her pants were only partly fastened, as if someone had clumsily tried to dress the dead body. Her underwear was twisted, her hair strangely tucked under her clothing. Everything about this scene screamed that something terrible had happened. The maid immediately reported her horrific discovery to the motel manager, who called the police.
The Kansas City cops who arrived were shocked by what they saw. Even for experienced officers who had seen many crimes, this scene was especially tough. That same day, not knowing about the tragic discovery, Deja’s mother, Lita, worried about her daughter’s absence, filed a missing person report. More than 30 hours had passed since Deéja had left with her father, and she hadn’t come home or answered calls and messages.
The mother’s worry was completely justified. Soon the police delivered news that broke her heart. Her daughter had been found dead in a motel room. Police immediately started investigating. Given the condition of the body, investigators carefully examined the crime scene, collecting all possible evidence. They also asked for recordings from the motel’s security cameras, which later turned out to be crucial for solving the crime.
Deja’s body was sent to the morg for examination. The Union County Sheriff’s Office released a statement saying, “This was truly an especially cruel and coldblooded murder of an innocent child. This case emotionally drained everyone involved. We continue to grieve with Deja’s mother and pray for her.” The public was shocked by the horrible crime.
Deja’s school, friends, and loved ones couldn’t believe what had happened. How could the life of such a bright, promising young woman full of hope and plans for the future be cut short in such a cruel way? And who could do this terrible crime to a girl who always tried to see the best in people? During questioning, Jerry admitted that he had picked up Deja and rented a room at the motel, but claimed that he did this for her and her friends so they could have fun.
According to him, he stayed at the motel for only 20 to 30 minutes, after which he left on foot because his car wouldn’t start. However, the video recordings completely proved this was a lie. He had stayed in the room for 6 hours. On May 5th, 2016, the Jackson County Medical Examiner’s Office shared the autopsy results.
Deéja’s cause of death was strangling, and the exam also showed clear signs of anal sexual assault. Marks on her body showed a violent struggle. Bleeding in her eyes and finger marks on her face showed that she had fought for her life while being strangled. Police got a warrant to take DNA samples from Jerry, who completely denied any sexual contact with his daughter.
Over the next few months, investigators carefully gathered evidence. Many of Deja’s close ones immediately suspected her father’s involvement in her death. Deja’s aunt, Gay Martin, later said she was helpless. Her own father took advantage of this. In April 2016, a month after the tragedy, Deja’s mother got a restraining order against Jerry, fearing for her family’s safety.
On September 19th, 2016, 6 months after Deja’s death, the crime lab presented DNA test results in court. They were undeniable. Jerry’s DNA was found in Deja’s mouth and anus, and her DNA was found on his genitals. The odds of a mistake were next to impossible. Based on this evidence, Jerry Bosby was officially charged with firstderee murder, inest, and sexual assault.
Almost 3 years passed between the charges and the start of the trial. In July 2019, Jerry Bosby’s trial began and lasted 4 days. During the trial, the Jackson County prosecutor used a powerful visual method to show the jury Deja’s suffering. She set a timer for 30 seconds, the time it takes for a person to pass out from strangling, and then explained that it takes another 3 to 5 minutes to die.
“This is how long she fought. It’s a long time to be without breath,” said the prosecutor, slamming her phone down on the table. Jerry’s defense put forward a shocking theory that the relationship between father and daughter might have been consensual, which caused outrage in the courtroom. The defense attorney asked, “Why would she go to a motel with her father if she didn’t want to have a consensual sexual relationship with him? Why would she stay there for hours? Most teenagers would probably go there to get drugs or alcohol. She went there to have a secret
meetup with her father. She’s not a victim. She was a willing participant. The closing statement was delivered by prosecutor Jean Peters Baker showing the jury photographs from the crime scene. Everywhere we look, we find the defendant. His DNA was all over Deja. Throughout the trial, Jerry showed no emotion, only lowering his head when the jury delivered the guilty verdict.
In September 2019, he was sentenced to two life terms for murder and plus an additional four years for incest and seven years for sexual assault. In his final court statement, which lasted nearly 45 minutes, Jerry mentioned his daughter only once, calling her a star. But this fleeting praise only highlighted the horror of what followed.
With cold composure, he referred to the murder of his own daughter as an unfortunate occurrence. as if he were talking about a minor mishap rather than a life he had taken. The incest virus made its way to me. He uttered a phrase that made the blood of those present freeze in their veins. With these words, he seemed to be trying to shift the blame to some external force rather than acknowledging his conscious choice.
Throughout his speech, Jerry talked about his difficult childhood, mental health issues, racism, and conspiracy theories in the justice system, attempting to present himself as a victim of circumstances. His words contained neither remorse nor acceptance of responsibility for what he had done. In her victim impact statement, Deja’s sister, like Nabosby, described their childhood as hell on earth.
It felt like we were unworthy of a good life, but she was determined. Her happiness in a world of evil. I wanted to be just like her. Life was traumatic for Deja and it ended traumatically. About Jerry, she said simply and piercingly, “He was supposed to protect her and instead he killed her. He’s a monster.
” The memory of Deja continues to live in the hearts of those who knew her. At graduation, a seat was saved for her and her mother accepted Deéja’s honorary diploma. In Pen Valley, a garden was created in Deja’s honor where friends and family came to plant flowers. Strangely, after the graduation of 2016, both the 4 acres Motel and Southwest High School were closed, as if the last places where Deja spent her life died along with her.
Don’t click away just yet. This video isn’t over. Another equally gripping story is about to begin in just a moment. A case that will leave you just as shocked and moved as Deja’s tragedy. Stay with me. You won’t want to miss what comes next. One of Deéja’s friends said after her death, “I have to continue her legacy.
I have to be successful not just for myself, but for her. Everything I will do from now on, I will do for her.” This case especially touches the heart because Deéja had her whole life ahead of her. She was successful, determined, motivated, kind, and brilliant. She had everything, the whole world before her, but her future was cruy taken away by her own father, the person who should have protected her.
Your support can help prevent similar tragedies. Please subscribe to the channel, hit the like button, and leave a comment below. Share this video with everyone you know so that Deéja’s story is never forgotten. And now our top story. New details in a heartbreaking crime. A 15year-old girl is dead and police say her father confessed to killing her.
This is just a case where it’s just pure evil. He stopped her and said, “You’re not going to find anything. I’ve just killed someone.” Especially when you’re a parent, you have children of your own, and you see just the evil that that people are capable of. That’s just not normal. What if your child’s last desperate plea could save their life? When Zarya begged not to be sent to her father that fateful weekend, no one could imagine that within 48 hours, her body would be found in a condition that the county sheriff would describe as a
scene from the most horrifying horror movie. Warning, this investigation contains shocking details that may be unacceptable for sensitive individuals, especially those who find information about violence and cruelty toward children difficult to process. Friends, before I continue this difficult story, I would like to ask you to write in the comments which country you are watching this video from.
Also, don’t forget to subscribe to the channel and share this video with your friends. This story needs to be heard so that similar tragedies do not repeat and so that the memory of Zarya lives in our hearts. Zarya Joselyn Burgess was born on December 23rd, 2003 as an early Christmas gift for her mother Akisha Pope and father Joshua E Burgess.
What made it special was that her father’s birthday was just 2 days later on Christmas. When Kesha and Joshua met at Weddington School, they were just teenagers. The young couple was only 15 and 16 years old when Zarya was born. Like most teenage couples, Aisha and Joshua eventually separated, and Zarya mainly lived with her mother in Union County, North Carolina.
However, her father remained very present in her life. He spent every weekend with her when she came to visit him. In his social media posts, he admired his daughter, called her his mini me, and shared numerous photos with captions noting how much he loved his daughter. He was present at her birthdays, movie outings, regular weekend visits, and much more.
And many considered Zarya a happy girl who had his presence in her life. By the late 20110s, Zarya was already a teenager and a promising star at her Monroe school. She was part of both the dance team and the school orchestra. Her orchestra director, Alan Sturdivant, said she was full of energy and was a perfect member of school organizations.
According to all accounts, she was extremely happy. Seemingly an ordinary teenage girl who loved to laugh, spend time with friends, go to the movies, and do everything that teenagers typically enjoy. However, not everything was as cloudless as it appeared on the surface. According to testimonies, one of Zarya’s closest friends told her mother that Zarya had confessed to her how much she actually disliked spending time at her father’s house.
She expressed concern that her father had serious anger issues and would sometimes rage at her for no reason. She also claimed that Zarya said she didn’t feel accepted by her father’s side of the family as he was white and her mother was black, making her biracial. Zarya’s friends and their parents suspected that Joshua might have been using drugs, but she never confirmed this.
Regarding Zarya’s mother, Akisha, and her attitude toward how her daughter perceived her father, it was never clearly understood whether Akisha knew about her daughter’s feelings toward her father. For some time, Akisha was accustomed to weekends without her child and used this time to be part of a dance group at her church.
The only way for her to go there was to send Zarya to her father. On the weekend of August 17th, 2019, Zeria begged and pleaded with her mother not to send her to her father’s house. She was so adamant about not going that she sent a message to one of her friends asking to stay overnight.
But the friend replied that she couldn’t because her family had their own plans for the weekend. So unfortunately, Zarya had no choice but to go to her father’s house. To this day, that friend regrets not allowing Zarya to stay with her. Akisha didn’t perceive her daughter’s hesitation as a warning sign.
Instead, just attributing it to teenage behavior when teenagers want to do what they want and show disobedience. So, she still sent her daughter to be able to be part of the church dance group. What Aisha didn’t know and probably could never have imagined, even in her worst nightmares, was that this would be the last time she would see her daughter.
Sunday, August 18th, 2019, approximately 9:24 in the morning. 32-year-old Joshua Burgess walks into a police station and tells the first officer he sees that he is turning himself in for a crime. The officer says, “Okay, let me get your name and check the system for any warrants for your arrest.” But Joshua stops him and says, “No, you don’t need to do that.
You won’t find me in the system.” He states, “I just killed someone.” At this point, police invite him into an interrogation room to give a full statement. Before the information reached the media, Joshua gave the police a complete confession about what he had just done. He named his daughter’s full name and with zero emotion, as calmly as possible, explained that he had just taken his daughter’s life and if they went to his house now, they could find her body at 5 on 100 Hampton Meadows Road in Union County, Monroe, North Carolina.
Neighbors stated that they didn’t even know anyone lived in that house. They thought it was abandoned or a den. The police went to the address provided, and indeed there they found the body of 15-year-old Zarya Burgess. The scene that investigators encountered could be described as something straight out of a horror movie.
When they opened the door to Joshua’s house, they entered the living room where they found Zarya’s body in a very disturbing state without clothing with traces of numerous injuries throughout her body with a serious wound in the neck area and her hands and feet were restrained with handcuffs. Joshua had positioned Zarya’s body as if showcasing his deed, especially considering what he told the police during his confession.
Although Zarya’s body had numerous wounds, the examination determined that the cause of death was a deep neck injury, officially described as a sharp object wound to the neck. But these are not all the disturbing details of what happened before inflicting fatal injuries on Zarya. Joshua tortured his daughter for more than 22 hours.
He committed sexual assault against his own child, psychologically abused her, and applied strangulation. Joshua was charged with one count of firstdegree murder, statutory sexual assault of a person 15 years or younger, three counts of firstderee sexual assault, firstderee kidnapping, and firstderee sexual exploitation of a minor.
Before continuing this heartbreaking story, I want to ask for your support. If you believe that such stories should be told, please leave a comment, share your thoughts, subscribe to my channel, and spread this video among those who should hear it. Consider becoming a channel sponsor to help me continue my work covering child safety issues and honoring victims like Zarya.
Every subscription, every comment, and every repost helps these important stories reach more people. In June 2022, after 3 weeks of trial, 35-year-old Joshua Burgess was sentenced to death for the murder of Zarya, as well as an additional 76 years for other charges he was found guilty of. The execution protocol involves lethal injection.
And in North Carolina, for the death penalty to be imposed, the jury must vote unanimously for it. Otherwise, the accused is sentenced to life imprisonment. Although Joshua confessed to his crime, a trial was still necessary as the state sought the death penalty. And despite Joshua confessing to his crime, he pleaded not guilty and his attorney asked that his state confession not be replayed for the jury.
But obviously, this request was denied. According to detectives, Joshua explained several motives for his actions during his confession. But two main themes that ran through everything he said were control and lust. according to information from witnesses who were present in the courtroom during the replay of Joshua’s confession.
He spoke without any remorse and said that he had planned all of his sinister weekend with Zera. From breakfast with her to the horrible acts he imagined he would commit and fantasized about it all day until he surrendered to the police. He allegedly stated that he had unnatural feelings towards Zarya and as she grew older, he didn’t want her to be with anyone else.
He wanted her to belong only to him in the most sick perverted sense. It is also alleged that he said he initially planned to create a scene at the police station when he came to surrender so that they would shoot him. Essentially, this would have been suicide by police. However, he eventually gave up on this because he was afraid to die.
According to those present, Joshua claimed that he enjoyed every moment of what he did to Zarya and that these were the best weekends of his entire life. After he inflicted severe injuries on Zarya and strangled her, he thought she was already dead. But the girl managed to gather her last strength and come to. She had enough strength to get up and try to escape when she rushed to the door, but Joshua caught up with her, grabbed her, and inflicted a fatal wound to the back of her neck, then placed her body on the living room floor. Union
County Sheriff Eddie Cathy said, “The details of this murder are unspeakable. Every officer and detective involved in this case feels the consequences of what happened to this child. There is no logical answer that would explain why this person did what he is accused of. Our hearts and prayers are with Zarya’s mom and her family.
The Union County Sheriff’s Office stated, “This was truly an especially heinous, cruel, and cold-blooded murder of an innocent child. This case was emotionally draining for all involved. We continue to grieve with Zarya’s mother and pray for her.” After Zarya’s death, internet detectives began searching for possible motives why her father, who outwardly appeared to love his daughter very much, would kill her in such a horrible way.
As already mentioned, detectives stated that his main motives for the murder were lust and control. However, the state of North Carolina kept information about this case secret, which caused a lot of speculation on social media. These internet detectives investigated Joshua’s Facebook page and began accusing him of being a white supremacist based on racially charged memes he posted, particularly with Barack and Michelle Obama.
They also pointed to various pages he liked, including Donald Trump’s pages, Fox News, and the now defunct occult organization Flame of the Serpent. Because of this, they suggested that Zarya’s death was a kind of ritual murder for entry into a white supreist group or a satanic cult. One of the most disturbing posts made by Joshua was from February 8th, 2016.
In it, he is holding a cabbar knife with a long blade. In the background, an assortment of other folding knives can be seen. The caption said, “I just really love cutting people.” Oh, I meant things. I love cutting things. Your support can help prevent similar tragedies. Please subscribe to the channel, press the like button, and leave a comment below.
Share this video with everyone you know so that Zarya’s story is never forgotten. Stay with me as I will soon share another important case that also deserves our attention and awareness. Zarya’s funeral service was held on August 25th, 2019 at the Christ Disciplehip Bible Worship Center in Marshville, North Carolina.
The Monroe High School Red Storm School Orchestra dedicated their performance at the 2019 Battle of the Bands in Dylan, South Carolina to Zarya. In all the articles and news stories that were published, there was no information about any previous instances of abuse between Josh and Zarya. Apart from mentions that he was angry or that she didn’t want to be around him, there were no mentions that he physically harmed her or violence between him and her mother Aisha.
There are no reports of this in their family history. Although there were mentions of drug addiction, it’s still strange. Was he a pervert all these years and just good at hiding it? Was there violence that simply was never documented? How can one wake up one day and just say, “You know what? Today, I’ll let the devil take over my flesh and commit this horrible act on my own child and even planet.
Even family members are puzzled as to why this happened.” Zarya’s family was devastated by her loss. No punishment will ever seem sufficient for the sick demon who committed such a crime. There is no logical reason that could explain Joshua Burgess’s actions. Ultimately, testimonies about Zera’s character indicate that she was a loving, full of life girl whose life was tragically cut short by the horrible actions of a man who should have protected her.
This story breaks the heart and is a terrible reminder of how important it is to listen to our children’s concerns and be vigilant about warning signs that may arise even when the family outwardly seems normal. I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who watched this video all the way through. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this case in the comments and please don’t forget to subscribe to my channel.
I’d also like to send a special thank you to everyone who has donated to support my channel. Your support means the world to me and gives me the motivation to keep making new and interesting investigations for you, my wonderful viewers. Thank you all so much. [Music]
