Five Years Ago Today, 18-Year-Old Jennika Lee Suazo Was Found Dead in Her Own Home
[Composite image using a family photo of Jennika Suazo and a photo by Mark McKenna of those gathered for her candlelight vigil in the Adorni Center in 2016.]
“It’s been now 5 years that she was taken from me and her Dad,” Jennie Lee Seipp told us by message yesterday morning. “I can say that I’m honestly in a stand still. I sometimes put 2016 on my paperwork. I say her name everyday and feel that she is with me…I still can’t talk about her in a past tense. I tell my self she is on a vacation.”
Jennika, who was planning to be a nurse, had just graduated from Zoe Barnum High School and would have walked in June with her class. Instead, her mother carried her photo and accepted her diploma for her.
In June of 2017, an image of Jennika Lee Suazo was photoshopped with a cap and gown and carried by her mom at what would have been her graduation ceremony. The image is held here by her Dad Kevin Suazo and mom Jennie Seipp.
This year, the Eureka Police have finished their investigation and sent their findings to the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office. Brittany Powell, spokesperson for the Eureka Police Department, explained, “Earlier this year, the Eureka Police Department’s investigation was completed. The case was forwarded and is in the hands of the District Attorney’s office.”
As of this posting, we haven’t learned what the District Attorney plans for Jennika’s case.
But for Jennika’s mom, tomorrow she’ll go to the Adorni Center as she has every year since Jennika died. “I will be letting balloons off at Adorni Center tomorrow at 5:30 p.m.,” she told us. “All are welcome.”
She added, “I have friends and family that pray for me as well and I believe that’s what gets me through all of the pain and how I still go on…I’m giving it to God for the answers because I still have no closure… .”
In 2016, a crowd gathered at the Adorni Center amphitheater to remember Jennika Lee Suazo.
Earlier Chapters:
- Home Marked off With Crime Scene Tape
- Suspicious Death Investigated by EPD
- See also the final person in this list (Record Number of Homicides in 2016)
- For a Time, the Candles Pushed back the Dark: A Community Grieves for Jennika
- Family to Hold Candlelight Walk for Teen One Month After Her ‘Suspicious’ Death
- Mother Accepts Diploma for Daughter Who Died Under Suspicious Circumstances
- EPD Still Awaiting DNA in Case of 18-Year-Old Jennika Determined to Have Died of Asphyxia Almost One Year Ago
- Three Years Ago Today, 18-year-old Jennika Lee Suazo Was Found Dead; Family Awaits Justice
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So what’s suspected of happening to this young lady?
From the link above:
“In June of 2017, the results of the autopsy were received and the cause of death was determined to be asphyxia. The case is being investigated as a suspected homicide. “
The story as I’ve heard it was that she moved in to a sober living house that her biological mother – (not the lady quoted in this article) – lived in and/or operated. There were something like 15 or 20 people living in the house. She was found dead in the shower with a piece of clothing in her mouth. It is speculated that one of the males in the house raped her in the shower, used the piece of clothing to gag her so no one would hear, and in the process, he killed her.
It can take at least six months to a year for *one* rape kit to be processed. There’s a backlog of them. Then they have to process and compare another 15 to 20 DNA samples from everyone in the house – another slow, backlogged process.
Thanks for sharing your understanding of her story, what I don’t understand is how it can take five years to process the DNA of the victim and persons of interest.
Would be nice to know the date when the police made their report to the DA, what was the gist of that report, and what (and when) is the DA planning to do in this case.
I agree. The amount of time that has elapsed is ridiculous and damaging to the case. There shouldn’t be a backlog with today’s DNA technology. Fishery scientists are conducting DNA analysis of fish to make sure they are not spawning siblings together within 24 hours of sampling. It isn’t even that expensive. We need to look at waste, fraud, and abuse in our law enforcement agencies, including the abuse of overtime. They always want more and more money, but we get less and less out of those $$.
Sounds like you should run for an elected official position. When do the people take back a position of power over these broken systems. When people are literally getting away with murder it’s a good time to question the state of our police. Politics aside- we have to do what’s right for the people of our community.
A poor kid living in a halfway house The local cops just don’t think she’s that important .
Now if someone had pulled a “ serious crime “ like scratching Rex Bohn’s fishing boat, they’d be all over the case.
It’s lack of funding. These things cost a lot of money. Police dump money into raiding small farms yet they have no funding to process dna from a murdering rapist who probably has plenty of priors. I’m sure they’re safely committing crimes elsewhere by now. It’s clearly more important to protect the public from private citizens making untaxed money but not from rapists. What do the police really do? Protect property. How many more murdered women with unsolved cases will fall through the cracks in this county…
There were, according to a previous article, 22 people they needed to DNA test. Again, huge backlog, limited number of labs that can do that testing for criminal cases. They have to be more careful and precise than fish biologists so it will stand up in court.
I agree it is a travesty nonetheless
So spend the friggin $$ on technology instead of people, military-grade weapons, and overtime. The US gov has labs that can do forensic analysis, including DNA, with same stringent QC, on environmental cases and it doesn’t take this long. I am telling you someone isn’t telling the truth regarding why the delay.
They need to spend money on *different* people – forensic scientists and forensic lab technicians, in addition to the actual laboratories.
This is a nationwide backlog, not just specific to this county or state. The real, ugly truth is that sex crimes are simply not a priority in our culture as a whole.
If men were typical rape victims, you can bet rape kits wouldn’t have a backlog.
The mother quoted in the article is her biological mother!
My mistake. It was her aunt I was used to seeing comments from.
Why would you think that comment isn’t made my Jenny herself, Jennikas biological mother? What a rude thing to say. Yes her mother loves her and thinks about her everyday. And just because they lived in a clean and sober house doesn’t change any of that!
Incredibly tragic that this occurred. Equally tragic that it’s taking so long to discern the perp. I support the death penalty for arsonists, pedophiles, rapists and ripoffs.
Move to China. Research has estimated the number of innocent people who are currently in prison at upwards of 5% and that number is highest for minorities. The death penalty is immoral.
I disagree heartily…The Misplaced Compassion for violent criminals is immoral. The death penalty should only be used in extreme cases and where guilt is certain. There must be safeguards in place to be certain it isn’t abused. But it definitely should be used. The Misplaced Compassion shown towards violent offenders is a true stain on the supposed “morality” of the people promoting it because it results in a more dangerous world for innocents. Choosing criminals over innocent citizens?! And in this time of declining resources and overpopulation we should be making responsible and serious choices about where our limited resources should be spent- housing children and vets for example or providing living space/food/medical care to violent murderers and rapists? What kind of “morality” could choose the criminals?!! Our country is becoming a cesspool due to Misplaced Compassion…
“where guilt is certain”
Ed Kemper described his grisly murders in detail and asked for the death penalty. 1973. He’s still in prison. That’s just the one I read about at breakfast. Down in Ukiah we had Richard Allen Davis child murderer. These are only 2 but there are many, many very guilty beyond doubt who the Misplaced Compassion people would protect while making others more vulnerable….while proclaiming their superior “morality”
Bullshit. It is immoral to kill, period. Look at other countries where this eye for an eye BS isn’t used. Recidivism rates over 80% in US. Nothing I said says anything about “compassion” for criminals or choosing criminals over innocents. Our justice system and mass incarceration costs more than anywhere else so give me a break regarding the bleeding heart BS about vets and the homeless. Our country is a cesspool because we worship money and those who have it above all else. We accept inequality as long as someone has it worse than us. And BTW, crime was much higher in the past
Nobody is talking about an eye for an eye. People are talking about preventing habitual murderers arsonists and rapists from doing it again. And again. There are people for whom no amount of rehabilitation is going to work. Their victims need protection. Fuck them.
I like your style Lynn!
“bleeding heart BS about vets and the homeless”….Really?! I think you are missing the point. We do not have unlimited money or resources. Choices must be made. You choose to house and feed violent murderers and rapists over innocent people. And yet you claim some kind of “morality”?! Please check your thought process before you make another claim to moral standing or righteousness…Most of us are sick of what Misplaced Compassion has done to our communities
Rape kits don’t take that long. It’s just they aren’t a priority for the local law enforcement due to the budget.
Let’s see if they’ll admit to how many kits are lingering on shelves? Budget my ass.
justice delayed, justice denied
It isn’t “due to the budget” it is due to what is prioritized.
No disrespect, But Please, Think twice about releasing Toxic balloons into the enviroment to fly willy nilly whereever and possibly cause harm to wildlife, & pollute the beauty of nature we live in. Light a candle, say a prayer and May her memory be a blessing but, No Balloons. XOXO
Thank you for saying this. It is unfortunate that the release of balloons into the environment to mark tragedy and joy is considered appropriate. Please consider other ways to mark this tragedy and other events. I am sure most people would not want to see animals harmed by their actions to acknowledge these events and it is just a matter of education and breaking these unfortunate traditions.
Please don’t release balloons! Not only is it littering, which is illegal, it’s just not a moral thing to do.
Please, no baloons. They kill wildlife and often cause utility outages.
Ahh, a downvote from someone who loves brown-outs and hates wildlife.
Where was kilary Clinton?
Sorry for your loss. I hope you get answers soon.
I would like to suggest finding an alternative to releasing balloons as they are toxic to our wildlife and environment.
Release butterflies not balloons.
https://balloonsblow.org/environmentally-friendly-alternatives/
I prefer to release sky lanterns. THey are beautiful.
https://lostcoastoutpost.com/2021/dec/8/murder-charges-filed-five-year-old-case-teen-girl/
A 5 year investigation. What an absolute disgrace to the idea of justice. If you aren’t enraged by this you aren’t paying attention. An absolute failure on the part of the EPD.