Mother Of College Park Murder Victim Wants An Apology
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (WJZ)--There's anger and outrage from the mother of a murdered University of Maryland student, and it's not just directed at her son's killer. She's demanding an apology from the police trying to solve the crime.
Derek Valcourt spoke with that mother about why she's so upset.
It all has to do with comments police made hours after the crime, essentially saying he may have been murdered because he was a marijuana dealer.
"My son was shot two times in his home by a masked assailant," said the victim's mother Karen DeSha.
DeSha hasn't slept since her son Justin DeSha-Overcash, 22, was murdered Tuesday inside the off-campus College Park home he shared with several roommates.
Witnesses saw a man in a black ski mask running from the house. Police claim they found large quantities of marijuana and drug paraphernalia inside DeSha-Overcash's closet.
"His chosen lifestyle more likely than not contributed significantly to this homicide," police said shortly after his murder.
"I thought they were talking about the person who shot my son, and they were talking about my son!" DeSha said, fighting back tears.
Family and friends say DeSha-Overcash was a senior with straight-A's in physics and astronomy, who earned scholarships, tutored athletes and worked as a teacher's assistant. Many don't believe he could be a drug dealer.
"Everybody is indignant that these people who did not know my son would make this statement based on the fact that they are trying to convince people in PG County that they are safe," DeSha said. "They are not safe."
The victim's murder is one of 13 in Prince George's County in the first 11 days of the year—a crime spike so severe the county now says it's bringing in dozens of additional local state and federal officers to help with patrols and assist in the murder investigations.
DeSha-Overcash's mother says she's planning a funeral and then a fight for justice on her son's behalf.
"I want my son vindicated," she said. "I want an apology from the PG County Police."
DeSha will be laid to rest in North Carolina on Sunday. The University of Maryland is planning a memorial next Thursday.
