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Paris Hilton
You're listening to an iHeart podcast.
Gilbert King
Something unexpected happened after Jeremy Scott confessed to killing Michelle Schofield in Bone Valley Season one.
Daisy
Every time I hear about my dad is, oh, he's a killer. He's just straight evil.
Gilbert King
I was becoming the bridge between Jeremy Scott and the son he'd never known.
Daisy
At the end of the day, I'm literally a son of a killer.
Gilbert King
Listen to new episodes of bone Valley Season 2 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Holly Fry
Explore the winding halls of historical true crime with Holly Fry and Maria Tremarchi, hosts of Criminalia, as they uncover curious cases from the past. The legend of the Highwayman suggests men dominated the field, but tell that to Lady Catherine Ferrers, known as the Wicked lady who terrorized England in the mid-1600s, and her legend persists nearly 400 years after her death. Highwaymen are in the hot seat this season. Find more crime and cocktails on Criminalia. Listen to criminalia on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Susie
A heads up the second half of this episode includes some descriptions of violence, including intimate partner violence. Please listen with care. It was a Wednesday in May. Susie and her cousin Mimi were huddled on a bench in the hallway of the Compton courthouse. It was the first day of jury deliberations, and Susie was nervous. She'd been there all morning, trying to pass the time, trying to distract herself. She'd called up a cousin and Tijuana. They sent each other funny voice memos. Stupid stuff, she told me. In a room nearby, the jury was weighing the evidence, discussing the testimonies they'd heard over nearly the last two weeks, deciding whether Victor had done the horrendous thing he'd been accused of, first on social media and now in a court of law. Around 11:40am Susie got a text message. When she saw that it was from Leslie Hinshaw, the prosecutor, her heart began racing. The message said, the jury has reached a verdict. They had deliberated for less than three hours. Susie opened her mouth to share the news, but she couldn't get the words out. She told me that she felt like she was frozen. She was having a panic attack. She'd been getting them a lot since her daughter's murder a little more than a year earlier, but never anything quite this bad, quite as debilitating as this one right there in the hallway of the courthouse. Her face turned pale. Her cousin reminded her to breathe, but all Susie wanted to do was scream, to run away and the feeling only got more intense when the jurors flooded out into the hallway. The elevator doors opened and the hallway filled with more people. There were newscasters and camera crews like this one from ABC7. A verdict has been reached against a man accused of killing his ex girlfriend. The suspect was captured after videos on social media helped lead to his arrest in Mexico. Eyewitness News reporter said. There was the judge and the bailiff and the clerk and a gaggle of sheriffs in uniform. They all filed into the courtroom. Susie felt like she could barely breathe. She watched as one of the jurors handed the judge an envelope. The clerk read a statement, and all Susie could think was, get to the point, get to the point, get to the point. Finally, she heard the words.
Victor Sosa
We, the jury, in the above entitled action, find the defendant, Victor Sosa, guilty of the crime of the murder of Daisy de La O.
Susie
Susie started crying and shaking when she heard it. She squeezed her cousin Mimi's hand as hard as she could. Relief washed over her. She could feel the members of the jury looking at her. And to her, it felt like they were looking at her with warmth, like they were proud of this decision they'd made. Susie hugged Leslie, the prosecutor. I have no words, she told her, but thank you. You fought so seriously for my kid. It was May 4, 2022, and to Susie, this date meant something. She's a huge Star wars fan, and as a lot of Star wars fans will probably tell you, May 4th sounds a lot like May the Force, you know, May the Force be with you. But this day had taken on a much bigger meaning for Susie. She told me today is going to be a good day to remember. Justice prevailed today. Two days later, she went to the Redondo Beach Pierce, looking out over the ocean as the wind tousled her hair. She recorded a video message for the justice for Daisy Instagram page.
Victor Sosa
I know a lot of you guys share this story on Facebook, Instagram and everything. There's no words. Honestly, I have no words, no amount of time and money that I could do to prepay you guys. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. Gracias.
Susie
Gracias.
Victor Sosa
Gracias.
Susie
Suzie was grateful, but she didn't really feel like celebrating. Nothing could get back what she'd already lost. Nothing could change what had already happened. If anything, the verdict only made her daughter's death feel more real, more final. All she wanted to do after the trial ended was go home and watch television with her youngest son. It's the little things you miss after all this chaos, she said. But all this chaos wasn't over just yet. I'm Jen Swan From London Audio iHeartRadio, and executive producer Paris Hilton. This is my friend, Daisy. Episode 9 After all this Chaos Victor's sentencing hearing was held roughly five months after his trial ended. It was October 12, 2022, and Daisy's friends and family were nervous all over again. Nervous that after all this, after the tiktoks and the instagrams and the arrest and the courthouse protest and the testimonies and even the guilty verdict, Victor's sentence still wouldn't be quite harsh enough. Everyone in the courtroom was fidgeting in their seats, and then Susie got up and walked to the front of the room to speak.
Victor Sosa
Good morning, your honor. Good morning, people of the court.
Susie
Her voice grew shaky as she recounted the day she had to identify Daisy's body. The day she said that no mother should have to live through.
Victor Sosa
I hate everything that this parasite represents. Everything. The way he viciously murdered her and the way Huffy left her exposed to the world like she was nothing. I can even imagine her last moments. And a horrible thought is in my head. Every day I have to recognize my baby's body and tell my whole family that she was murdered. To tell my mother, to tell my sons, to tell my whole family what this must have done to my baby. Nobody ever prepares you for that.
Susie
And nobody prepares you for every day after that.
Victor Sosa
I cry every single day. A smell, a song, anything reminds me of her. My sons are diagnosed with depression. All consequences to actions of this monster.
Susie
Suzie's speech wasn't just about how Daisy's murder affected her own family. It was also about its impact on Victor's family to other trials.
Victor Sosa
He showed no remorse and emotions to me or even his mother. Both families were destroyed that day because of him. All I have to keep my peace is that he remains behind bars for the rest of his pathetic mood Life so he won't hurt anybody again. No other mother. No other child. No other brothers. No other grandma. Thank you for serving justice to my beautiful Daisy. I will love her to the end of my day, and I can't wait to see her again. Thank you, your honor.
Susie
The room was quiet, and then the judge announced Victor's sentence. As to count one. With the jury's finding with murder in.
Gilbert King
The first degree, the sentence will be 25 years to life in prison.
Susie
It's a life sentence at maximum with parole eligibility. After the first 25 years. I wanted to know what the culmination of this case had felt like for Leslie Hinshaw, the deputy district attorney, she had won her case. It had been, at least on paper, a victory. But it didn't necessarily feel that way.
Leslie Hinshaw
When I get guilty verdicts, I don't. It's not a celebration, because in the end, there is somebody on the other side who has ruined his life. And, you know, for me, it's all about consequences and accountability. That's what it's about.
Susie
But. But.
Leslie Hinshaw
Yeah. So, I mean, I was. I was happy in the sense that the jury got the right conclusion, and I could provide Daisy's family with the closure that they really deserved.
Susie
Yeah. It seems like so much of it is about closure, because, like you said, it's so. It's. It almost feels like there is no. Not to say there is no justice, but. But. But, you know, it's not like anything will bring Daisy back. Right. And it seems like that's something that you wrestle with, too, is just like, what is the best possible outcome given the situation.
Leslie Hinshaw
Yeah. I mean, there have been times where I've had cases where I felt a lot of compassion for the defendants. Just in terms of, like, why did you make these choices? You know, it's kind of like, what did you. What did you go through in your life that led you to this point where you've made these choices that now you're gonna be locked up for the rest of your life? And that's kind of like. There's sort of a bit of exasperation with that. Like, what happened?
Susie
What happened? How could Victor have murdered Daisy with such brutality? Where did that come from? And how could he have shown no remorse at trial? He was silent the whole time in court. He didn't say anything at his sentencing hearing either. So I tried to talk with his family to try to answer that question. What happened? I went to see his mother. You might remember. She declined to speak with me. I also went to see his father. His house was located on a dirt road, and it was surrounded by a chain link fence and guarded by big, growling dogs. And at one point, someone did come out, and it sounds like they were yelling the name of the dog to try to tell them to, like, calm down. And then I, at one point saw the blinds kind of, like, open a little bit. It seemed like someone was peering out, and so they knew we were there. There's two cars outside the house, so I know someone's home. And then they clearly just didn't want to come out and talk to us, I guess. I will take that as A as a no comment. I left a letter in Victor's dad's mailbox. I never heard back. I even went to the house of another one of his relatives. It was a place I'd heard that Victor sometimes stayed, you know, before he was arrested. And again. This time, I was greeted by the sound of a dog barking. A woman's voice appeared from beyond the metal security door. I couldn't see her face, but she spent about 20 minutes talking with me as we stood on either side of the door frame. She seemed wary of me, but at the same time, it almost seemed like she was eager to tell me things. Like, more than once, she started sentences with, did you know? Like, did you know that Victor had a tattoo of Daisy's face on his arm? No, I didn't, I said. Or did you know that Victor's mother keeps a photo of Daisy her living room? No, I didn't. It was obvious to me that she and Victor's mother both cared deeply about Daisy, that they were devastated by her murder and destroyed by the actions of the person who had done it. This relative. I'm not using her name because she didn't want to be recorded. And she wasn't mentioned in the court documents. She told me that she talked to Victor on the phone sometimes, that he'd found God and seemed to be doing well in prison. She encouraged me to get in touch with him, to let him tell his side of the story. So I did. I wrote him a letter. I explained that I was making this show and that I had been talking to people who knew him and people who knew Daisy. I told him that I wanted to try to understand how things ended up the way they did. I told him that it would be a chance to say what. Whatever he had not been able to say before, either in court or to the media. And for me, it was a chance to get answers to some of the outstanding questions I had. The questions that detectives never got to ask him. I figured this was all a formality, that there was no way that Victor would speak with me. I was wrong. The letter arrived in the mail last fall. It came in a white envelope stamped by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. In the left hand corner there was Victor's name and his prison ID number. His return address was the RJ Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego. It's a sprawling compound wedged along the US Border. It's actually pretty close to where Victor had been picked up by a detective that Fourth of July weekend in 2021. It's home to other convicted murderers that you might have heard of, like Lyle and Eric Menendez and Tex Watson. He's a former member of the Manson family. Inside the envelope, there was a sheet of lined notebook paper. The handwriting and pencil was neat and slanted to the left. It read, I received your letter, and I would like to do your podcast. My heart raced a little when I read this. Here was this person I had heard so many horrific things about. I'd seen images of him all over social media. I talked to people who had spent all of this time and effort trying to hunt him down, and now he was writing me this letter by hand. In the letter, he instructed me to download an app, which maybe sounds a little strange if you don't know anyone in person, but nearly all incarcerated people in California and in more than two dozen other states have access to tablets. And these tablets often have this messaging app installed. It's run by a private company called Global Tellink. They contract with jails and prisons all over the country. More than a million and a half incarcerated people reportedly use it mostly to send texts to people on the outside and to make video calls, albeit really glitchy ones, but, you know, calls nonetheless. I added Victor as a contact on the app, and we set a time to talk. This was last September, on the day before his 29th birthday. I sat at my desk and I waited for his face to appear on my phone screen. When it did, I realized he looked a lot different than the photos I'd seen of him. And even from how he'd looked in person in the courtroom in Compton, he looked a lot older, like he'd put on some weight. And he wasn't at all like detectives had described him. Detective Lugo had called him non verbal. But Victor had no problem carrying on a conversation with me, except that he'd apparently changed his mind, because as we began talking, he said he wasn't sure whether he really did want to do this podcast after all. I got the sense that maybe he just wanted to talk to me because he was bored or because he thought that it might help his chances of getting paroled. His first parole hearing is tentatively scheduled for 2039. At that point, he will have spent 17 years behind bars. I called the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. They told me that Victor had earned credits for good behavior and for taking classes, and that had made him eligible for parole sooner. When I talked to Victor, it seemed to me like he was trying to maintain his innocence. He had never admitted to the murder, and I got the sense that he wasn't about to that I wasn't going to get a genuine answer to any of my questions. So we hung up. And that was that. Six months later, just as I was about to turn in this episode, I got a message on the app. Victor had changed his mind. He said he wanted to do the interview. I wasn't sure whether to take it seriously. But then I got a phone call.
Victor Fossil
This is Global Tell Link. You have a prepaid call from Victor Fossil, an incarcerated individual at the R.J. donovan Correctional Facility, San Diego, California.
Gilbert King
Something unexpected happened after Jeremy Scott confessed to killing Michelle Schofield in Bone Valley Season one.
Jen Swan
I just knew him as a kid.
Gilbert King
Long silent voices from his past came.
Daisy
Forward and he was just staring at me.
Gilbert King
And they had secrets of the their own to share.
Daisy
Gilbert King I'm the son of Jeremy Lynn Scott.
Gilbert King
I was no longer just telling the story. I was part of it.
Daisy
Every time I hear about my dad is, oh, he's a killer. He's just straight evil.
Gilbert King
I was becoming the bridge between a killer and the son he'd never known.
Daisy
If the cops and everything would have done the job properly, my dad would have been in jail. I would have never existed.
Gilbert King
I never expected to find myself in this place. Now I need to tell you how I got here.
Daisy
At the end of the day, I'm literally a son of a killer.
Gilbert King
Bone Valley Season 2 Jeremy.
Daisy
Jeremy, I want to tell you something.
Gilbert King
Listen to new episodes of bone Valley Season 2 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts and to hear the entire new new season ad free with exclusive content. Subscribe to Lava for Good plus on Apple Podcasts.
Melissa Jeltson
Hi listeners. I'm Melissa Jeltson, host of what Happened to Talina Czar? It's the story of a woman who disappears in the early days of COVID lockdowns and the group of online sleuths who try to find her.
Susie
I didn't want to be talked out of this plan. After I post this, I am turning off my phone for exactly this reason.
Melissa Jeltson
I kept just kind of asking everybody.
Susie
Anyone else think this is strange? You'll notice that about me. I don't lurk. I'm out there. I'm an action kind of girl.
Melissa Jeltson
You can now get access to episodes of what happened to Talina Zhar? 100% ad free with an iHeart True Crime plus subscription. I'm a subscriber and you should be too. So don't wait. Head to Apple Podcasts, search iHeart TrueCrime plus and subscribe today.
Victor Fossil
This call and your telephone number will be monitored and recorded. To accept this call, say or dial 5 now. Thank you for using Global Tail Link.
Susie
When I got the call from Victor, I decided to get right into it. I had no time or interest in small talk. I started by asking about the skateboard attack. The attack that Daisy's younger brother had witnessed. The attack that resulted in her getting stitches. I asked Victor what happened that day.
Jen Swan
Yeah, I'm sure you heard about that. I do remember what happened that day. We.
Susie
I'll summarize what Victor said next. He said they got in a fight, essentially because of his jealousy. He thought Daisy was texting somebody, and he flipped out. He says it got physical on both sides, but let's be real that he was the one who ended up sending her to the hospital.
Jen Swan
I didn't hit her intentionally with the skateboard. I was just trying to get away from her. Like, while she was grabbing me, I was trying to shake her loose. And the way I was holding the speedboard, like, hit her across the forehead. But I didn't mean to, like, hit her directly.
Susie
Okay. Yeah. It sounds like you hit her pretty hard.
Jen Swan
I mean, I didn't. I. I didn't walk. I didn't, like, want to hit her. Like, I was just trying to escape from her grip.
Susie
Well, it sounds like you had. You had hit her in the past as well, so that was an ongoing thing. Would you. Would you just have described yourself? It sounds like you were. You were a little jealous or possessive. Does that sound right?
Jen Swan
I mean, she. She would talk to. She had a lot of friends, like, guy friends, and she would link up with them.
Victor Fossil
You have 60 seconds remaining.
Jen Swan
You want me to call you back?
Susie
Sure.
Jen Swan
I'll call you back right now.
Susie
Okay. This automated warning happened a lot. I guess you get used to it after a while. That and then this other automated warning that kept reminding us that our call was being recorded and monitored by the state.
Victor Fossil
Thank you for using Global Tail Link.
Jen Swan
So you asked that question one more time, please.
Susie
Yeah. What I was saying is it sounds like there was a history of violence. It wasn't just that one time with the skateboard. It was a lot. And it sounds like maybe you were a little bit jealous or possessive. And I'm wondering if you would say that's accurate.
Jen Swan
That's a good way to put it. I admit I was jealous. I would go through her phone and find things. I was feeling depressed. I was feeling jealous, insecure. Throughout the whole relationship, I felt like I wasn't good Enough. And I should have seek counsel.
Susie
So it sounds like you have regrets about that.
Jen Swan
I do. I do. Because to someone I really cared about that I thought was someone I could count on and, like, someone I could trust. And I felt like this was the most important person in my life because in my life, I didn't have any relationships with anybody, not even with my family. I felt alone. So this is a person that filled, that poor and someone I could look up to, like, as a partner. I felt love from her. Every day. I. Every day I wake up, I feel regretful. I feel depressed, sad that I took someone's life. And I wish I could take it back and not do the things that happened that night again. I wish I would have seeked help. I had dreams of, like, saving her life, saving Daisy's life, taking it. And I wake up and I feel, like, so depressed. I just wish I could have been someone better to her.
Susie
And. Why did you kill her?
Jen Swan
Can we. Can we take a step back for a second? And, like, I know you had wanted to ask me what we did that night.
Susie
Yeah.
Jen Swan
Yeah. So maybe we get to that question in a bit. Can you ask me another question for now?
Susie
Yeah. So it's my understanding that she broke things off with you just a few weeks before she was killed. Is that correct?
Jen Swan
Yes. I remember she told me she'd seen someone one night, and I had said things to her through the phone that she felt some type of way. She didn't want to see me. So I begged her, please, like, can we work things out? And I remember I wanted to get back with her, and she didn't want to. So I was crying to her, and I was, like, having a mental breakdown. I felt like I was alone, felt like nothing was working out, and I didn't know what I was doing wrong. And I just asked her, like, can you please take me? Like, please take him back? She didn't want me back, and I didn't know how to accept that. So she did call and break up with me before. Before that happened.
Susie
Is that something that we can come back to? Is what happened that night?
Jen Swan
Yeah.
Susie
Okay. So it's. It's my understanding that that night you had texted her and said, I. I have something for you. Is that right?
Jen Swan
Yeah. That's crazy. How do you know? Hella crazy.
Susie
I'll summarize what he said next, which is that he'd brought her some of his old T shirts that she liked. They had the thrasher logo on them. You know, the skateboarding magazine. They stood There in that patch of dirt near the alley. And he and Daisy had a discussion about their breakup. Long story short, he wanted to get back together. She didn't. And then, as it often did, it became physical.
Jen Swan
I was drunk. I was in denial and, like, feeling very depressed. I was crying to her, and I was begging her, like, please take me back. Please take me back. And she was annoyed already. Like, she was annoyed by me already. By that time.
Susie
In Victor's version of events, events which, of course, cannot be verified because only he lived to tell them, Daisy took a swing at him, and he became overcome with rage, the kind of rage that caused him to do something he says he will always regret.
Jen Swan
I grabbed her, took her to the alley, and let her go. Like, she fell on the ground. And I turned around, and I was gonna walk away. I was like, what did I do? What did I do? And I guess post intoxicated and was. I felt a little angry. And this knife right there on the gas. The gas. Gas tank. I picked it up.
Susie
When Victor says that he grabbed Daisy and she fell to the ground, what he says he means is that he choked her. And as she tried to catch her breath, he says he considered turning away. He should have turned away. Instead, he spotted a knife. A knife sitting on a gas tank.
Jen Swan
I'm sorry. Don't. I don't. I don't want to say it doesn't mind. I feel. It's still, like, fresh to me. I'm still hurt by it, about my actions, and I understand that it wasn't right to do that. And I understand the pain that. Not only that I feel, but, like, the pain Brothers told her family. Everyone was affected by it, and it's just so hard to talk about. I'm just gonna stop right there.
Susie
Okay. And what. What is your understanding of their pain? You know, is it. Is it based on what you heard in the court or how. How do you understand it?
Jen Swan
Well, in court, I heard her mom talk. Talk about me. Like, gave her side of, like, what she wanted to tell me before I got sent.
Susie
It's a little hard to hear Victor's audio here, but what he's saying is that he remembers Daisy's parents speaking about him in court. These are the recordings that you heard earlier in this episode when Daisy's mother called him a parasite, a monster.
Jen Swan
And I understand that they were hurt and held anger against me or fell from tilt away against me. I just pray that they find reassurance, like I previously, that they could forgive me. I'm very sorry for what happened?
Victor Fossil
This call and your telephone number will be monitored and recorded.
Jen Swan
I wish I could take it back. I just hope that if anyone hearing this podcast and is going through the same things I'm through, if they just seek help, better themselves to know that harming someone is never the answer. You're just harming everyone that's. That's around you. Everyone. Everyone gets affected by it. Not only one person or two or you. Everyone gets affected by. It's not right. I just. I'm forever sorry.
Susie
Ever since Victor had written me that letter, I had been bracing myself for the possibility that he was going to insist on his innocence. So a part of me was relieved to hear him confess, to finally admit what Daisy's friends and family had known all along. He had taken Daisy's life. He murdered her because he said he felt alone, because he had no other relationships, because he could not handle the rejection of a breakup. All of this pain, all of this suffering, all of this tragedy, it all seemed to stem in some ways from insecurity, from jealousy. So what happened? What happened was in some ways, just as Susie had imagined. It was both as simple and as devastating as what she told the judge at Victor's sentencing hearing.
Victor Sosa
He knew my Daisy outgrew him. He knew my Daisy didn't want him anymore.
Susie
When I first interviewed Susie, even before the trial, she said, if I have to be 60, 70, 80 years old at the parole hearings, then I will do that. I'll be there. He's always going to see my face. Always. Next time on the series finale of My Friend Daisy, a search for answers about what happened in Mexico and an update on Jeffrey's case.
Gilbert King
I know, I know. I mean, yeah. Damn, I remember walking the kid into the courtroom. Like, right, like he. Like he was my kid. Like, you know, hey, don't worry about it. You'll be good. That's messed up.
Paris Hilton
Hi, everyone, this is Paris. Thanks for listening to my friend Daisy. If you or someone you love is experiencing abuse, you are not alone. Help is available 24. 7Contact the National Domestic violence hotline. For free confidential support, call 800-799-7233, text START to 88788 or visit thehotline.org your safety matters. Reach out.
Susie
Today my Friend Daisy is a production of London Audio with support from music Entertainment. It's reported, written and executive produced by me, Jen Swan. I'm also your host. Our executive producers for London Audio are Paris Hilton, Bruce Gersh, Bruce Robertson, and Joanna Studebaker. Our executive producer for Sony Music Entertainment is Jonathan Hirsch. Our Associate producer is Zoe Culkin. Production assistants and translations by Miguel Contreras Sound design, composing and mixing by Hans Dale. She Tracy Lee fact checked this episode. Our head of production is Sami Allison and our production manager is Tameka Balance Kolasny. Special thanks to Steve Akerman, Emily Rosik and Jamie Myers at Sony, Ben Goldberg and Orly Greenberg at UTA and Jen Ortiz at the Cut.
Gilbert King
Something unexpected happened after Jeremy Scott confessed to killing Michelle Schofield in Bone Valley Season one.
Daisy
Every time I hear about my dad is, oh, he's a killer. He's just straight evil.
Gilbert King
I was becoming the bridge between Jeremy Scott and the son he'd never known.
Daisy
At the end of the day, I'm literally a son of a killer.
Gilbert King
Listen to new episodes of bone Valley Season 2 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Holly Fry
Explore the winding halls of historical true crime with Holly Fry and Maria Tremarki, hosts of Criminalia, as they uncover curious cases from the past. The legend of the Highwayman suggests men dominated the field, but tell that to Lady Catherine Ferrers, known as the Wicked lady who terrorized England in the mid-1600s. Her legend persists nearly 400 years after her death. Highwaymen are in the hot seat this season. Find more crime and cocktails on Criminalia. Listen to criminalia on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Paris Hilton
You're listening to an iHeart podcast.
Episode 9: After All This Chaos — Summary of "My Friend Daisy"
Release Date: May 14, 2025
Produced by London Audio and iHeartRadio
Hosted by Jenn Swann
In Episode 9, titled "After All This Chaos," of the investigative series "My Friend Daisy," host Jenn Swann delves into the emotional and procedural aftermath of the murder conviction of Victor Sosa for the death of 19-year-old Daisy De La O. This episode explores the intense courtroom experiences, the personal anguish of Daisy's family, and the pursuit of deeper understanding through direct communication with the convicted individual.
The episode opens with a tense atmosphere outside the Compton courthouse. Susie, Daisy's mother, awaits the jury's decision with palpable anxiety.
At [03:45], the gavel strikes as Victor Sosa is declared guilty:
Victor Sosa: "We, the jury, in the above entitled action, find the defendant, Victor Sosa, guilty of the crime of the murder of Daisy de La O."
Susie's immediate reaction is a mix of relief and enduring sorrow:
Susie: "I have no words," she conveys her profound gratitude to prosecutor Leslie Hinshaw ([03:54]). Her emotions overwhelm her as she embraces the closure she desperately sought.
Susie: "Nothing could get back what I'd already lost. Nothing could change what had already happened. If anything, the verdict only made her daughter's death feel more real, more final" ([05:24]).
Five months following the guilty verdict, on October 12, 2022, Victor Sosa attends his sentencing hearing. The courtroom is filled with nervous anticipation as Daisy's family and friends seek further justice.
During the hearing, Susie delivers a heartfelt and powerful statement ([06:51]):
Susie: "He is a parasite. He viciously murdered her and left her exposed to the world like she was nothing. I have to keep my peace is that he remains behind bars for the rest of his pathetic life so he won't hurt anybody again. I will love her to the end of my days, and I can't wait to see her again."
Victor, confronting his actions, shares his torment and remorse:
Victor Sosa: "I cry every single day. A smell, a song, anything reminds me of her. My sons are diagnosed with depression. All consequences to actions of this monster" ([08:17]).
The judge sentences Victor to 25 years to life in prison, with parole eligibility after the first 25 years ([09:21]).
Leslie Hinshaw, the deputy district attorney, reflects on the verdict's significance ([09:50]):
Leslie Hinshaw: "When I get guilty verdicts, I don't. It's not a celebration, because in the end, there is somebody on the other side who has ruined his life. And, you know, for me, it's all about consequences and accountability. That's what it's about."
Her focus remains on providing closure to Daisy's family rather than celebrating a legal victory, highlighting the complex emotions intertwined with criminal justice.
Despite the legal resolutions, Susie grapples with lingering questions about Victor's motives and background. Determined to uncover the truth, she embarks on a personal investigation:
Attempting to Contact Victor's Family:
Reaching Out Directly:
Against expectations, Susie receives a response from Victor, leading to a scheduled interview via the prison's messaging app, Global Tellink. The interaction unfolds as follows:
Initial Hesitation and Reluctance:
Victor’s Confession ([21:09] - [34:02]):
Victor: "I admit I was jealous. I would go through her phone and find things. I was feeling depressed. I was feeling jealous, insecure. Throughout the whole relationship, I felt like I wasn't good enough. I should have sought counsel."
Victor: "I was drunk. I was in denial and, like, feeling very depressed. I was crying to her, like, please take me back. Please take me back. She was annoyed by me already."
Victor: "I grabbed her, took her to the alley, and let her go. She fell on the ground. I was gonna walk away. I was like, what did I do? I picked up a knife. I just feel so depressed. I just wish I could have been someone better to her."
Victor: "I wish I could take it back and not do the things that happened that night again. I wish I had sought help. I had dreams of saving her life, saving Daisy's life. And I wake up and I feel so depressed. Forever sorry."
Susie's efforts culminate in this revelation, providing a deeper, albeit tragic, understanding of the circumstances surrounding Daisy's murder.
"After All This Chaos" poignantly illustrates the relentless pursuit of justice and truth by Daisy's family. Despite legal conclusions, the emotional journey continues as Susie seeks personal closure and understanding. The episode underscores the profound effects of violence on all involved parties and highlights the role of social media in mobilizing community support and facilitating unconventional investigative avenues.
As the series approaches its finale, listeners are left contemplating the complexities of justice, reconciliation, and the enduring quest for peace in the wake of tragedy.
Susie on Being a "Son of a Killer":
Daisy: "Every time I hear about my dad is, oh, he's a killer. He's just straight evil." ([00:14])
Daisy: "At the end of the day, I'm literally a son of a killer." ([00:23])
Susie Reflecting on the Verdict:
Susie: "Nothing could get back what I'd already lost... It's the little things you miss after all this chaos." ([05:24])
Victor’s Remorse:
Victor Sosa: "I cry every single day... my sons are diagnosed with depression." ([08:17])
Prosecutor Leslie Hinshaw on Accountability:
Leslie Hinshaw: "When I get guilty verdicts, I don't. It's not a celebration... It's about consequences and accountability." ([09:50])
Victor's Confession:
Victor Sosa: "I am forever sorry... I wish I could have been someone better to her." ([33:11])
Episode 9 of "My Friend Daisy" offers a compelling exploration of the emotional and procedural dimensions of a murder case. Through firsthand accounts and poignant interviews, Jenn Swann effectively captures the enduring pain, the quest for justice, and the intricate human emotions that persist long after a courtroom verdict. This episode serves as a testament to the resilience of communities and families striving to find meaning and closure amidst chaos.