BONUS: De'Asia Page and Jared Kemp (Snapped: Killer Couples)

Summary

Snapped: Women Who Murder – BONUS: De'Asia Page and Jared Kemp (Snapped: Killer Couples)
Release Date: March 12, 2025
Host: Oxygen

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Introduction to the Case

In this bonus episode of Snapped: Women Who Murder, Oxygen delves into the harrowing case of De'Asia Page and Jared Kemp, a couple whose tumultuous relationship culminated in the brutal murder of beloved grandmother Tony Abad. This detailed exploration uncovers the complexities of their relationship, the sequence of events leading to the crime, and the subsequent investigation that brought the killers to justice.

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Discovery of the Crime

On December 22, 2017, the quiet Atlanta suburb of Fairburn, Georgia, was shattered by a gruesome discovery. Local police received a call about a suspicious vehicle parked behind a popular restaurant. Upon arrival, officers found Tony Abad's car with the driver's side window shattered and her keys left inside. As Detective [Last Name] explains, “[00:04:05] Once the officers arrived at the location, they observed the driver's side window busted out and the keys to the vehicle was laying on the car seat” (Detective, [04:05]).

Further investigation revealed Tony’s lifeless body in the trunk, showing signs of severe beating. The initial appearance of the crime scene suggested a violent struggle, but with no immediate leads, the motive remained elusive.

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Victim Background: Tony Abad

Tony Abad was a 58-year-old beloved grandmother known for her southern charm and dedication to her family. Described by her family as “a perfect grandmother” ([07:54] Family Member), Tony was a divorced mother to four boys and a grandmother to five. She was the deli manager at a popular Fairburn grocery store, where she was affectionately called “the mom of the store” by her coworkers ([08:18] Detective).

Tony's life was centered around her family and community, making her murder all the more shocking to those who knew her. Her bright smile and welcoming nature left a lasting impression on everyone she met.

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Investigation and Initial Leads

The investigation quickly turned perplexing. With Tony’s cell phone missing but her keys and wallet found in the car, robbery was ruled out as the primary motive. Detective [Last Name] noted, “[09:44] Detective: Police were unable to find her cell phone, but Toni's keys and her wallet were still in the car. Her credit cards and her ID were still in her wallet. There was something going on here other than a robbery” ([09:44]).

Detectives reached out to Tony’s family to break the devastating news, with emotions running high as one family member recounted, “[10:10] I was in denial, thinking, it can't be my mother” ([10:10]).

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Introduction of De'Asia Page

As the investigation delved deeper, a significant lead emerged involving De'Asia Page, an 18-year-old high school dropout with a troubled home life. De'Asia had recently become entangled in a difficult relationship with Jared Kemp, a local 18-year-old who would later be implicated in the murder.

Detectives uncovered that De'Asia had been seeking help and had a precarious living situation, often staying at a local Texaco gas station ([25:21] Detective). Her desperation led her to seek assistance, ultimately crossing paths with Tony Abad.

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Relationship with Jared Kemp

Jared Kemp, described as “charming, handsome, popular by all accounts” ([19:42] Detective), was De'Asia’s boyfriend. Their relationship was tumultuous, marked by Jared's negative influence on De'Asia. As De'Asia grew closer to Jared, her behavior became increasingly erratic, withdrawing from friends and family, and showing signs of intense emotional disturbance.

Her mother recounted the growing issues, stating, “[20:04] Narrator: It wasn't long before Deazia had fallen head over heels for the high school” ([19:42] Detective), and “[20:33] Detective: All the time as a teenager, when you're in love, you want to do anything to, like, make that person happy to be with them” ([20:54] Witness).

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Events Leading to the Murder

The night of the murder was a turning point in De'Asia and Jared's relationship. According to De'Asia's confession, she accepted a ride from Tony Abad to seek shelter at Jared's location. During the drive, two men attacked the vehicle. Jared Kemp emerged, wielding a baseball bat, and brutalized Tony, leading to her death. De'Asia was coerced into helping conceal the crime, driven by her obsession with Jared.

De'Asia recounted, “[28:16] Detective: She stated that while they're driving down the road, two black men jumped out and started attacking the vehicle” ([28:16]). She further described the harrowing scene: “[34:26] Witness: When she's out on the asphalt, Diazia would be standing over her. Now Jared Kemp is standing over her as well, and she says, please don't do this” ([34:26]).

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Arrest and Charges

The breakthrough came when De'Asia Page turned herself in to the Fulton County Police. Initially, her story of being forced to help dispose of Tony's body was met with skepticism. Detectives, however, uncovered digital evidence from Jared's phone that contradicted his claims of a casual relationship with De'Asia. His search history revealed interest in the case shortly before Tony’s body was found, strengthening the case against him.

Detective [Last Name] stated, “[41:18] Detective: That on the day that we located Tony Abbott's body, he was searching for a dead lady in the trunk of a car in Fairburn” ([41:18]).

Eventually, Jared Kemp was arrested and charged with felony murder, armed robbery, aggravated assault, and vehicle hijacking. De'Asia received a plea deal, agreeing to testify against Jared in exchange for a reduced sentence.

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Trial and Conclusion

The trial presented irrefutable digital evidence and De'Asia’s testimony against Jared. Despite Jared’s initial cooperation, his reluctance to provide a consistent narrative and the overwhelming digital footprint linked him to the crime. The prosecution successfully argued that Jared was the mastermind who orchestrated the murder, driven by personal motivations and his toxic influence over De'Asia.

In October 2019, Jared Kemp was found guilty on all charges and sentenced to life in prison. De'Asia Page, in exchange for her cooperation, received a 30-year sentence. The Abad family found some solace in the conviction, though the pain of losing a cherished family member remained.

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Reflections and Takeaways

This tragic case underscores the destructive power of manipulative relationships and the extreme actions that can stem from emotional turmoil. De'Asia Page’s vulnerability and Jared Kemp’s influence led to the loss of a beloved community member, highlighting the importance of intervention and support for individuals in precarious situations.

Detective [Last Name] reflected on the case, stating, “[44:51] Detective: It was senseless. It was useless. And ultimately, it took away this woman who was beloved in her community. And for what? They didn't get the car. They didn't get any money. They didn't have to do what they did” ([44:51]).

The episode serves as a poignant reminder of the tragic consequences that can arise from unchecked relationships and the importance of community vigilance in preventing such horrors.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• “She was willing to do anything. He was denying their relationship and she got angry” ([02:43] Detective).

• “[09:44] Detective: Police were unable to find her cell phone, but Toni's keys and her wallet were still in the car” ([09:44]).

• “[20:54] Witness: All the time as a teenager, when you're in love, you want to do anything to, like, make that person happy to be with them” ([20:54]).

• “[28:16] Detective: She stated that while they're driving down the road, two black men jumped out and started attacking the vehicle” ([28:16]).

• “[41:18] Detective: That on the day that we located Tony Abbott's body, he was searching for a dead lady in the trunk of a car in Fairburn” ([41:18]).

• “[44:51] Detective: It was senseless. It was useless. And ultimately, it took away this woman who was beloved in her community” ([44:51]).

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Conclusion

The Snapped: Women Who Murder episode on De'Asia Page and Jared Kemp offers a chilling exploration into a case where love turned deadly. Through meticulous investigation and compelling testimony, justice was served, but not without leaving an indelible mark on the community and the lives involved. This case illustrates the depths of human emotion and the lengths individuals may go when manipulated by toxic relationships.

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For more true crime stories and detailed investigations, subscribe to Snapped: Women Who Murder on your preferred podcast platform.

Transcript

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Hi SNAP listeners. We are bringing you a special bonus episode today from Oxygen's hit series Killer Couples. You can also watch full episodes live or on demand on the free Oxygen app or on Peacock by clicking the link in our description. Enjoy.

[Narrator]

A quiet town is terrorized when a beloved grandmother falls victim to a horrific crime.

[Family Member]

We discovered a body in the trunk of the car.

[Witness]

There was so much evidence of suffering. There was so much evidence of fear. The most horrific thing that most people could ever imagine.

[Narrator]

With no clear leads, police must face disturbing questions. Was this a random attack?

[Family Member]

Just at a total loss of why and how somebody would do this?

[Narrator]

Or had the victim fallen prey to a monster lurking in the shadows?

[Family Member]

The video surveillance shows this young lady pacing back and forth.

[Detective]

He was searching for a dead lady in the trunk of a car as we were investigating the case.

[Narrator]

As investigators scramble for answers, a torrid and desperate romance comes into focus.

[Detective]

She just wanted his affection and his love so bad. She was willing to do anything. He was denying their relationship and she got angry.

[Witness]

They pick her up like an object and toss her into the trunk.

[Detective]

Sometimes we make the worst decisions when it comes to being in love with someone.

[Narrator]

In the Atlanta suburb of Fairburn In Fulton County, Georgia, life slows down for its nearly 16,000 residents.

[Detective]

It's an area where you have nice homes, nice schools, just a nice area altogether. Very small, very quiet.

[Narrator]

But the town's veneer of peace and safety is shattered on the morning of December 22, 2017, when local police receive a call about a suspicious vehicle parked behind a popular restaurant.

[Witness]

A citizen called about a car that looked kind of unusual. Basically a car sitting out there shattered on the driver's side, and it's really sitting out in the middle of the road.

[Detective]

Once the officers arrived at the location, they observed the driver's side window busted out and the keys to the vehicle was laying on the car seat. The officer then contacted 911 Communications to run the tags through GCIC because he felt like the car was stolen.

[Narrator]

Officers learned the vehicle is registered to a local 58 year old resident named Tony Abad.

[Family Member]

He asked his dispatcher to try to contact the owner of the vehicle to see if perhaps the vehicle was stolen overnight and she just hadn't woken up to discover it yet.

[Narrator]

The dispatcher's calls to Tony's residence go unanswered. Meanwhile, the officer continues his search of the vehicle.

[Witness]

The car's kind of strewn about. Looks like maybe somebody's been through the contents of the center console. There's shards of glass everywhere inside that vehic and there's a couple little smears of blood right there on the edge of the seat near the driver's side door.

[Detective]

The officer then went to the back of the vehicle and opened up the trunk.

[Witness]

There is a woman's body in the trunk of the car.

[Narrator]

A crime scene investigation unit arrives moments later.

[Family Member]

She had significant injuries to her head and her face, so she was severely beaten to death.

[Narrator]

While authorities are unable to visually identify the victim, they do notice a name tag on the front of her clothing.

[Detective]

That person in the trunk was still wearing a grocery store uniform. At that moment, they knew it was Tony Abad. To definitively say that the person in the trunk was Toni Abad, we used a rapid fingerprint scanner and her fingerprints did come back as Tony Abad.

[Narrator]

As detectives continue surveying the crime scene, it becomes clear that Tony had endured an excruciating death.

[Family Member]

There was a significant amount of blood inside the trunk of the car to possibly suggest that she still could have been alive inside the trunk of that car before she was discovered.

[Witness]

There was so much evidence of suffering. There was so much evidence of fear.

[Detective]

They wanted to know who would do something like this, who would want to hurt Tony.

[Narrator]

Georgia native Toni Abad was known for her southern charm.

[Family Member]

People were just drawn to her, her personality you could just tell that they all really cared a lot about her, and the feeling was mutual.

[Detective]

She had a great smile and bright eyes that kind of drew people in and made them feel comfortable. She has a laugh that, you know, once you hear it, you'll never forget it.

[Narrator]

A divorced mother to four boys and five grandchildren, Toni had always valued her family above everything else.

[Family Member]

She gave birth to me when she was 15.

[Witness]

She was just an amazing mother, even.

[Family Member]

As a young teenage girl to me.

[Witness]

And we became, you know, like best.

[Family Member]

Friends, basically, almost like we grew up together. She met my dad years later and had three other kids, me included, with my father.

[Narrator]

While her marriage didn't last, Toni's family always remained her top priority.

[Witness]

You know, perfect grandmother, just amazing.

[Detective]

When she would talk about her grandkids, her eyes would just sparkle, and they could do no wrong.

[Narrator]

When she wasn't helping care for her five grandchildren, Tony worked as the deli manager at one of fairburn's most popular grocery stores.

[Detective]

Toni just really enjoyed the people she worked with, and they enjoyed her. I think one said that she was the mom of the store and the customers, they enjoyed seeing her when they would come into the store. She enjoyed seeing them.

[Narrator]

In December of 2017, Toni was looking forward to taking some time off work and spending the upcoming Christmas holiday with her loved ones.

[Family Member]

We would always get together on Christmas eve, have a huge dinner, and mom just looked forward to that so much.

[Narrator]

But Tony's plans for a happy holiday come to a bleak end on Dec. 22, when authorities find her dead body stuffed in the trunk of her car. The fact that the majority of the broken glass is found inside Tony's car suggests that the attack might have occurred somewhere else.

[Witness]

There was nothing on the actual roadway itself that would have indicated that someone came up and struck that window where the car was parked. So we've got all this glass on the inside, nothing at all on the outside. So they know probably our original scene is going to have some glass and possibly signs of a violent struggle.

[Narrator]

But detectives are having a hard time discerning a motive.

[Detective]

Police were unable to find her cell phone, but Toni's keys and her wallet were still in the car. Her credit cards and her ID Were still in her wallet. There was something going on here other than a robbery.

[Narrator]

With no evidence pointing to who killed Tony or why, detectives contact her family and break the devastating news.

[Family Member]

I was in denial, thinking, it can't be my mother.

[Detective]

I said, do I need to come.

[Family Member]

Down there and identify to see if this is indeed my mom? And he said, no, Mr. Shamblee. You know, we did a fingerprint, rapid fingerprint thing that they can do, and that was definitely her.

[Witness]

It was unbelievable.

[Detective]

I mean, never in my wildest dreams or thoughts did I think anything like this could happen in my family, especially Tony. You know, I was just devastated.

[Narrator]

Coming up, police dig deeper into Tony's life and discover an ominous clue about her final moments.

[Detective]

This female approached them wearing a black jacket that had a fur hood on it.

[Narrator]

And as detectives race to track down a killer, new evidence points to a disturbing romance.

[Witness]

She just wanted his effect and his.

[Detective]

Love so bad, she was willing to do anything.

[Narrator]

On December 22, 2017, police in Fairburn, Georgia, have discovered the badly beaten body of 58 year old grandmother Toni Abad inside the trunk of her car.

[Detective]

The medical examiner was able to determine that she was killed by blunt force trauma to the head.

[Narrator]

Given the severity of Toni's injuries, detectives suspect her killer was driven by a personal motive. But that theory doesn't seem to hold water with her family.

[Detective]

She had no boyfriend, so I didn't.

[Family Member]

You know, there was nothing, nothing there. I was just at a total loss of why and how somebody would do.

[Detective]

This to my mom. Tony didn't have an enemy in the world.

[Family Member]

The last thing on my mind was that this was some kind of personal confrontation type deal. You know, she tried to treat everybody with respect, whether or not she liked him.

[Narrator]

Had Tony been the target of a random crime? Detectives believe that if they can track down Tony's missing cell phone, it might lead them to the killer.

[Detective]

Since there was not a phone in a car that belonged to Tony Abad, we pinged the phone through the cell phone company. We were able to get a location on the phone which was located on Church street off of Highway 92. From where we found Tony Abad's car to the actual crime scene was about five miles apart.

[Family Member]

It's just kind of an off the beaten path type of roadway. And as you drive down that road, you kind of feel like you're driving towards a dead end or the middle of nowhere.

[Narrator]

Within moments of their arrival, detectives locate Tony's phone. By the side of the road, just a few yards away. They find signs that a struggle had occurred.

[Detective]

They found blood spatter. They also found broken pieces of auto glass. We were about 100% sure that once our crime scene text did the blood analysis on the blood that was found on scene that it was going to belong to Tony Abbad.

[Narrator]

Detectives send the phone off for forensic analysis. While they wait on the results, they next Head to the grocery store where Tony worked and the last known place she was seen alive.

[Detective]

Police went to that grocery store, interviewed the manager, and asked, who was this person? Can you tell us about Tony?

[Narrator]

Tony's co workers reiterate what her family told detectives.

[Witness]

She was loved by her co workers, loved working there.

[Detective]

This is a person who will always help everyone. She was a grandmother. She would never want to hurt anyone. So they really had no idea who would want to hurt Tony.

[Narrator]

But one of Toni's co workers offers detectives a new lead when she tells them that she and Tony had been approached by a stranger after they had closed the store the night before.

[Detective]

This female approached them wearing the black jacket that had a fur hood on it. She asked Ms. Abbott to give her a ride home.

[Narrator]

The co worker says after a brief pause, she saw Tony agree to give the young woman a ride.

[Witness]

She remembers being concerned, distinctly concerned that Ms. Avad would say yes because of the kind of person that she was.

[Family Member]

This is four days before Christmas. It's cold outside. This is the the south Atlanta winner. And you have a young lady asking for help getting a ride. I'm sure when Toni walked out of her job that night, she really just saw the face of one of her children when they were 18 and they needed help.

[Witness]

Looking at this young woman who was very thin, you know, really small build. She wasn't willing to leave her there alone.

[Narrator]

But who was this woman? Detectives review the store's surveillance tapes from the night of Toni's shift and confirm her co worker's story.

[Family Member]

The video surveillance showed this young lady pacing back and forth in front of the two entrances and exits to the supermarket.

[Witness]

You can tell she's on her phone. She's got her headphones in.

[Narrator]

The video then shows Toni and her co worker exiting the store at 11.

[Witness]

They walked out into the parking lot that night.

[Detective]

The kind of eerie thing is you see Toni and her co workers walk right past that unknown woman.

[Narrator]

Though the surveillance video captured the young woman's physical build, it's impossible to identify her from the video alone. Using a still frame from the video, police canvassed the shopping center, hoping someone in the area might recognize the young woman. They catch a break when they speak to the employees of a nearby restaurant.

[Witness]

One of the detectives just sort of casually asks, hey, like, have you seen anybody meeting this description? Did you see anything last night? Sort of young girl, puffy jacket. They're like, oh, yeah, she's here all the time.

[Detective]

The manager there stated that they have tried to. To call the police because she's been up there for several days, just sitting, loitering in the location and that on the final day, she left all of her belongings in the location.

[Witness]

She left a big bag of clothes and, you know, her makeup and stuff and toiletries.

[Narrator]

When detectives search the bag's belongings, they catch a major break.

[Detective]

We were able to find an ID that identified the Asia page.

[Witness]

At this point, we're kind of in the market for everything we can get on this individual. We're trying to find out who she is.

[Narrator]

Detectives search official records for Deja Page. They learn she's a recent high school dropout. They also find a local address for the 18 year old.

[Detective]

Police were unable to find her at the listed address. Her mother said her and Deazia had gotten into a fight weeks ago and Deazia no longer lived there.

[Family Member]

D'ajah, like a lot of 18 year old girls, was she wanted to be independent. And that led to a lot of altercations at home as her home life was trying to balance her independence with her being a responsible young adult. And things got a little bit tumultuous with her mother and eventually she left the house.

[Narrator]

According to Diazia's mom, teenage rebellion hadn't always been a problem until recently. Diazia was a shy and sweet teenager who didn't rock the boat at home or school.

[Detective]

She was the type of person like, she wouldn't speak unless you speak first to her. But as you get to know her, you would see her fun, bubbly side.

[Witness]

We used to call ourselves the three Musketeers.

[Detective]

I don't know why, but we did, especially when we came close. That was the I'll be our nickname. We were just in our own circle, doing our own thing. We really didn't too much care about other people. She always came over at my house and we would just talk and watch tv, teenage stuff. She was very nice and she was a very giving person. Like when I first met her, I didn't have a job and she used to buy me and Erica's lunch or buy us stuff like that, you know, just to show us that she appreciate us.

[Narrator]

According to her mom, the problems had started several months earlier when Deja had grown close to an 18 year old named Jared Kemp.

[Family Member]

Jarrod grew up in this rural community of Fairburn, and he knew a lot of people in the area.

[Detective]

Jared came from a good family. He was charming, he was handsome, popular by all accounts.

[Family Member]

At some point he entered military school and he intended to go into the Coast Guard.

[Narrator]

It wasn't long before Deazia had Fallen head over heels for the high school.

[Detective]

Senior probably like two weeks after. She was like, yeah, I love him and all of that. We was like, whoa. We was like, I think it's a little too soon to say, you know, love. But she was in love. Like, you couldn't. You could not change her mind.

[Narrator]

But Deajah's mom tells police that she had quickly learned Jarrod was a bad influence on her daughter.

[Detective]

At some point in high school, Jarrett began hanging out with a rougher crew, getting into a lot of trouble. And he didn't mind showing that tougher side to De'Asia. He'll call her like the H word or the B word. And she'd be like, oh, he was just mad. He was just mad. And we would be like, it doesn't matter. That's not your name. Them are red flags.

[Witness]

And I used to tell her that.

[Detective]

All the time as a teenager, when you're in love, you want to do anything to, like, make that person happy to be with them. And anybody that infringes on that relationship or doesn't agree become the enemy. The more deeper in love she got with him, the more she started withdrawing from everybody. And the more she was on, oh, I'm grown. I can do whatever I want to do. I felt like I was losing a close friend, you know, like, wow, like, we were so close and like, you're letting someone else, like, kind of break up our friendship.

[Narrator]

Detectives learned that Dejah's mom had been so troubled by her daughter's relationship, she'd given the teenager an ultimatum earlier that month.

[Detective]

I think mom trying to kind of like teach her a lesson, saying like, well, you're not going to be here and disrespect me. And Deasia left. She didn't want to listen to her mama.

[Witness]

She was in too deep.

[Detective]

She was in love too deep. And she just felt like he was the person for her.

[Narrator]

Shortly after Dejah had dropped out of.

[Detective]

School, she came up and she's like, yeah, I'm coming to a dream. Like, I'm not coming back. Like, I'm not doing it. And it was like, D'Asia wasn't there. She was in her mind. She was not in her right state of mind. She was gone somewhere else.

[Narrator]

Had De Asia been involved in Tony Abad's murder? To find out, police know they need to locate the 18 year old runaway as soon as possible.

[Family Member]

We ended up putting out a bolo for Dasha.

[Detective]

Police released a picture of Deja Page. People really wanted to find this girl, figure out how she was involved in this murder of a grandmother. Suits LA is making big moves. I am the best attorney in the.

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[Narrator]

Authorities in Fulton County, Georgia are searching for 18 year old De'Asia Paige in connection to the murder of local resident Tony Abad. With no insight into where Diazia is now, detectives saturate the local news and social media with the teenager's photo.

[Detective]

The community reacted within seconds. You gotta understand, that picture started to flood social media. It was on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram. People wanted to know who this girl was because they figured out that she would be the person who could lead to some answers in this case.

[Narrator]

Within hours, a promising tip comes in from two security guards.

[Detective]

We received a phone call from a security guard that worked at the local Texaco gas station on Highway 92 stating that he needed to talk to the detectives.

[Narrator]

Detectives meet with the security guard and one of his co workers. They learn that both men had first met Dasia Paige about a week earlier when she had approached them while they were on a smoke break.

[Witness]

They had seen her walking by before and she had like a little like a fleece blanket over her shoulders, was freezing cold. And he offered to her, you know, you can hang out in my car if you want to get some free heat for a second. She agreed.

[Detective]

Paige told the security guard that she needed a place to stay because at this point she was homeless.

[Narrator]

According to the security guards, Dejah had returned each night that week. But on the night of December 21, Dejah had been noticeably upset when she arrived at the gas station.

[Detective]

All of a sudden she shows up and says she just witnessed a woman being killed down the street.

[Witness]

These are people that she really barely knows for all intents and purposes. So it's a super bizarre exchange. They quickly just process this as some sort of a story, maybe just her trying to get attention. It's not until the next day where they see the News that they realize she told them something real.

[Detective]

The timeline of their story matched the timeline of Tony's murder. And the gas station was just blocks away from the crime scene itself. So investigators believe that Daisia probably witnessed Tony's murder as well as the person who did it.

[Narrator]

Detectives thank the witnesses for the information. By the time they get back to the station, tips in response to the media's blitz featuring Daisia's name and picture have begun to pour in.

[Detective]

People love Tony, so there was a real urgency to find the person or persons responsible for her death.

[Narrator]

But before police can follow up on any of the rumored sightings, D'Asia herself walks into the Fulton County Police station and asks to speak with detectives.

[Witness]

She turns herself in. The black jacket with the fur hood that she is seen wearing on the surveillance the night Ms. Avat is picked up.

[Narrator]

When detectives sit down with Deasia, she admits that she had accepted a ride from Tony abad. Sometime after 11pm on December 21, Dejah.

[Family Member]

Said she had just legitimately just asked for a ride from Ms. Abad, and she got a ride.

[Detective]

Diazia was homeless, but she knew if she went to the Texaco gas station, she could probably sleep a few hours. And the security guard's vehicle.

[Narrator]

De Asia says she gave Toni directions to the gas station. But as they neared their destination, she and Tony were suddenly blindsided when two men had attacked them.

[Detective]

She stated that while they're driving down the road, two black men jumped out and started attacking the vehicle. Deaza claimed that they smashed the window and Tony had fallen out of the car trying to get away. One of the men ran away, and the other began to beat Tony Abad with the bat.

[Narrator]

Deazia says she watched helplessly as the man beat Tony to death in front of her. Then he ordered her to help him dispose of Tony's body.

[Detective]

Dajah stated that she didn't want to, but the guy then threatened her life. So she put the body in a truck and was forced to drive the car and park it on Access Road.

[Narrator]

Detectives are skeptical. If Deazia had witnessed such a vicious crime, why not call the police?

[Detective]

Her story that two random guys stopped the car, killed Tony for no reason, then forced Dejah to help them, made absolutely no sense.

[Family Member]

I think Detective Jackson pretty quickly summarily dismissed the plausibility of that version of events. He says, I'm going to leave the room, and I'm going to come back and give you, you know, a second bite of the apple.

[Narrator]

That's when Fulton county detectives get a call from their counterparts in the nearby community of Chattahoochee Hills and learn they've just received a surprise visit from Daisia's boyfriend.

[Family Member]

He came in to talk to the police proactively, and he just says, saw her on the news, don't know anything else. I'm not involved in this.

[Detective]

At that time, Jared Kemp stated that De Asia was crazy. Jarrett claimed he wasn't dating Deasiah anymore. In fact, he said it was a very brief fling. He really didn't know her all that well. But he said he wanted to come forward to investigators because he didn't want his name tied to a murder.

[Family Member]

He denies essentially any involvement or even having seen her. Recently.

[Narrator]

Detectives turn their attention back to Deazia and press her about her relationship with Jared Kemp.

[Witness]

She does learn that Jared Kemp has proactively gone to the police himself and essentially said he barely knows her.

[Detective]

Daisia was clearly heartbroken that Jarrett was denying their relationship, and she got angry. She immediately changed her story to police and told them that Jarrett was responsible for the whole thing and that Jarrett was the one who killed Tony Abab.

[Narrator]

Coming up, police must decipher who's telling the truth. In a high stakes game of he said she said, you see a shift.

[Witness]

In her realizing that she's at the end of her road. He tells her, this is serious. I need the truth.

[Narrator]

But will one of the two suspects disappear before justice can be served?

[Detective]

We executed a search warrant at Jarrett Kemp's home while we were there. His mother told us that he wasn't at the location.

[Narrator]

In Fulton County, Georgia, Deja Page has just implicated her boyfriend, Jared Kemp in the murder of Tony Abab. According to Deazia, it was Jared's idea to steal a car so Deazia could have a place to sleep.

[Detective]

I think there was some obligation on Jarrod's part to take care of Deasia. After all, she had nowhere else to go. So this is when they began to think of ways to find a place for Deasia to stay as soon as possible. She stated that they came up with a plan to steal someone's car for the night so that she could have somewhere to sleep for a couple of hours.

[Family Member]

D'Azia told us she was looking for a way out of living on the street and this repeated cycle of sleeping in the night watchman's car, spending all day at the shopping center, and then doing it all over again. Jared told her, you bring the car to me, and I will take care of the rest.

[Narrator]

On December 21, de Asia says she was hanging out at the Fairburn shopping Center. When she spotted Tony Abad and her co worker leaving the grocery store.

[Detective]

De'Asia told police this was all about getting someone to give her a ride home and then carjacking that person. According to De'Asia, there was never supposed to be a murder, but that's not how it ended up.

[Narrator]

D'Azia tells detectives that she called Jarrod and told him she was on her way. Ten minutes later, she instructed Tony to turn down Church street, where she knew Jared was waiting.

[Family Member]

Diazia said that she pulled out an airsoft pistol that Jared had given her for the purpose of stealing a car or for protection.

[Detective]

Once they turned down the road of Church street, the light shot into the car where Tony Abad was able to see the gun on Deajah's lap. At that point, the fight was on.

[Witness]

Ms. Abad makes a move for her life, essentially reaches out, and there is a very brief, probably just a few seconds struggle over the gun.

[Family Member]

Meanwhile, while this is going on, Jared has emerged from the wood line and he smashed the driver's glass window. So while he beats the glass with a baseball bat, the victim crawls over the passenger seat and ends up outside the car.

[Witness]

She actually sustained a lot of injuries from that glass coming through and striking her on the left side of her face.

[Narrator]

According to Deazia, Tony suddenly turned to Jared and began pleading for her life.

[Witness]

When she's out on the asphalt, Diazia would be standing over her. Now Jared Kemp is standing over her as well, and she says, please don't do this. Please don't do this.

[Family Member]

She was begging and pleading for her life. She talked about Christmas just being a few days away and the fact that she had a young granddaughter and she just wanted to make it to Christmas to see her.

[Narrator]

But Deazia says Jarrod wasn't about to take any risks.

[Witness]

He knew that Tony was not likely going to be okay with them stealing the car. Someone that had seen Daijah's face and that could possibly know Diazia was on the phone with Jared Kemp.

[Detective]

Jarrad Kemp came up to the victim and started striking her in the head several times with a baseball bat until she fell to the ground.

[Witness]

They believe that they've killed her. Jarrod tells Diageo, you get her hands and he grabs her feet, and they pick her up like an object, you know, like something inhuman, and toss her into the trunk.

[Family Member]

They could have left her there. Maybe someone would have driven by and seen and been able to render aid. Instead, they put her body in the trunk of her own car.

[Narrator]

Deazia claims Jared instructed her to Wipe the car and dump it.

[Witness]

So he is going to, of course, leave on foot. For whatever reason, D'Ajah agrees to get in this car with a body now in the trunk.

[Detective]

She was so in love with him that she was willing to do anything he said, anything he wanted her to do, and that included getting rid of a body. D'Azia drove the car, parked it on the access rope, and Jarrett went to hide the baseball bat before walking home.

[Narrator]

De Asia says after she dropped off the car, she went to the gas station, dumping her bloody clothes along the way.

[Witness]

Immediately after this crime, she was in crisis mode. And for Deja Page, it meant telling the first two people she saw.

[Narrator]

Deasia says she continued to communicate with Jarrod the rest of the night.

[Witness]

Jarrod is really telling her in those few hours after she makes it back to the truck, it's us. It's us against the world. He really needs her not to say anything and to show her loyalty.

[Narrator]

Despite her claims, detectives suspect Dejah might be downplaying her role in the violence.

[Witness]

We questioned her on that pretty aggressively. Dejah struggled with coming to terms with or being candid about her physical role in the actual beating of Ms. Abad.

[Family Member]

We do believe that Dejah, you know, actively participated in the violence that night and certainly helped load Tony Abad's body into the trunk of her own car. So she was more than just like a getaway driver.

[Narrator]

Still, detectives struggle with the reasoning behind Tony's violent death.

[Family Member]

Even if they intended to just carjack Ms. Abad, the fact that they so egregiously and aggressively bludgeoned her, that speaks to a level of violence that leaves only one conclusion. That the moment that they arrived on that road, they intended to kill her.

[Narrator]

Deasia Paige is officially charged with murder. News of her arrest stuns her friends and loved ones.

[Detective]

I would have never even thought of something like this. No, it was. I was very shocked isn't even the word. I was just mind blown.

[Narrator]

While the Abadd family is relieved to learn there's been an arrest in the case, they also have questions.

[Detective]

I was just grateful that they had her. But I also knew that she wasn't alone.

[Family Member]

I didn't think for a second that she did this by herself. Mom was a pretty tough woman, you know, I looked at Deja, I looked at the photos of her, and I was like, no way my mom would have tore that girl up. The following day, a warrant is issued for Jared's arrest, and the police are looking for him.

[Narrator]

But with only Diazia's statement against her former lover. Authorities fear an accused killer might just get away with murder.

[Family Member]

We really can't go to trial solely alone on the accusation of a co conspirator.

[Narrator]

18 year old Dejah Page has just confessed to her role in the brutal murder of 58 year old Tony Abad. Diazia has also implicated her boyfriend Jared Kemp as the crime's mastermind.

[Family Member]

I think there's some variation in what De Asia thought was going to happen and what Jared planned to do. But I do think that deja was 100% along for the ride once that decision was made.

[Narrator]

Detectives have been unable to locate Jared since his last statement to authorities.

[Detective]

We executed a search warrant at Jared Kemp's home. While we were there, his mother told us that he wasn't at the location, that he was at his cousin's apartment.

[Family Member]

This was Christmas Eve and once they located that address, the police went there and he was taken into custody with without incident.

[Narrator]

At the station, detectives confront Jared with the Asia's confession. But he's suddenly tight lipped.

[Family Member]

So it's interesting that he came in to talk to the police proactively and then the day following he's arrested and now he's mum, he's got nothing to say to the police.

[Narrator]

With Jared refusing to cooperate, detectives collect his cell phone and uncover a treasure trove of digital evidence.

[Family Member]

What we found was a significant amount of communication with Deasia on December 21, which was the night of the murder. They spoke somewhere between FaceTime calls and voice calls, somewhere in the neighborhood of six and a half hours on December 21st. So a significant amount of time. So for Jared to come in after the fact and say, you know, this is just someone that I have a casual relationship with. I don't know her well. The phone records are telling a vastly different story.

[Narrator]

Detectives corroborate Diesia's story that she spoke with Jared on the phone as Tony gave her a ride.

[Witness]

They're on a phone call up until the moment that car arrives at the murder scene. That is an open line and active phone call. So we know as they rode silently in the road that night, Jared Kemp was breathing in her ear. And the phone call only terminates because he's now ready to come out of the Woodline and kill Tony Avada.

[Narrator]

Jared's search history also presents damning evidence against the teen.

[Family Member]

Arguably the most important evidence that we found in Jared's phone was when we looked at the web history, we learned.

[Detective]

That on the day that we located Tony Abbott's body, he was searching for a dead lady in the trunk of a car. As we were investigating the case, when.

[Family Member]

I overlaid Jared's web search history with the Fulton County Police CAD record for the discovery of Ms. Abad's car. What we found was, in the minutes that preceded the discovery of her body, he was searching for, essentially, a woman found in the trunk of a car in Fairburg.

[Narrator]

Unfortunately, authorities are unable to collect any physical evidence against Jarrod.

[Detective]

We received information that Jared buried the bat in his backyard, but we weren't able to find anything.

[Narrator]

Even still, the digital evidence combined with Diazia's confession are enough for authorities to charge Jared Kemp with Tony's murder. Prosecutors offer Deasia a plea deal in exchange for her testimony against Jarrod.

[Witness]

She gives a full confession, she implicates herself, then again to the police when she's interviewed. That was the only really, route she had to go.

[Narrator]

On October 2, 2019, Jared Kemp's murder trial begins in a Fulton county courtroom. Prosecutors used the digital evidence, along with Dejah's testimony to assert that Jared and Deazia had committed premeditated murder.

[Family Member]

My best analysis when it comes to motive of Jared Kemp and Dasia Page in this murder, I believe that Diazia was an immature, impressionable young lady that was homeless and desperate, and she was doing partly what she wanted to do and part what others had convinced her to do. I believe that when Jared was waiting in that wood line on Church street after directing De Asia to drive down that dirt road with a victim in a car, he was driven by a motivation to kill.

[Witness]

There were several really critical windows where they. They could have turned back and chose not to.

[Narrator]

Ultimately, Jared Kemp is found guilty of felony murder, armed robbery, aggravated assault, and hijacking a vehicle and is sentenced to life in prison. In exchange for her cooperation, Deja page receives a 30 year sentence.

[Family Member]

I was very happy with the sentencing. You know, I hope he doesn't ever make it out. And I hope the same for her.

[Detective]

I knew where she came from. I knew her family. I knew her. I would never think that she would have been a part of something like this. But sometimes we make the worst decisions. You know, when it comes to being in love with someone, I don't want to put everything on him because, you know, we all make our own decisions. But I feel like if it weren't.

[Witness]

For him, none of that would have happened. I can promise you, if it was just because Deja needed a place to.

[Detective]

Sleep, my granny would have given her.

[Witness]

Here. Here's $100. Here's $200. Go get a motel.

[Detective]

For the night. That's just who she was.

[Witness]

There was no need to take her away from her children, her grandchildren.

[Detective]

It was senseless. It was useless. And ultimately, it took away this woman who was beloved in her community. And for what? They didn't get the car. They didn't get any money. They didn't have to do what they did.

[Witness]

De'Asia Paige is projected to be released in 2047.

[Detective]

She will be 48 years old.

[Witness]

Jared Kemp is serving his life sentence.

[Detective]

In the Georgia Department of Corrections. What's up, guys?

[Witness]

It's your girl, Keke.

[Detective]

And my podcast is back with a new season, and let me tell you, it's too good. And I'm diving into the brains of entertainment's best and brightest.

[Witness]

Okay?

[Detective]

Every episode, I bring on a friend and have a real conversation. And I don't mean just friends. I mean the likes of Amy Poehler, Kel Mitchell, Vivica Fox. The list goes on. And now I have my own YouTube channel. So follow, watch and listen to Baby this is Keke Palmer on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcast. Watch full episodes on YouTube and you can listen to Baby this is Keke Palmer early and adding free right now by joining Wondery and my headphones because it's time to get into it. Holla at your girl.