Wajonel DeSilva was found dead on the side of the road.

**nurseronda** · December 17th, 2008, 10:41 PM

MEMPHIS, TN - The death of 18 year-old Wajonel DeSilva, found dead on the side of the road in East Memphis over the weekend, is still a mystery to investigators and to her family.

"I just wanted to see her so I could kiss her," says DeSilva's mother, Toni Ladmirault. "I wanted to tell Jonel I love her. But I'm not going to be able to see my baby."

While other moms are planning for Christmas, Toni is planning for her oldest daughter's funeral.

"She probably won't be able to have an open casket," she says, "because they say they've never seen something so horrible like that."

Passing motorists discovered DeSilva's body around 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, December 14, 2008, lying on an entrance ramp at Interstate 240 and Mount Moriah. How she got there and how she died are still unknown.

Ladmirault says her daughter's upper body and face were so badly mutilated, Memphis Police asked her to identify her child from a picture they had taken of one of her tattoos.

"It was a tattoo of her boyfriend's name," says Ladmirault, "covered in blood. The police say it looks like she was run over but I don't think that's how she died. I believe she was murdered and her body was thrown out there."

Toni is a single mother raising three other children. And now she'll have to raise her granddaughter, too. Jonel leaves behind a beautiful and talkative 2 year-old child named Jayla.

"She misses her mom," Toni says with tears in her eyes. "She just thinks her mom's gone and she'll be back. She keeps asking where's Mama?"

As Ladmirault talked with Eyewitness News about her daughter's death, little Jayla's brow furrowed and her smile quickly disappeared. It was clear by the expression on her young face, she understood something bad had happened to her mother.

Making matters worse, says Toni, the money she was going to use to buy presents for her kids for Christmas, will now have to be used to pay for Jonel's funeral.

What should be a time of celebration for the family is filled with tragedy, sadness and many unanswered questions.

"I just want to know what happened to her," Ladmirault says. "She was a good girl, always happy and joyful. She loved everybody and didn't have a single enemy. If somebody knows what happened, I hope they come forward."

Jonel DeSilva's family says she was last seen with her boyfriend, a 23 year-old man who was released from the Shelby County Jail two days before Jonel's death.

DeSilva's father, Wade DeSilva, says Jonel's boyfriend hasn't come to the house to talk to them or offer any condolences. He says the young man is driving Jonel's car, a black 1999 or 2000 Cadillac Deville, and won't return it.

"He said he'd go to the police and talk to them," says Mr. DeSilva, "but he hasn't done it yet. And we haven't heard anything from the police. I hope they get to him before people on the street do. A lot of people are upset about this."

http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/most...yEBzyj7rw.cspx

**malq** · December 18th, 2008, 01:19 AM

Right before christmas too....

**Lizard** · December 18th, 2008, 01:30 AM

I just wrote this up for FP. Go Google it, there is almost NOTHING on this case. Sad. What, cuz she was a young single mother and may have had a scumbag boyfriend, she's not newsworthy? (And, oh yeah, she's Black. That probably matters to someone.) Yeah, I'm guessing it was the boyfriend, but that doesn't mean she deserved it. Motherfucker, she was mutilated.

A little bit angry right now, excuse me.

**nurseronda** · December 18th, 2008, 01:34 AM

Originally Posted by Lizard

I just wrote this up for FP. Go Google it, there is almost NOTHING on this case. Sad. What, cuz she was a young single mother and may have had a scumbag boyfriend, she's not newsworthy? (And, oh yeah, she's Black. That probably matters to someone.) Yeah, I'm guessing it was the boyfriend, but that doesn't mean she deserved it. Motherfucker, she was mutilated.

A little bit angry right now, excuse me.

I am leaning toward the boyfriend doing this to her too. Yes, it is a shame that there is almost nothing out there on this murder. I feel so bad for her child.

**nurseronda** · December 18th, 2008, 04:02 AM

We did not find any results for Wajonel DeSilva.

Was what I got when I used Internet Explorer.

**crickett** · December 18th, 2008, 11:27 AM

I hope that the people on the street get to the prick first. Driving her car around, offering NO condolences and not going to talk to the police just says DROVES about the boyfriend.

**crickett** · December 18th, 2008, 11:31 AM

Originally Posted by Lizard

I just wrote this up for FP. Go Google it, there is almost NOTHING on this case. Sad. What, cuz she was a young single mother and may have had a scumbag boyfriend, she's not newsworthy? (And, oh yeah, she's Black. That probably matters to someone.) Yeah, I'm guessing it was the boyfriend, but that doesn't mean she deserved it. Motherfucker, she was mutilated.

A little bit angry right now, excuse me.

I just Googled her name . There are several articles up there now but the Dreamin Demon is right at the top. Thank you

**Silvahalo** · December 18th, 2008, 11:42 AM

So very tragic. We read about countless young mothers who beat or abandoned children, this one seemed like a good mother. Her life was stolen in a brutal and vicious way and leaves behind a precious little girl...for that this bastard should pay with his life.

It is a so very sad that her murder is not getting more media coverage that it so deserves. This could make the difference in finding the bastard ...my money is the boyfriend did this. The mutulation of the upper body speaks of a crime of passion, very personal.

My heart goes out her and and the family that mourns her.

Rest in peace Jonel...really, I hope you are at peace.

**Peeperann** · December 18th, 2008, 11:51 AM

Originally Posted by Lizard

I just wrote this up for FP. Go Google it, there is almost NOTHING on this case. Sad. What, cuz she was a young single mother and may have had a scumbag boyfriend, she's not newsworthy? (And, oh yeah, she's Black. That probably matters to someone.) Yeah, I'm guessing it was the boyfriend, but that doesn't mean she deserved it. Motherfucker, she was mutilated.

A little bit angry right now, excuse me.

I'm angry right along with you Lizard. Of course the boyfriend did it. And WHY haven't the police tracked him down and got the car back and questioned him yet?

That car could have a multitude of forensic evidence in it.

**Morticia** · December 18th, 2008, 12:05 PM

That is so terrible. Very disturbing.

**sanityslipping** · December 18th, 2008, 12:13 PM

And WHY haven't the police tracked him down and got the car back and questioned him yet?

That car could have a multitude of forensic evidence in it.

I'm guessing they don't really care, as sad as it is to say. You're right, there could be a shit load of evidence in that car. They need to be finding it. Shit, he could have used her own car to dump her body. Probably did, and that's why he won't show his face, or return the car, he probably wants to get it cleaned first

**nurseronda** · May 1st, 2009, 09:31 PM

Originally Posted by Lizard

I just wrote this up for FP. Go Google it, there is almost NOTHING on this case. Sad. What, cuz she was a young single mother and may have had a scumbag boyfriend, she's not newsworthy? (And, oh yeah, she's Black. That probably matters to someone.) Yeah, I'm guessing it was the boyfriend, but that doesn't mean she deserved it. Motherfucker, she was mutilated.

A little bit angry right now, excuse me.

This case still remains unsolved. I wonder if they ever found her car, the one the boyfriend took off with....Let me guess, the boyfriend was related to a detective?

**Shellie435** · May 2nd, 2009, 12:22 AM

I just wrote an email to J Peterson asking if she's got anymore info to pass on. Tthere have been NO updates and its really pissin me off. I mentioned to her that if Wajonel was a married white woman with a kids and a hubby, this sure as hell would have been solved by Christmas, I'm damn sure of that. Let keep our fingers crossed..maybe she'll answer me (I can dream..can't I ?)

**Redshoes** · May 2nd, 2009, 08:09 AM

Jonel DeSilva's family says she was last seen with her boyfriend, a 23 year-old man who was released from the Shelby County Jail two days before Jonel's death.

DeSilva's father, Wade DeSilva, says Jonel's boyfriend hasn't come to the house to talk to them or offer any condolences. He says the young man is driving Jonel's car, a black 1999 or 2000 Cadillac Deville, and won't return it.

Holy crap. Those are some outrageous warning signs.

**Redshoes** · May 2nd, 2009, 08:14 AM

I'm googling.... here's some interesting comments left on a blog post about the story..

http://community.myfoxmemphis.com/bl...Silva#comments

wailerae
Mar 21, 2009 | 3:42 AM
This girl that u speak of is my sister. No matter her lifestyle she was a good person. I kno in my heart he is guilty but the case is cold now. It was a hard time for us and it still hurts so bad. She did not deserve 2 b mutilated. All dogs have there day and the streets will b sure of that. RIP FATT MAMA UR SIS WAILERAE

mskaytenn
Dec 17, 2008 | 11:55 AM
Hey EWF! No one deserves to die in that manner. I know of someone that knows of this girl and the boyfriend that she was last seen week. This person is very, very close to the boyfriend. Word is that this young lady was a street walker and the boyfriend was her pimp. He has plenty of girls working the streets here in Memphis and Atlanta. I am in no way saying this young lady deserved to die, but the lifestyle may have played a major role here. The police should find this boyfriend and question him. I'm sure he knows something. It's obvious that he doesn't give a damn about her, as he is still riding around in her car and has not even spoken to her family.

**Redshoes** · May 2nd, 2009, 08:35 AM

http://www.myspace.com/nene062088

her friend's (sister's?) myspace. There are pics of Wajonel and her daughter. I think she went by Jonel a lot..

https://www.legacy.com/CommercialApp...onID=121587708

obit. And it spells her name "Wai Jonel DeSilva," but that's the only place I saw it spelled like that.

**Shellie435** · May 2nd, 2009, 11:53 PM

Quoted from Redshoes post #17
I know of someone that knows of this girl and the boyfriend that she was last seen week.

Dammit! Prostitute or not, thats no way or anyone to die! She was someones daughter and a mommy, and she was loved.Someones knows something. I'm so sick of this no snitchin shit, really. I figure I won't hear from Ms Peterson til after the weekend. And if I don't I'll email her again til i'o the first person she thinks of with her morning coffee, and the last person she thinks of as she fluffs her nice soft pillow at night. Cause the only pillow Jonel has is the satin one in her casket.

**Shellie435** · May 9th, 2009, 11:08 PM

This is the response I got from Joyce Peterson, reporter with Myeyewitnessnews.com"

Hi Michelle,
Just got an update this week from Memphis Police. Nobody’s been charged in Wajonel’s death yet. Still waiting for DNA evidence and the medical examiner’s report to come back.
Wajonel’s dad says the boyfriend has been ruled out as the killer.
Hope that helps.
jp

**Abroad** · May 10th, 2009, 05:40 AM

Wajonel’s dad says the boyfriend has been ruled out as the killer.

I suppose that does help in a way; but it also makes it so much more difficult. If the killer was a john (assuming she really was prostituting herself) there is going to be very little to tie him to Ms DeSilva.

Do they have DNA evidence? In that case, this could suddenly be solved when and if the murderer finds he has to give a sample in connection with another matter. That is probably the best chance.......