CBS4 Exclusive: Mother and Father Of Slain Teenage Mother Appeal For Help
MIAMI (CBS4) - A still-grieving mother and father are asking for the public's help in finding the person who killed their 16-year-old daughter in front of her two-year-old son. And they are making that plea exactly six months after this crime was committed.
In a CBS4 Exclusive, the Rev. Ernest Cooper tells CBS4's Peter D'Oench, "What is so hard for me is that what could she have done? She was just a 16-year-old child. Someone put 5 bullets in her. It's really hard. It's really hard. It's something I think of every day."
Daniella's mother, Josiamene "Jo Jo" Cooper, told D'Oench, "When I remember Daniella, I don't want to live anymore. To think of the way in which she died, I don't want to live anymore. I want to see the man who killed my daughter and ask him why he killed her. Why? I mean she was just one innocent child."
Cooper's body was discovered by her younger and now 12-year-old sister around 6 p.m. on Nov. 4th of 2010. She was found in her bedroom in her mother's home in the 100 block of NE 82nd Terrace.
She died on her son Jeremiah's second birthday and just days after she had turned 16 on October 31st, 2010.
CBS4 obtained home video that seemed to show a happy teen, saying "Hi everyone my name is Daniella Cooper." The video was taken just months before her death.
It is a truly disturbing case to the lead investigator. Detective Rolando Garcia told D'Oench there is little evidence and just one eyewitness: Jeremiah. Garcia said he was even taken to doctors at Jackson Memorial Hospital who specialize in interviewing little children but they were not able to get any useful information.
Garcia believes Cooper was surprised by the person who killed her inside her mother's house. Her mother had told D'Oench there were no signs there of forced entry.
"I believe this was very personal because of the manner she was killed, the way in which she was killed," said Garcia. "But as far as an actual motive, no I don't have one."
Detective Garcia says he has no suspects and has questioned many people including Cooper's former boyfriend Pierre Louis Jr. of North Miami, who told D'Oench he was the father of Jeremiah.
When he caught up with Louis at his apartment six months ago, he asked him, "Any idea who did this?" And Louis replied, "No idea. I feel bad because she was my first baby mama and she died. I hope they find whoever did this. I feel bad about what happened."
Cooper's father said, "Every morning I wake up and I think what could I have done to prevent this from happening. If someone would come forward, that would mean a lot to me. If you know anything, have heard anything, please call the police."
The Rev. Ernest Cooper believes Daniella's friends know more than they are telling police and urges them to come forward. "It's hard. I can not describe how I feel. It hurts so deep."
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Garcia at (305) 603-6340 or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-tips (8477).
