‘You killed her’: Family on quest for justice after suspect admits in documents to killing victim
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Family and friends of Veniesha Hanks gathered Monday for the 31-year-old’s funeral six weeks after the Bakersfield mother was killed at a home in the 5000 block of Evanston Court. Her mother, Vesha Cobb wants answers for what happened to her daughter.
“I’m being swept up under the rug, because I’m not getting any real answers. There is an accuser out, he’s walking around and the thing about it is nothing is going to be done,” said Cobb.
According to police, officers arrived at a home on the 5000 block of Evanston Court on Dec. 15 and found a female victim — later identified as Hanks — with a gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead at the scene. But according to police documents obtained by 17 News of the suspect’s statement, what led up to her death was much more complicated.
In the documents, Dontrel Jackson, the father of Hanks’ youngest child said he was in his bedroom on Evanston Court with another woman and his “baby momma” came to the house.
He heard his window open and grabbed a gun and shot his “baby momma.”
RELATED: Family mourns mother of three found dead in SW Bakersfield neighborhood
The family said police are not doing enough and feel Jackson is not being held accountable.
“They have not reached out. We had to go after them and find them,” said Cobb.
“If it was me, or anybody else, and they killed somebody that didn’t make it in their house we would be prosecuted so why isn’t he being prosecuted? She didn’t even make it in the house, and you killed her,” Hanks’ cousin, Sophila Turner, said. “If it was anybody else, you’d be charged.”
Hanks leaves behind an 18-month-old she shares with Jackson, a 6-year-old, and a 12-year-old.
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Cobb said the children are suffering and she won’t stop until her children have justice for their mother.
“You’re just going to sweep my baby under the doggone rug like she ain’t never been here but there’s proof that she’s here. […] Now these babies have to be without a mother, and we don’t get no kind of justice? Nobody’s being held accountable? Am I supposed to still believe in the law?” said Cobb.
17 News tried to talk to Dontrel Jackson and received no response. Jackson was arrested for felony gun charges, but the charges were dismissed pending BPD’s investigation.
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