No one's child should have to die before their parents

Innocence MURDERED

When the world stops turning; what's next?

On Tuesday, January 11, 2011 at 4:20 P.M. the two sheriffs knocked on my front door. They introduced themselves and asked if they could come in; whoa I thought I was 'in for it' my auto tag was expired and from another state. The loss of my job due to the economy had left me with no extra funds for anything other than extreme necessities. The female spoke first asking if I had a son named Justin DeSha-Overcash. I replied, "Yes?" Then the male sheriff quietly added, "Your son has been shot and killed." Suddenly I felt like "Alice In Wonderland" when she drank from the bottle and shrank so very small. The living room where we sat became huge and my hearing difficult. I can not explain what happened to me at this point in time; I believe I was attempting to wrap my mind around what the sheriff had said and thinking to myself, "This is not possible; it's not true it has to be a lie." I regained my composure long enough to inform them they were wrong and added, "I will call him and prove that you're wrong." I quickly dialed my son's number...nothing. In this split second, when my son did not answer, I knew he was gone; gone forever senselessly murdered in cold blood by an unknown masked assailant at 11:27 A.M. The worst nightmare, of a parent, to loose your child had come to fruition for me. The sheriffs did not have a lot of details; I was told my son had been murdered in his home in Prince George's County, across the street from where he attended college. I quickly dialed Justin's father's [my former husband] number but got his voice mail. I would find out, five minutes later, he had ignored his phone ringing to answer a knock at his door; it was the sheriffs in Bucks County, PA. After speaking briefly with my former spouse I dialed my mother and simply said, "Mom, Justin is dead." In disbelief she screamed, "WHAT?" I quickly added, "The sheriffs are here they said he was shot in his home and the hospital worked on him for 30 minutes; he was pronounced at 12:30 P.M." She shouted, "We're on the way!" and hung up the phone. They would travel all through the night from Asheville, NC to Bel Air, MD in a snow storm and arrive at my home at 7:30 A.M. the following morning. The sheriffs would not leave; they could not leave me alone they had to stay with me until I had someone I knew come to my home. My older brother, Scott, lived with his family about 3 miles away it seemed like no time had passed between my phone call and his appearing at the door of my home. He hugged me asked if I was okay; then turned his attention to the sheriffs. He asked questions I had not thought of simply because I could not think; normally I am great in stressful situations but my son, my constant, my light, my beautiful son was dead. The sheriffs were very kind and comforting I vaguely remember them both offering sincere condolences for my loss and hugging before they left. My older brother, a physicist, is not one to show emotion he sat silently. By 9:00 P.M. I was making consistent and unsuccessful calls to the PG County Police Department no one would tell me anything of substance. I began to call friends and family as I was not able to afford cable or internet they were all wonderful in keeping me informed with the breaking news; without my knowledge they were also censoring what they were telling me regarding the medias comments on Justin's murder. The issues began when I received a call from Sondra telling me that a PG County police official with the media department held a live news conference and stated (quote un quote), "The victim was targeted due to the lifestyle he chose. Remember my son has been brutally murdered and I had no real news to go on and in my mental fog I said, "Are they referring to the man who killed my son?" She quietly explained, "No, Karen they are talking about Justin's lifestyle." Very confused I angrily defended my son when I yelled into the receiver, "What the hell do they mean "my son's lifestyle?" Slowly she began to tell me what had been said on national television stations about my son. He was being depicted as the biggest drug dealer of College Park, MD. This bizarre news conference had been held shortly after Justin's death, with no investigation, no knowledge of who my son is and without telling me or Justin's father our son was gone. After hearing this I sat down on the edge of the sofa and around 2:00 A.M. I asked Scott to go home. At first he was hesitant but I assured him I would be just fine. All I really wanted, at that time, was to be left alone with my grief at the sudden and unexplained loss of my son, my beautiful son. I sat down in the exact same place without moving until 3:30 P.M. Wednesday [January 12, 2011].

University of Maryland Donation letter for murdered Senior's Scholarship

I love my son, Justin, more than life itself; that his life was cut short when Justin had so many dreams coming to fruition from his years of diligence and dedication is heart wrenching. The "Justin DeSha-Overcash Summer Research Award" was put together by Justin's mentor, advisers and grad friends at the University of Maryland College Park, Md; they completed it by March 2011. Justin's legacy is to academics, his first and last real love. On January 14, 2011 a wonderful staff member from UMd called to speak with me pursuant to the arrangements for Justin's memorial; I cannot recall her name but I will always remember what she said. "Ms. DeSha did you know Justin has 174 credits?" "Yes ma'am we talk about everything." Staff member, "Did you know Justin took every difficult course offered?" "Yes ma'am Justin loves a challenge." Staff member, "Did you know Justin knows the Assistant Dean of Physics personally?" "Yes ma'am." Staff member, "NO! I mean personally [vocal emphasis on personally]." I replied, "Yes ma'am." and smiled through my tears. Justin's junior year he taught a class. Curious I asked, "Justin, did teaching a class lead you to think you might like to become a professor?" He looked at me in his 'matter-of-fact' manner and said, "No momma people don't want to learn!" That's my Justin.... LETTER AND INFORMATION TO SEND DONATIONS SUPPORT JUSTIN'S SCHOLARSHIP~PLEASE Help if you can any amount is GRATEFULLY appreciated..this scholarship is my son's legacy....God bless...I am Justin's momma

PLEASE DONATE IF YOU CAN; Thank you, I remain Justin's momma 



http://advancement.umd.edu/giving/ Search [Overcash] and follow links...God bless!

How my son died with honor.

I am sorry if I give off impressions of anger. I am attempting to honestly share; I am incapable of anger or hate. I am known as being outspoken and abrupt never would I be angry at anyone for their own views and opinions. My only wish is that everyone have conviction for their beliefs and have faith in their beliefs. What happened to my beautiful son, Justin. Justin was doing his laundry in his home off UMd's campus [in broad daylight] on January 11, 2011 [he would become the eleventh person murdered in the first eleven days of January 2011 in PG County, MD sadly the murders would continue]. A masked man with a gun came into his home and began to harass and threaten Justin [a roommate was asleep and heard Justin yelling; he would later tell the police, "I have never even heard Justin raise his voice. When I heard him yelling I knew something bad was wrong." This hidden witness crawled under his bed dialing 911. It was at this time a college friend walked into the middle of this horrible life's nightmare. The gunman turned the gun toward Justin's friend [for the FIRST time in my child's 22 years he struck a person~he hit the gunman] in an attempt to protect his buddy. The friend [now eyewitness to Justin's murder] said, "After Justin hit him the gunman turned back to face Justin. He placed the gun barrel Justin's abdomen and shot twice. I saw the greatest act of love and the greatest act of evil in the same second. I ran to Justin as the shooter ran away; I held him, I told him I love him, and I thanked him for saving my life." Justin saved two lives the day he chose to forfeit his; as a strong statistician [accountable for others and compassionate] Justin knew his odds all too well. Sadly he knew the outcome before he ever swung his fist; but this did not stop Justin. When the police were helping me pack my son's room one of them picked up a Bible off of his bookcase and asked, "Is this Justin's Bible?" Irritated [with this question] I replied, "Yes I gave it to Justin for Christmas in 2004." The police woman asked, "How do you know that?" I said, "Because I am Justin's momma." She opened it and there in my handwriting [where I had dedicated Justin's new Bible to him] 'From: Dad and Momma, Honey We love you so very much [and beneath I had written], "Always remember honey; things happen the way God plans them." I never blamed God for Justin's death and never got angry at God, I have lost count of the number of prayers begging God to let me take an others place so I may be with Justin, my constant. Life is hard. I am far from perfect I sincerely hope God has a sense of humor. I could not have never made it these two long years without GOD, friends and family. Before Justin's death I always ended my prayers with "...and God please, please never take Justin from me I don't know what I would do..." Now I have to face 'what am I going to do?' I'll never have grandchildren or great grandchildren and Justin would have been such a good dad. I do not know why God blessed me with Justin; I learned far more from him than he ever learned from me. I turned 57 January 23 and being a [peace keeper/ verbal diffuser] I was never one to share my own view points or opinions. I was too afraid of what others might think of me; after what Justin endured in his final moments I'm not afraid anymore of anyone or anything. When one had nothing to loose their vision is quite clear. I remain Justin's sad momma

2 Shot at Downtown St. Louis College « CBS St. Louis

What in the HELL is happening in this country???  I remain Justin's momma <3>

2 Shot at Downtown St. Louis College « CBS St. Louis

I'm banned ~ excerpt from RHV POST

In America NO ONE Wants you to TELL THE TRUTH! The following was posted by [of all people] a so called Victims FB Page; because THEY did not like me stating my own opinion! GOOD LORD has EVERYONE lost the last bit of sanity...AS AN AMERICAN CITIZEN I HAVE THE RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF SPEECH and MY OWN DAMN OPINION FOR THAT MATTER! Remembering Homicide Victims Karen, I've worked in some of the dangerous places in New Mexico. I've had victims of violent crimes crawl to my doorstep and beg me to call the police for them. And when my friend contacted me to help her create a place where people could go online and talk about whatever they were feeling that day because she had trouble finding those resources - i didnt hesitate. I know things are not lovely. We do our best to posts things that give people the opportunity to feel. Frankly, by some of the associations you have made with us in your post, i am insulted. We are not car dealers. We are not trying to use the victims community. We are the victim community. Now, feel free to stay part of this page. We will never not give someone the opportunity to feel. But if you continue to post these types of things and fill up this section with these types of posts, then i will have to ban you from this site. Simply because it creates a negative space. I hope you find some sort of justice for your loved one. - Nick of RHV OOOOOooooo~! "when my friend contacted me to help her create a place where people could go online and talk about whatever they were feeling that day because she had trouble finding those resources" NOW THIS IS WHAT I CALL TALKING OUT OF BOTH SIDES OF YOUR MOUTH! GUESS EXPRESSING MY FEELINGS ARE TOO REAL! I am Justin's [big mouthed~talk too much MOMMA