Hey Everyone,
I am TheWildHunt.
The story of Joshua Bersuch a.k.a. the graffiti artist Redemer is a wild and sorted tale. Joshua was an honored and valued member of his family, a charming personality, and an excellent artist. He was also a young man set up to fail with no guidance who never got the nourishment we all need to be stable was killed for it before he could redeem himself.
Joshua was born in Kansas City, Missouri on September 1, 1984. Mostly raised in Modesto, California. He was murdered in Denver, Colorado, April 24, 2004 at the age of 19.
Joshua often bounced back in between family members in Missouri, Colorado, and California from 1999 to 2004. The exact date of where he was at each location on each date is unknown. Below are approximations accurate to month and year. This investigation into his homicide began in 2012 and most of the information is gathered from first-hand accounts from police, family, friends, and associates. But as the investigation started 8 years after the murder, recollections were not as strong as one would hope. The police consider this a Cold Case, Cold Case #: 04-18683, it is still an open homicide investigation and police were not able to divulge a lot of information. It is reportedly the most brutal murder in Denver of 2004.
Josh's life was chaotic. In July of 1991, Josh's mother, "AM" attempted suicide in Raycon, Missouri in front of her children after a romantic relationship ended poorly, she was admitted into psychiatric care and Josh and his siblings were placed in the custody of his aunt "V" in Modesto, California. His father, "HB", refused to have anything to do with Josh's mother and consequently was distant in his children's lives, mostly only interacting over the phone. Josh's only stability in Modesto came from His Aunt "V" who unfortunately died later from cancer in 1996 and "AM" then resumed custody of her children after her release from the mental hospital and moved to Modesto to be with her kids. It was supposed to be temporary but she fell in love with a man named "JM" and stayed there. She and Josh had a strained relationship. Modesto is known for its meth and gang culture. Without any positive guidance from his elders, Josh became a part of that gang and drug culture. He was affiliated with the Norteno gangs and addicted to drugs. His older sister Hollie Bersuch also became gang affiliated with Nortenos and was a member of the Nazi Lowriders, a white supremacy gang. His younger brother J.D. Love unfortunately also followed in his brother's footsteps and became a Norteno.
Because of his sister's connection to this gang, she is considered a POI.
Josh moved to Colorado for the first time with his cousin "AY" in 1999 when he was 14 after getting into too much trouble in Modesto. He worked odd jobs and went to an online school. He soon met his girlfriend "SD" at the Indian Hot Springs in 1999. She would be his on-and-off girlfriend until his death in 2004 and lived with him for short periods of time both in Colorado and in Modesto. Josh switched from online to in-person classes later in the year 1999. Being used to the much more rugged hood culture, he often didn't not get along with his classmates. Whom he considered bratty and spoiled. In October of 2000, at the age of 15 Josh had a warrant issued for his arrest after he threw one of his classmates in a dumpster following a dispute. He did not turn himself in and was considered a fugitive for a while. Afterward, he was sent back to Modesto by "AY" for being a bad influence on her kids. A few months later he returned to Colorado but lived with "SZ", a friend and neighbor that lived in the same townhome complex as "AY" for a few months and worked at K-Mart. After a few months there he moved with his Great-Grandma in Missouri until he had a falling out with his Uncle "JL" and went back to Modesto. That did not work out. He became caught up in the gang life, feared for his life, and was strung out on drugs. Josh eventually woke up to the errors of his way and after finding Christianity his goal became to escape the toxic drug and gang culture. He showed his faith by choosing the tag name "Redemer" after Jesus Christ. Because of this rough upbringing, Joshua never had a fair chance at life, but after realizing his mistakes he was determined to turn his life around. He chose to live with his cousin "AY", and her 3 kids and moved to Colorado. "AY" was able to provide that foundation he needed to build a healthy life. Josh was helped by a mysterious older friend only known as "COSMO" who paid for his Greyhound ticket to leave Modesto, California, and return to Colorado. The true identity of COSMO is unknown but it is said he is some sort of hitman. Near Christmas in 2002, he showed up on "AY"'s doorstep suffering from drug withdrawals and asked if he could stay. He was allowed to stay with the stipulation that he stay off drugs and out of trouble and would be kicked out if he did. He signed up for Jobcorps and as a requirement had to turn himself in to police for his prior warrant son shoplifting and the incident with throwing his classmate in a dumpster. For those crimes, Josh served 3 months in Arapahoe County Jail in the Spring of 2003. Jail was very hard on Josh. After serving his time he finished the Jobcorps program in Utah and return to Colorado for a few weeks before heading back to California to mend his relationship with his mother then he returned to Colorado. In 2003, in Colorado, he got a job at a Ross thrift shop and used that money to attend Westwood college to pursue a degree in Graphic Design. He was a very skilled artist and found his passion in the craft. His creativity, passion, wisdom, and personality inspired and entertained many of the people around him. He dreamed of being an architect and creating a non-profit to enable disadvantaged kids to gain access to art. He also served as a huge help for "AY's kids, becoming a sort of older brother to them. During his stay with "AY", he concerningly would refer to someone being after him to try and kill him for a reason he would not elaborate on. But it was clear Josh felt a sense of impending doom.
His co-workers at Ross were unknown to this investigator and Josh's family and not disclosed by police. His friends from college were Eric Kalland Jr. and "CC". They will be covered later.
His experiences in Modesto forced him to mature quickly, making him seem much older than he actually was, in fact when the police found his body they originally mistook him for a man in his 30's. Josh was only 19 when he was murdered. He was very grateful for his new life in Colorado. His murder left a terrible void in the lives of all who loved him. The pain and grief caused by this murder have devastated the people who knew him leaving permanent emotional scars. 18 years later, this murder is still unsolved.
Tragically, his dream never came to fruition. His rotten past refused to rest in its shallow grave and the nightmares he had of being murdered came true. His burned body was found on the 4300 block Josephine/Columbine alleyway in Denver, Colorado. Near I-70 and the Purina Dog Food factory, in a neighborhood known as Globeville in Denver, Colorado.
Globeville is an industrial district where most factories in Denver are located. It is notorious for its crime, has the worst crime rate in the city, and is the known Crip territory of at least 3 Crip sets. Josh claiming Norteno affiliation, often wore red. Red clothing is a hot target in Crip territories. Globeville became a ghetto after the laws in the '80s did not allow homeowners to renovate or upgrade their homes in a gentrification attempt to drive out the locals to create more land for industrial buildings. Many murders occur there. Josh's body was found in an alleyway stripped of his clothes, he was brutally beaten likely by multiple individuals, stabbed repeatedly, and his body was tossed in the dumpster wrapped in a carpet and burned. He was wearing baggy dark navy blue jeans and a red Outkast shirt, possibly a red hat and black hoodie when he left home. Residents of Globeville found him from the smoke coming from the fire. Josh did not own a cell phone or a vehicle. The block where he was found was a prime location for graffiti due to its proximity to the railroad tracks he was likely in the area because it was very easy to get from Englewood to that spot in Denver via the light rail public transportation system here. Police believe this murder to be gang-related. Evidence shows that this person has killed before, but there is some evidence of amateur mistakes, leading one to believe that perhaps this was a gang initiation in which an experienced killer was showing a newer killer the trade.
Here is his Cold Case on the official CBI Website: (
Colorado Cold Case Files - Case Detail: Joshua Bersuch)
Here is an old 9news article that came out in May 22, 2006:
Cops trying to solve mystery of man killed and burned | 9news.com
According to a now-offline Denver Post article, dated April 26, 2004: Denver police spokeswoman Virginia Lopez says police were searching for a silver 2003 Hyundai coupe license plate 601-HLR in possible connection to Josh's homicide. Police never informed the family as to what became of this lead, however informed the family the car was seen in the area at the time of the murder.
The vehicle in question belonged to Ivan Archuleta and Sherry Archuleta (Estranged from Ivan) Former residents of Globeville. Who at the time said their son "borrowed" it for Easter weekend and never returned it. The last report was his son was missing with the car, his parents say he struggles with drug addiction. The specific son was not named. Ivan Arnold Archuleta died on August 18, 2009. Sherry Lynn Archuleta died on December 7, 2009. Both of them were 69 and died of natural causes. They had 4 children. "EC", "EN", Bret, and Ryan. Bret and Ryan have criminal records. Ryan has a drug record. I believe based on that record it was likely Ryan who took his parent's car but have had no success in tracking down any of the Archuleta's to confirm this. I have searched several possible addresses but no one answered the door nor responded to my letters. Police have not expanded on this car connection since 2004.
According to the same article, a woman in the neighborhood named Phyllis Sandoval commented on the cruelty of this homicide and was particularly disturbed because her brother was found murdered in a nearby alley a couple of years prior. Jose Sandoval was murdered in Globeville on October 26, 2002. Denver Police Department Case #2002-49625
Colorado Cold Case Files - Case Detail: Jose Sandoval He was 54 years old and taking out the trash and was shot and killed after confronting 2 unknown men in the alley. His case is also unsolved but there is no known connection to Josh's case with the exception of proximity.
Josh's case has never been given proper media attention. with very little coverage in the MSM. There were many suspects and a lot of rumors, but no closure. The initial detective, Detective Joseph Delmonico did everything he could to solve the case, but at the time the technology and cooperation weren't there. The case quickly went cold. The last known detectives on the case were Detective Baker in 2019 and Detective Johnathon Joyce in 2020. However, the Cold Case department is actively avoiding communications with the family and this investigator. Police cite the recent rise in homicides as a result of social isolation and COVID, making it clear Josh's case is not a priority to them. They also informed the family that COVID's social distancing procedures make it hard for them to interrogate people. Delmonico is the only detective that traveled to Modesto. The police have informed the family that they are not willing to pay the money to send detectives out of state on this case. There are currently only 4 homicide detectives in Denver, and over 300+ murders a year. DNA evidence was not readily viable in Denver in 2004 and the carpet his body was found in was not tested until 2019 when nothing substantial was found. No other DNA evidence was retained.
There are a number of ways this could've played out, this situation is a total mess and full of rumors, conjecture how there isn't much concrete evidence.
On the afternoon of Friday, April 23, 2004, Josh informed his family that he was going to a graffiti warehouse to tag with his friend when one of his younger cousins asked to go with him he told him no. He spent the day with Eric Kalland Jr. whom he met during his time at Westwood College. It is also possible his other Westwood friend "CC" joined them that night. According to Eric, they went to a job fair that afternoon, and spent the night tagging and went to a couple of bars (no names given to me), had a few beers, and tried to get laid or got laid with 2 women named Kristin and Elise (No last names given). Eric also said they went to a party that night after the bars, but doesn't know how Josh ended up in Globeville. He claims the party was in another location, however, only police know where that location was. Police did not believe Eric's story and Eric quickly stopped cooperating with detectives prompted by his father and they actually filed a restraining order against Detective Delmonico. Eric Kalland Jr. is considered a suspect by police. I have not spoken personally with Eric, last I heard he was in prison in Colorado for felony menacing with a firearm but I was unable to locate where specifically. Once he is located, this investigator intends to interview him.
Josh had 4 siblings; 3 sisters, Hollie Bersuch, "SB", and "KL". Hollie is the only sister who was a gang member, the other 2 although dating a few members never officially joined any gang. Josh, Hollie, and "SB" are children of "HB". "KL" and JD are children of Arturo Davila who was robbed and murdered, he was shot to death in Kansas possibly around 1996, however, there are no news stories to corroborate this and it doesn't appear his murder is connected to Josh's. Hollie's connections to the gang were concerning and that will become clear soon.
Josh had one younger brother JD. JD was also murdered. It does not appear to have any connection to Josh's homicide. JD was stabbed to death by a man named Shabach on 02 May 2011 in an apartment complex in Modesto California after the ex of "SB", Carlos Soto (Chucky), started a fight with Shabach allegedly over a cigarette. Shabach claimed self-defense and was acquitted of murder. The word on the street is that Shabach got off on self-defense because of his political connections of being a cop's son and that JD was a known gang member.
There are also rumors that Chucky instigated the murder of JD on purpose. Allegedly Chucky was also calling Josh a snitch around the time of Josh's murder after a car-jacking Chucky committed had gone wrong. Being called a snitch in those circles could very well lead to one being killed. However, that is purely speculative, and Chucky is unable to verify any of this information as he died on 16JUN2021 after drowning in a reservoir in Modesto, California.
Drowning victim found at Woodward Reservoir | abc10.com He was considered a POI and had an extensive criminal record, including car-jackings.
Josh's on-and-off girlfriend "SD" claimed they were separated at the time of his murder. She was 17 at the time of his murder. She did have some connections to the Crips gangs in Aurora, Colorado. Her older sister "AD" was a gang member of the East Point Crips in Aurora, Colorado."AD" was allegedly suspected of involvement in a gang-related murder in the 8th grade in Aurora, but I was unable to find any news articles on that, nor have I spoken with "AD" yet. There are complications with retrieving official police records surrounding this incident as all of the participants were minors at the time. From what I know, "AD" turned away from gang life at the age of 17 and now works as a Cosmetologist. Police believe "SD" may have utilized her and her sister's Crip connections to have Josh killed in retaliation to him cheating on her. There are also allegations that "SD" had possibly had an affair with local Crip members in Aurora, though this has not been confirmed. Both her and "AD" are considered POI by police.
I am in contact with "SD", aware of her location, and have interviewed her on her account of events. I have not contacted "AD" yet but am aware of her location. According to witnesses Josh also allegedly had an affair with "SD"'s and his friend "HC". "HC" has been unable to confirm this and I am currently searching for her, according to her family she is currently on drugs and homeless somewhere in Colorado. She is also a POI. Joshua also allegedly cheated on"SD" with his ex-girlfriend Melissa Green after returning to Modesto. "SD" and Josh got into a verbal fight in Modesto in 2003 that turned physical, afterward "SD" left Josh in Modesto and returned to Colorado. Others claimed she reconciled with him in Colorado, but she claimed they did not reunite after that.
It was known and confirmed that Josh went back to California the month of his murder in April of 2004. His friend Heather Glover, 15 was murdered by Mikhiel Leinweber, 22, on March 26, 2004.
https://www.fearnotlaw.com/wsnkb/articles/p-v-leinweber-9956.html Mikhiel "Mickey" Leinweber shot Heather Glover in the head after he believed she stole his car. He fled the scene of the murder and was arrested April 7th, 2004 in Crescent City, California on his way to Oregon.
Josh attended her funeral on that Tuesday, April 6, 2004 at 2 p.m. at Lakewood Funeral Home, Hughson, CA 95326. Heather, Mikheil and Josh were all in the same social circles specifically connected to the Nazi Lowriders. Heather and Josh were affiliates and Mikheil was a known member of the Nazi Lowriders. Josh was connected to this group via his sister Hollie Bersuch. Josh's ex-girlfriend Melissa Green was also present at the murder of Heather Glover as a witness. It was possible Joshua and Melissa reunited at Heather Glover's funeral. It is possible but unlikely that Leinweber ran into Josh and highly possible someone he knew saw Josh at Heather's wake.
Melissa Green has not been questioned by police about Josh's case since 2004. They did not disclose to the family what she said. Melissa Green's exact location is unknown and is a known meth user. Her last known location was somewhere in Oklahoma.
Leinweber was convicted of murder and is in state prison on a sentence of 111 years, 25 to life tripled for prior convictions and some additional convictions. Leinweber was interviewed by this investigator via mail in 2012 in connection to this homicide and is considered a suspect. He was very cryptic in is responses but claimed nothing happened in Modesto in his circles that he wasn't privy to. He claimed to be the prime suspect in ~7 unsolved murders and seemed to take pride in that saying if it were up to him they'd remain cold cases. Mentioning a Lacy Ferguson. However Lacy's murderer, David Aguilar was arrested in 2016 and convicted in 2017.
Arrest Made In Cold Case Murder Of Modesto Woman There is no mention of Leinweber in this case but it is possible he knew about it. It is also possible he was just making claims to feel important. He made it clear he did not like Josh and considered him a fool. He mentioned the carpet Josh was rolled up in but, it is possible he found that in news articles at the time. He specifically mentions that the COSMOS, the universal justice always balances the scales. Which may be a reference to the mysterious Cosmo of before or just a coincidence. He claimed that a William "wowo" Nelson killed Josh and that he was an enemy of Wowo and drove him out of Modesto to Fontana. He claimed to be a friend of Melissa Green and ask what did "wowo" do to her implying he knew? Leinweber believed that this William Nelson had harmed Melissa Green and that Josh had retaliated on her behalf. He then offered to tell everything if I could solve this riddle:
"Now if you can tell me why I was two polar opposites, and still am."
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
33 letters Total
1st word 2 letters
2nd word 2 letters
3rd word 3 letters
4th word 6 letters
5th word 2 letters
6th word 8 letters
7th word 2 letters
8th word 2 letters
9th word 6 letters
He also offered to tell me more information if I sent him heroin. Unfortunately, I never solved this riddle or sent him heroin.
But was able to find this principle to be likely:
The 4th Hermetic Principle: Duality
Everything is dual
Everything has poles; everything has it's pairs of opposites
like & unlike are the same;
Opposites are identical in Nature, but different in degree:
Extremes meet; All truths
are half-truths; All paradoxes may be reconciled - Kybalion
I just couldn't make it fit into the spaces provided. I ceased this communication with Leinweber after he tried to send people after me. He did not find me as I used a proxy. I didn't want to endanger anyone else by continuing communication with him.
His story was actually corroborated by a few other sources. "William Nelson" is likely not his real name, that's the name of a popular singer. But, even 2 psychics who were not contacted but reached out of their own volition and confirmed this version of the story and spoke on details that were not public. According to these other sources and these psychics"wowo" and 2 other men, all Nazi Lowriders planned to kill Josh after Josh had retaliated against "wowo" after "wowo" did something to Melissa Green. Their connection to the Nazi Lowriders leads one to believe Hollie may know more than she is telling. They allegedly drove to Colorado and killed him. There was a reference connection to a man named "JS" claiming he was arrested with "Wowo" in Montana for the distribution of meth. I was able to find records of this incident and a "WS" was named. "WS" has records of living both in Montana, Fontana, CA, and Modesto, CA. However, I haven't been able to prove this "WS" is this "Wowo" in question. The second man is said to be "JS" and a "JC" both connected to Modesto, CA. Sources claim "JC" got frostbite on his foot the night he allegedly killed Josh. Although April is Spring time, historical weather reports of Denver for April 24, 2004, confirm the temperature dropped to below freezing around midnight and stayed that way for the rest of the day. Josh's body was found around 0314AM. Which means this is possible.
Josh had a number of tagging friends in Colorado. "EM", "SZ", "CC" and "RJ". It is unclear whether Josh met "CC" through Westwood College or from their mutual friend "SZ". Eric Kalland Jr. was more into drug use but also joined him in tagging.
"CC" is currently in an unknown prison in Colorado and unavailable for an interview.
"EM" met Josh in Kansas at the age of 5 and spent his entire life as a family friend. "EM" lived with Josh for a time in Littleton, Colorado as well as in Modesto. He confirmed Josh was a Norteno and was possibly a Norteno himself. "EM" was also involved with Melissa Green and they have children together. He and Josh had a falling out over Melissa Green and was not in touch with Josh when he was murdered. "ME" is not a suspect nor is he a POI as he was out of state in the Army at the time of the murder.
"SZ" and Joshua created the tagging crew known as the Mad Assassins (MA) with another member called "I" and tagged together in the Littleton area around Belleview Park. He also confirmed Josh was a Norteno. "SZ" was reluctant to give any further information on "I". "SZ" was aware of Globeville being a Crip Territory. He was aware of a graffiti warehouse called the PrimerDome, it could be the graffiti warehouse Josh had mentioned to his family he claimed to be going to on the night of his murder. I was not able to find any details on this warehouse. "SZ" also knew and lived with "HC" on a few occasions. He was not in contact with Josh at the time of his murder he heard about it on the news. "SZ" is a father and is described as a chill dude by multiple sources who would rather stay home than get into trouble. He is not a suspect nor a POI.
"RJ" and Joshua created the tagging crew in Colorado known as Kidz Wit Talent (KWT) they were also known as Kings Of Krylon or (KOK) with "CC". "RJ" was a Crip, SCG Crips from south/southeast metro area, and a known street racer. "RJ" met Joshua and "EM" at a park and challenged them because they were wearing red and eventually became friends. They regularly tagged around Belleview park. Belleview & Windermere., under the train tracks by the Dog Park. They also tagged all across Denver including in that Globeville area where Josh's body was found. Josh and "RJ" had beef with other taggers known as Johnny Blaze and Drastic whose name might have been Aaron. Drastic's named allegedly stood for "Destroy Everything". KWT also had beef with Zero, who was involved in a lot of shady things, in and out of jail crew called MHK. Unknown meaning. One time in 2003, Drastic lured "RJ" to a warehouse on I-25 for a drug deal of ecstasy, tried to get "RJ" in the backseat of the car, his friend reached into his ankle for a walnut handle gun, possibly a revolver. The deal was set up by Johnny Blaze, via their friend "CC". "RJ" warned Josh to stay away from Johnny Blaze and Drastic. "RJ" believed SD was cheating on Joshua Bersuch with some black crips in Aurora. Says Joshua Bersuch stole their CDs and was claiming Norteno around them which upset them. "RJ" says Crips for the set in Globeville were bragging about killing a Norteno Tagger in that area around April of 2004 but as a Crip, himself stuck the "G-Code" and refused to give any further details. "RJ" relationship was strained with Josh at the time of the homicide after they had an incident with a friend. "RJ" interestingly enough has reached out many times to help with the investigation, but often fails to deliver anything that can be confirmed.
So based on all the above we have several possibilities here: Josh was killed by random Crips in Globeville for wearing the wrong colors, Josh was set up by Chucky to be killed for being a "snitch", Josh was set up by "SD" to be killed by Crips out of relationship drama, Josh was killed by "wowo", "JS" and "JC" in retaliation for some offense by Josh, Josh was killed on the orders of Mikheil Leinweber from prison, Josh was killed by rival taggers Drastic and Johnny Blaze he and his crew had beef with, Josh was killed by his friend Eric Kalland Jr. for some unknown slight. Or it could be none of these scenarios and something else entirely happened. I personally think there isn't enough information here circumstantial or physical to be conclusive in any direction though some scenarios seem more plausible than others. The only people who really know are the people involved.
I believe it was highly unlikely it was Chucky or "SD", as the family reported "SD" was really torn up at Josh's funeral and was really close with Josh's family in Colorado she may have been upset with Josh but I do not think she would kill him. Chucky has a kid with one of Josh's sisters. Chucky is also dead and unable to answer questions. But it is still possible and police haven't ruled it out either scenario.
I believe it was likely this "wowo" and 2 other men as most sources, unknown to each other have corroborated this account of events and a lot of circumstantial evidence corroborates this as well. I do not believe it likely Mikheil Leinweber killed Josh as he was probably more focused on fleeing his recent homicide and he could be lying about his knowledge to entertain himself at my expense, but it is still a possibility that he could. Hits sent out from Prisoners are not unheard of. And sending people after me looks pretty suspicious.
I think it's very possible Josh could've been killed just for wearing the wrong colors in the wrong neighborhood that has certainly happened before. But how do you determine that happened with no personal connection? And dying from another tagger unfortunately is also not unheard of.
Detective Delmonico strongly suspected Eric Kalland Jr. Was anyone able to corroborate his story? His going quiet and filing of a restraining order against a homicide detective is certainly suspicious.
Of course, there are still many unanswered questions. Why did Josh think someone was going to kill him? What became of the connection with the silver 2003 Hyundai? How many people were killed in the same manner in Modesto and Denver? Why did Eric Kalland Jr. go silent? What is he hiding? Where did Josh really go that night? Where was the party? Was there really a graffiti warehouse? Did any of his co-workers at Ross know him personally? What did "wowo" do to Melissa Green? Who is this mysterious COSMO? Who was "I" in the tagging crew MA and what might he know? What are the real names is Drastic, Johnny Blaze, and Zero? Do they have prior convictions? Do police keep records of graffiti artists from 18 years ago? What are all the gangs in Modesto in the area Josh lived in? What are all the Crip sets in Globeville? Is the story about "AD" being involved in a murder true? How can one access sealed Juvenile records? Do schools keep records from 18 years ago? Is there a memorial book for Heather Glover's funeral like there was for Josh if so where could I find it? Are Kristin and Elise from his last night significant? Should the family have Josh's case closed so the police can disclose the information they won't share? etc, etc.
I started my investigation via the memorial book at Josh's funeral identified the names of the attendants and track them all down one by one. I talked to his family members and gathered their stories. I talked to the police, in fact, bugged them to the point where they are currently avoiding me. Then I pulled records on everyone I had full names for and some level of involvement. I started my investigation on behalf of Josh's family pro bono in 2012. I officially became a PI in 2021 because of this case.
So far I have talked to his family, police and "EM", "ZS", "SD", "RJ", and many other sources I cannot name. There are also many details I also cannot share but above is the gist of it.
I still have to talk to "AD", and locate and interview "CC", Eric Kalland Jr., Melissa Green, "HC", and "HB". I can interview the more dangerous subjects such as who I believe to be "wowo", "JS" and "JC" but I'd rather have more concrete stuff before I talk to potential hostiles.
There are, of course, many roadblocks with a private investigation. First off, I have no authority and cannot force anyone to talk. Then you have the G-Code of silence from Gang members, and on the other side, the police legally cannot tell me certain things about an active homicide. Even if they themselves won't look. They wouldn't even call the Modesto police department. The police even told me that the only way this case will be solved is if someone like me gets people to speak up. Then you have the fact that it is an 18-year-old murder and both physical and online records have been disappearing. Several crucial letters that may have included important context clues were destroyed years before I made contact with sources. Letters were Josh's main form of communication. Many articles online in 2004 are now gone. Westwood has gone out of business. Ross has no records that far back. Most people like homicide shows, but do not like to talk about actual homicides. It also costs a lot of time and money to pull backgrounds on everyone, find their location, and travel to it. People who needed to be spoken to have also died before their account was recorded AND many of the sources are known gang members and drug addicts with clear vendettas against each other. There is also the trouble of people only knowing other people's street names which are hard to do background searches on. Then, of course, I have my own life to live which often interferes.
But regardless of all these challenges I am dedicated to pursuing this case and will leave no stone unturned. There is still so much to ask, learn and uncover. I will do what I can when I can. Josh's tragic tale has of a lost soul aiming for redemption only for his life to be cut short before he could reach it has truly touched my heart, and his family deserves answers and relief from their pain. 18 years of agony is far too long.
Many have made it clear they will not help this pursuit of Justice. Maybe you can? Let me know what you think.
