Investigation continues into Tulsa high school teen's death
BY AMANDA BLAND World Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 05, 2013
3/05/13 at 8:01 AM
Homicide detectives are continuing to investigate the stabbing death of a Rogers High School student last week, conducting additional interviews and awaiting DNA testing.
"We know who the family says" killed her, said Tulsa Police Sgt. Dave Walker of 18-year-old Gabrielle "Gabby" Bledsoe.
Bledsoe's mother had returned home from staying with a relative to find Gabby dead inside their residence in the 1800 block of North Atlanta Avenue around 8:45 a.m. Saturday.
Walker said investigators couldn't find anything in Bledsoe's background to indicate anybody she associates with directly would kill her.
"We look at the immediate family then to see if they're bringing anything to it and ... there's somebody in that little circle that they're saying is violent and has tendencies," Walker said.
"But that doesn't make him a murderer. That just means that we've got to go find the guy and talk to him."
Investigators have spoken to the man once and have not received cooperation from people directly connected to him.
"We don't have a whole picture to say they're clear ... but they're not helping us with that," Walker said.
Bledsoe tweeted "have the house to myself everybody gone" on Twitter before her death, Walker confirmed. Detectives are unsure whether the tweet tipped off her assailant.
She describes herself as "the most outgoing person you could ever meet" on her Twitter page. Her Facebook profile says she loved basketball, was loud and liked to have fun.
That sentiment was shared by Dezarae Bledsoe outside of the home where her young cousin was slain.
"She was goofy, funny and she had a sweet side," Dezarae Bledsoe said, standing next to a makeshift memorial made up of purple balloons and stuffed animals. "Gabby was like my little sister."
Rogers Principal Stacey Vernon said the school's students declined invitations to speak to the media.
But their lost classmate and friend was at the forefront of their thoughts Monday, as evidenced by the purple clothing they wore to honor her memory.
"The students did wear purple today to honor Gabby. The students had the idea and contacted me over the weekend for approval," Vernon said. "We are really focusing on helping them cope with this tragedy and start the road to recovery."
Breyan Jackson, 16, a junior at Rogers High, was still in disbelief that the teenager with whom she had recently taken college entrance exams was now gone.
"It's hard to lose someone you talk to every day," Jackson said about the death of her best friend, who had aspirations of enrolling at the University of Oklahoma and earning a law degree. "We don't know why someone would do this to her."
Investigators were "re-canvassing" Bledsoe's neighborhood late Monday morning.
"As it stands right now, it's going to be the science to all of this. ... That's what we're doing, is collecting evidence (and) submitting it to the lab," Walker said.
Laboratory tests for forensic evidence, particularly DNA, can take months, he said.
"I think it'll get solved. I think right now we're just kind of waiting for that one piece to say 'Aha,' and we don't have it."
World Staff Writers Kendrick Marshall and Andrea Eger contributed to this story.
Original Print Headline: Probe into teen's death continues
Amanda Bland 918-581-8413
amanda.bland@tulsaworld.com
Associated Images:
Gabrielle "Gabby" Bledsoe: The Rogers High School student was found stabbed to death in her home last week. Police are following leads in the case.
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