Jesse Valencia dies in fatal Columbia, Missouri stabbing
Fatal Columbia, Missouri stabbing death of Jesse Valencia – Obituary
When Jesse Valencia was just seven years old, he made a chilling prediction to his mother. He told her, “Mom, I’m not gonna live to be very old. I’m gonna die at a very young age,” his mother, Linda Valencia, recounted during an episode of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered.
Tragically, sixteen years later, Jesse’s premonition came to fruition. On June 5, 2004, the 23-year-old University of Missouri student was found dead, partially unclothed, lying in the grass between two houses near the campus. Jesse had been fatally stabbed, sustaining a severe neck wound.
“I never imagined he would die like that,” Linda reflected in the episode titled “Before Daylight.”
Jesse’s untimely death left those close to him reeling. The ensuing investigation led detectives through Jesse’s extensive list of relationships and uncovered an unexpected suspect among those who had been involved in securing the murder scene.
Jesse and his mother, Linda, shared a deep bond. Linda, having given birth to Jesse at the age of 21, often said they grew up together. “From the time he was born, I took him everywhere with me. I wouldn’t even go out on dates unless I took him with me, and everyone accepted it,” Linda recalled.
As Jesse ventured to college, he maintained a close connection with his mother, sharing everything from academic ambitions to romantic escapades. “He was very outgoing and candid,” Linda described her openly gay son. “He’d always speak his mind and, if needed, soften his words a bit, but he’d always be honest about his feelings.”
The first in his family to attend college, Jesse thrived academically and was well-regarded. “He had many friends,” Columbia Police Detective John Short noted. “He enjoyed partying, like most college students.”
On the early morning of June 5, 2004, Jesse’s life ended abruptly. Police found his body with his apartment door open, suggesting he might have tried to escape his attacker. His body also bore multiple bruises, and it appeared he had been chased down and had his throat slashed.
“He was everything to me, and I just couldn’t believe he was gone,” Linda told Dateline: Secrets Uncovered.
Detectives began piecing together Jesse’s last days. Just days before his death, Jesse had met a new romantic interest, a chef named Ed, at a local club. Ed admitted to having been with Jesse the day before his body was discovered and had been seen with him at a party the night he died, but he denied any involvement in the murder.
Ed’s roommate, Eric, expressed clear disdain for Jesse, raising him as a potential suspect. “Eric said something like, ‘I wouldn’t care if he was dead,’” Detective Short revealed.
Another individual, Zev, a 19-year-old son of a rabbi, was also questioned. Although Jesse referred to Zev as his “boy toy,” Zev insisted their relationship was purely platonic, despite attempts to contact Jesse the night he was killed.
Adding to the complexity, a witness reported seeing a distraught young man walking barefoot near the crime scene, though it was uncertain if this was related to Jesse’s murder.
The case took an unexpected twist when it was revealed that Jesse was involved with a married Columbia police officer, Steven Rios. Rios, who had initially interacted with Jesse during an arrest for a loud party, began a secret affair with him. Jesse had confided to a friend about his clandestine relationship with the officer, who he referred to as “Columbia’s finest.”
Rios, a respected officer with a commendable record, was married to Libby Sullivan and had a newborn. When detectives learned of Rios’s voluntary presence at the crime scene and his subsequent confession of an affair with Jesse, they began to suspect him further. Rios initially denied involvement but eventually admitted to the relationship and confessed to working his regular shift the night Jesse was killed.
Rios’s wife was devastated by the revelation of the affair. “I was just in shock,” Sullivan said.
After Jesse’s murder, Rios attempted suicide, first threatening to kill himself with a shotgun and later on a parking garage ledge. Despite these attempts, he was persuaded to seek help.
The case against Rios solidified when it was found that his DNA and hair were on Jesse’s body, and officers testified that Rios had left work earlier than he claimed. Prosecutors contended that Rios used a police choke hold before killing Jesse. A friend of Jesse’s mentioned that Jesse had planned to expose the affair, potentially providing a motive for Rios.
In 2005, Rios was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole. However, a 2008 retrial resulted in a second-degree murder conviction with eligibility for parole in 2049. Rios’s ex-wife continues to support his innocence, and Rios himself maintains his innocence from prison.
Linda Valencia continues to grieve her son’s loss. “I miss him every day,” she said. “Every heartbeat.”
Fatal Columbia, Missouri stabbing death of Jesse Valencia – Obituary When Jesse Valencia was just seven years old, he made a chilling prediction to his mother. He told her, “Mom, I’m not gonna live to be very old. I’m gonna die at a very young age,” his mother, Linda Valencia, recounted during an episode of…
Fatal Columbia, Missouri stabbing death of Jesse Valencia – Obituary When Jesse Valencia was just seven years old, he made a chilling prediction to his mother. He told her, “Mom, I’m not gonna live to be very old. I’m gonna die at a very young age,” his mother, Linda Valencia, recounted during an episode of…