A Mother Who Tirelessly Searched For her Missing Son for 7 Months Eventually Learns That The Police Had Killed and Secretly Buried Him, Withholding This information From Her

 

A Mississippi woman, who spent months searching for her missing son, has now demanded answers after discovering that her son, Dexter Wade, 37, was struck and killed by an off-duty police corporal.

Bettersten Wade last saw her son, Dexter Wade, on March 5, according to NBC News. On that day, upon returning home and finding a broken window, they had an argument. This led to Dexter leaving their home with a friend. Dexter had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, but at the time, he seemed to be in good health. He had good relations with his neighbors and stayed in close touch with his two young daughters.

“He didn’t seem like he was in a bad place,” Bettersen told NBC News. “But I don’t know what happened that particular day.”

On March 14, Bettersten contacted the Jackson Police Department to report her son as missing. This was a challenging step for Bettersten, as her 62-year-old brother had been killed by a member of the same police department, leading to a conviction of manslaughter. Her family was already engaged in a legal battle with the Jackson Police Department.

“My mama told me, ‘They’re not going to do anything,’” Bettersten told NBC News. “But I had to do something to find Dexter, and I thought that was the best way.”

Bettersten remained persistent in contacting the Jackson Police Department. Her friend, Carey Banks, explained, “She called someone every week and asked about her child. She couldn’t get it off her mind. She was crazy about that boy.”

It was later revealed that Dexter had been struck and killed by the off-duty corporal just an hour after he left home. The corporal contacted the police but was not subjected to a field sobriety test or cited for any traffic violations. The incident was ruled as an accident.

Although Dexter didn't have any identification on him when he passed away, he did have a prescription pill bottle in his pocket. Within three days, a Hinds County coroner investigator, LaGrand Elliott, identified Bettersten as the next of kin.

Elliott stated that he left a voicemail for Bettersten, but she had no recollection of receiving the call. He confirmed Dexter's identity through fingerprints and forwarded the case to the Jackson Police Department, giving them an address and phone number. This was done on March 9, a few days before Bettersten reported her son as missing.

Elliott explained, “Once we get that information I turn it over to police because it is their jurisdiction so that they can do the proper death notification.” He contacted the Jackson Police Department the day Bettersten filed the report and followed up multiple times, but they had no new information.

Elliott's continued efforts ran parallel to Bettersten's repeated attempts to locate her son in April, May, and June. Dexter was laid to rest on July 14 in a pauper's field, and the investigator handling his missing persons case retired at the end of July.

A new investigator was assigned to the case on August 13. Within two weeks, she informed Bettersten about Dexter's fate.

“They had me looking for him all that time, and they knew who he was,” Bettersten said. Now, she's left questioning whether the police response was related to her brother's death, saying, "Maybe it was a vendetta. Maybe they buried my son to get back at me."

The officer who struck Dexter Wade remains publicly unidentified.

[SOURCE]