Daisy De La O: Justice through TikTok | Hashtag Homicide | Forensic Files

[audio logo] [intriguing music] - Daisy De La O was known for being loving, funny, creative, kind.
Daisy was 15 years old when she met Victor Sosa on a dating app, and he was 21 years old.
Sean Kipe: Family and friends of Daisy's start seeing signs of violence, of manipulation by Sosa.
Laura Richards: Women, when they're being abused, when they've had this relationship
and there's coercive control, it would take them at least seven times to leave successfully.
- When Daisy finally ended the relationship with Victor, it took a turn, and no one could have seen the tragic end
that was coming for Daisy. - The initial media response was so disappointing, and it makes you wonder, this Mexican-American girl,
was it not as important to put this story out there and to have the widespread media coverage?
- Justice for Daisy! crowd: Justice for Daisy! - Justice for Daisy! Laura Richards: The media don't report on cases like Daisy's.
No one should be a footnote in their own murder. Alisha Holland: Months went by without any word of progress
being made in Daisy's case. Daisy's best friend decided to take matters into her own hands.
I'm going to make a TikTok and maybe this will help get some information out there.
- She laid everything out and said, you know what, TikTok do your thing. Susana Salas: For me, I saw how many views that video has.
I was shocking that my daughter mattered. It changed my life. It changed the outcome of my daughter's case.
[theme music] ♪ ♪ [calm music] ♪ ♪ [gentle music] Dr. Carlena Orosco: I absolutely love Los Angeles.
There's so many different cultures and we all come together to coexist in this incredible space.
And it really is an incredibly beautiful and diverse city. - Los Angeles is a sprawling part of Southern California.
A lot of people think, oh, LA, and it's just this city, but it is massive and it has a lot
of connecting neighborhoods. And one of those is Compton, which has its own reputation
because of some history there. But Compton is really a close-knit community of people that have, for the most part,
kind of grown up in that area, and they look out for each other and take care of each other
as a community. narrator: Living in Compton is a teenage girl named Daisy De La O.
- Daisy De La O was known for being loving, funny, creative, kind, and helpful. She loved to go camping.
She loved to cook with her mother, and she was really known for always finding a positive outlook, no matter what was going on.
- Me as a young girl, I grew up loving Barbies, loving dolls, loving all that. Daisy was the opposite.
Daisy was skateboarder, skates, bikes. She wasn't like me. Maybe a little in the attitude and stubbornness,
but the other part, no. Alisha Holland: When her parents divorced, Daisy and her two brothers and mother
moved from Huntington Park, California, just a few miles South to Compton. And that's where they were living.
Even though they had moved from Huntington Park to Compton, it was close enough that Daisy was still able to attend
Huntington Park High School. - So Daisy moved to Compton with her mother and her grandparents and her brother,
and she had a pretty rough start, I would say. She was very close to her father.
And so when this divorce happened, it really cut deep with her. - She was too young to carry a lot of stuff
that, sadly, her dad left for her to carry. Yeah, we went from living in a three-bedroom
to a tiny little studio. That was very rough. And Daisy, I remember the first night I
was crying because I felt like a failure, and she said, Mom, at least we're not in the street.
That was tough. That was very tough. [intriguing music] narrator: In 2017, 15-year-old Daisy creates
a profile on a dating app where she meets a man named Victor Sosa. - Daisy was 15 years old when she
met Victor Sosa on a dating app, and he was 21 years old. Daisy kept the age difference between herself
and Victor a secret, and they soon started dating. Dr. Carlena Orosco: If we think about dating
apps in a social media context, it's kind of the same form. You are interacting with different folks.
You see very limited information. We don't even know if it's factual information.
And so it leads to these very brief interactions that then transition into off-the-app interactions.
And so with that there's immense risk. And there are mechanisms in place on dating apps for any type of interactions that
are completely inappropriate, that can be flagged and individuals can be removed.
But short of that, there's really this veil of anonymity that comes with the dating app, where you don't really
have a good sense of who you're interacting with at the time. - It wasn't until Susana, Daisy's mother,
met Victor and saw his tattoos that she realized he was not 15 or 16 years old. He was much older, and she was pretty concerned.
Sean Kipe: Very quickly, family and friends of Daisy's start seeing signs of violence,
of manipulation, controlling tendencies by Sosa. And it just gets worse from there.
Dr. Carlena Orosco: Victor was kind of isolated, a little bit to himself, kind of reclusive in a sense.
However, he was incredibly controlling. He was verbally abusive, incredibly insecure,
very jealous, and had this kind of anger response or these outbursts that would occur whenever there
were disagreements with Daisy. - It didn't take long for people in Daisy's life to see signs of abuse, such as bites and scratches
and bruising. If anyone confronted her about it, she would brush it off and say, oh, it's nothing.
But for those who really knew Daisy, it felt like maybe she was covering for Victor.
The abuse actually escalated to the point that Daisy's little brother was a witness to some of it.
There was an occasion where Daisy and Victor were just watching TV in their apartment, and
suddenly, an argument escalated into a physical altercation and Victor started to strangle Daisy.
Her little brother had to jump in and physically intervene to make him stop. Dr. Carlena Orosco: He was incredibly possessive,
controlling, very jealous and insecure, and had these feelings of infidelity that were not fact-based, but that he
kind of felt were occurring. And it led to a lot of outbursts on his end. It led to violence, as I mentioned,
and threats of violence, just this really volatile situation that was very, very difficult to step away from.
narrator: In 2019, two years into their relationship, and with Daisy still underage, Victor's abuse
escalates to a dangerous level. - One of the worst occasions of abuse, Daisy and Victor
were outside of the apartment talking on the sidewalk. Something happened and Victor took his skateboard
and smashed it on Daisy's head. And then he took off on foot. Daisy had blood running down her forehead.
There was nothing he could do to have protected his sister. It was too late. Laura Richards: Susana knew that things were not right,
and she saw that he had split her head open. She needed stitches, and Susana had said to her,
you know, you need to go to the hospital. Let me take you. So she does go to the hospital.
A safeguarding does see Daisy, and she was stitched up and Susana wanted her to talk to the police.
[ominous music] narrator: Hoping for police support, Susana is left frustrated when they
insist the case cannot move forward without a statement from Daisy. Laura Richards: Women, when they're
being abused by men, when they've had this relationship and there's coercive control, it
will take them at least seven times to leave successfully. So what you see, and I've seen this in thousands of cases,
is a back and forth. He says, well, I love you, I'll change, It won't happen again.
And oftentimes the woman thinks, I want to be with him, I just want the violence and abuse to stop.
And so they give them the benefit of the doubt. And as I always say, do not, do not do that.
But the problem is the coercive controller is very manipulative, and they will use every lever, every manipulation
to get that victim back. - There's a number of reasons why that may occur. I know it's hard for some people
to kind of wrap their heads around that, but ultimately there's this fear of further victimization.
Perhaps there's, you know, this fear that they will be harmed if they report this incident or their family.
There also may be a sense of shame associated with something like that. Perhaps there's a perception that nothing will be done.
Sean Kipe: Daisy's mother tried to protect her, and it becomes more and more difficult for a parent
to protect their kid every day. They're not with them all the time. But when she saw how this relationship with Victor Sosa
was violent and abusive, Daisy's mother went to three different police stations to file restraining orders against Sosa.
narrator: Despite being unable to secure any support from the police, Daisy's mother is determined
to protect her daughter. Alisha Holland: Susana decided to go to the Huntington Park High School admin,
and they brought in Daisy's brother and interviewed him about those incidents and asked him about Victor's behavior.
They then brought in Daisy and asked her the same questions, but she denied anything was happening.
But when they pushed and said, your own brother claimed to have seen all of this,
are you saying he's a liar? She couldn't bring herself to throw her brother under the bus, and she broke down and admitted,
yes, Victor was being abusive, and he was dangerous. This was a great first step and he was not permitted
on the school campus. With that success, Susana took that energy and went to the property manager
of their apartment complex. And they were also understanding, and they too said that Victor was
not permitted on the property. There were steps in place now to protect Daisy. narrator: Despite these safeguards to protect her,
Daisy continues to see Victor on and off until January 2021, when she finally ends their relationship
after four years together. Alisha Holland: Daisy was in the car with her mother and she casually told her, oh, I'm
done seeing what's his name. Because by then she knew better than to say Victor's name
in front of her mother. And Susana was elated to hear this news because it sounded different.
It sounded like this time she meant it, or maybe she was finally out of love with Victor
and she really was going to be done. - Daisy had made it very clear that it was over.
She didn't want to be with him anymore. Now, it takes a lot to get to that point.
And she was serious about it. She deleted all her social media with him in it. The challenge is that he would have seen that too.
And so for his psychopathology, his thinking, finality, she really means it this time.
All the times before he's managed to get her back. But the deletion of social media
means that he knows that's it. - There are a lot of risk factors associated with, you know, when we see intimate partner
homicide occurring. It typically is among the most dangerous periods after dissolving a relationship or leaving a relationship.
But ultimately it's a loss of control for this person, and that can lead to really volatile and violent responses
in an effort to regain that as well. narrator: With the relationship now over, Daisy begins to rebuild her life.
But as Victor realizes he is losing his grip on her, he resorts to drastic measures.
[audio logo] [intriguing music] narrator: Compton, Los Angeles, 2021. 19-year-old Daisy De La O is rebuilding her life after years
trapped in a violent and abusive relationship with Victor Sosa, a man she met on a dating app
when she was 15 and he was 21. She is finally free and hopeful for the future. Alisha Holland: Daisy was just 19 years old,
and she was taking business admin courses at East LA College in Monterey Park, California,
and she was really excited about it. She had the goal of someday opening up her own salon,
where she would do cosmetic tattoos and other treatments, and she was really looking forward
to being a businesswoman. narrator: But suddenly, on February 22, everything changes.
- Daisy and her mother are sitting watching TV in their apartment, on February 22, 2021,
and she got a text on her phone and stands up and says, you know, I'll be right back.
- Susana happened to glance over and saw that it was from Victor, and it said, I had something for you.
She was devastated to see that Victor was still in contact with Daisy. But Daisy assured her, I'm going to go deal with this.
I'll be right back, don't worry. And she left, and Susana had no way of knowing that that would be the last moment that she
saw her daughter alive. ♪ ♪ - I thought she was going to come in, like, at 11:00,
like always, you know. And I woke up and she wasn't there. I was like, oh my gosh, she's back with him.
That's what I thought. And that's it. I went to work. I mean, your mind doesn't think something like that
could happen, you know. So I left to work. It was like a normal day. - Then she received a phone call from an LA County sheriff,
and they asked if she knew where Daisy was, which was highly concerning. But even more alarming was when they followed it
up by casually saying that they needed to speak with her boyfriend, Victor. And that's when Susana's heart dropped and
she realized Victor may have done something horrible to Daisy. Susana Salas: I passed my boss's office.
I said, I need to talk to you right now, and I started crying. He did something to her.
He did something to her. He did something to her. That girl took me to my house.
And it's so crazy because you don't even realize what's happening. There's so many cops.
My brain couldn't really comprehend what was happening. This lady came with the yellow tape up.
They didn't let my friend pass. It was just me. And she hugged me. I remember we kept walking and we kept walking.
And suddenly, I turned around like this and I saw the body bag, and I lost it. Like, my legs got wobbly.
I had no strength. I started screaming and I said, where's my baby? Where's my baby?
And nobody would answer. I knew where my baby was because I knew it-- like, I knew that was my kid right there.
He showed me a picture of my daughter, only her face, that's all. I didn't see nothing else.
That's all he showed me, the face. And her face seemed like she was asleep. She seemed like-- like every morning I was here
and I'm like, yep, that's her. And it's so crazy because after that, my tears turn off because I knew what I had to do.
I had to deliver the news to my sons, I had to deliver the news to my mom, to my dad, to everybody.
[somber music] narrator: While Susana focuses on informing their family of the devastating news,
police interview the property manager who found the body. - Earlier that morning, property manager Juan Tellez
had been walking the grounds and walked through an alleyway in between two apartment buildings,
and he saw a piece of carpet that was rolled up, which was really out of place and kind of bizarre.
So he approached it and looked, and that's when he saw that there was a body in the carpet
and it was quite bloody. Police were eventually called, and they arrived to find the body of a young woman who
had a four to six-inch long laceration on her neck, and she was deceased. There was also a knife found with the body,
which was believed to have been the murder weapon. An investigation began immediately,
and it was found that there was actually a 13-year-old resident of the apartment building who was going to end
up being a vital witness. He actually recognized Daisy and was able to positively ID that it was
her body found in the carpet. And he also told authorities that earlier the night
before, he had seen a young man dragging a body, which was believed to have been Daisy's,
through the apartment complex. Sean Kipe: Police obtained security footage from the alleyway, and in that footage
they can see a shadowy, blurry figure dragging Daisy's body. It's really unfortunate because you have this video,
seeing the crime taking place, but it's too blurry to make out who the perpetrator is.
- You know, with any investigation, it's a slow-moving process in terms of identifying what
happened, the crime scene processing, trying to piece it together. You know, the family and friends
knew right away who she was last with, and also just the history with Victor and had this feeling, we know it's him, we know it's him.
- You also have Daisy's grandfather, who comes out with an eyewitness account from earlier
that evening, saying that he saw Victor Sosa lurking around the apartment building.
So now you have Victor Sosa placed at the scene in the same day. It's Victor Sosa who did this.
- This case is consistent with the literature and the research and what we know about intimate partner homicide,
the risks associated with past threats or history of abuse. We see that victims who have ended a relationship
or left the relationship are very much at risk for homicide. It's also higher risk for women of color,
in particular, to be victims of intimate partner homicide. These experiences with abuse and threats of abuse
are very serious and incredibly important, and need to be acknowledged not only by family members,
but also law enforcement. You know, it's incredibly important that we take these threats seriously.
It really just showcases how scary and volatile and tumultuous these situations can be,
and how important it is to have resources and awareness and seriousness placed on these types of incidents.
narrator: With all signs pointing to Victor, Daisy's family are left frustrated that police
have not arrested him. - One of the biggest issues was that this was LA County Sheriffs working in Compton.
And for the community members of Compton, they had no interest in working with the police,
which was understandable. They had every right not to. They felt like their cases were usually dismissed or ignored,
and they really didn't think that working with the police would be a way of helping Daisy.
They really kind of didn't seem to be fully invested in the investigation. For Daisy's family, they all knew right away this is Victor.
So for them, this was an open-and-shut case, go pick up Victor, he's our guy. The police made it sound more like,
well, maybe we have other evidence and we're pursuing that. Or, yeah, it looks like it's Victor,
but we can't just go arrest him. We need to have more proof. But nothing happened.
He was not brought in for questioning. He was not arrested. And hours quickly turned into days and unbelievably, weeks
without any traction on Daisy's case. [siren wailing] Sean Kipe: You can make an argument
for police needing to have all of the evidence that they feel they need to take Sosa and actually
charge him with murder and have enough to make it stick in court, because you get one shot.
But either way, they didn't. And Sosa didn't hang around. narrator: After opting not to arrest Victor Sosa,
he seemingly disappears. Daisy's family feel abandoned and their daughter's case is slipping
further from public view. - Some of the only coverage of Daisy's murder was in the paper, and it simply said "Latina Jane Doe."
Not really any other information. And when you're trying to solve a murder or you're trying to even get people
to care about other people, you can't be dismissive like that. Who's going to fight to solve this case,
if we don't even know who we're fighting for or what really happened? So by keeping her kind of a mystery,
you're not helping the case. She wasn't just a Latina that can be dismissed. This is a person who lived in our community.
She was a young woman with her whole life ahead of her. - The initial media response to Daisy's death
was so disappointing to her family and to the people around her. There was one article, you know, in the paper
and it didn't even mention her name. And it makes you wonder, this Mexican-American girl,
was it not as important to put her name out there and to put this story out there and
to have the widespread media coverage, you know, as it would be if she were a different nationality
or ethnicity? Every victim like this, especially a young girl, her face should have been on the front of every paper
until Victor Sosa was-- was caught. Dr. Carlena Orosco: Initially with the investigation,
the investigators were in contact with the family. They did their best to keep them aware of,
you know, what was going on with the investigation, what steps were being taken, where they were in the process.
There was a lot of frustration on the part of her family and friends because again, they had this feeling of,
this is her abuser. We know he's responsible for her death. What's happening with him?
Ultimately, the family and friends felt as though the investigators dropped the ball in this case in terms of its pace.
Why is this not reaching major news media outlets? Where is the outrage or the urgency
associated with this case? [intriguing music] Alisha Holland: As time went on and
months went by without any word of progress being made in Daisy's case, her friends and family went from grieving
to being really upset. Why is Victor still out and free living who knows where? - Daisy's family, seeing the inaction from the police,
seeing the fact that they're not out there investigating, seeing the fact they're not even talking to the family
and telling them what's going on, Daisy's case could have just disappeared. And I think you have to talk to communities.
You have to be in the coffee shops, you have to be in the parks. You have to actually make the effort.
- So Daisy's best friend, Rebecca Fuentes, decided to take matters into her own hands.
She decided, given the success of TikTok and how viral videos really can change the world,
she realized, I'm going to make a TikTok and maybe this will help get some information out there
and bring some tips in for us. So utilizing photos, videos, text messages, voiceover, she created a video, My Friend Daisy,
where she explained who Daisy was, who Victor was, and what had happened, and that there
hadn't been any arrests made. ♪ ♪ - There's this great saying on social media where people now will just say, internet, do your thing.
It means everybody jumped behind a cause and let's just attack it together and share it.
Rebecca Fuentes, that's what she said when she posted a TikTok video. Just expressing such disgust and frustration
with Victor Sosa and with how police were handling the case at the time. And she laid everything out and said, you know what?
TikTok, do your thing. Let's find this asshole. narrator: Hoping to generate leads on Victor's whereabouts,
Daisy's friend posts about the case online. The response is far greater than she
could ever have expected. [audio logo] narrator: In Compton, Los Angeles on February 22, 2021, 19-year-old
Daisy De La O was murdered. Her body was discovered wrapped in a carpet the next day.
Daisy's friends and family knew it was her violent ex-boyfriend, Victor Sosa, who killed her,
but police felt they did not have enough evidence to charge him. Now, Victor has disappeared.
Desperate to get justice for Daisy, her friend posts a TikTok about the case and urges users to help find him.
Dr. Carlena Orosco: Digital activism gives a voice to those victims or missing persons,
raises awareness about a case. And as I said before, if we're thinking about traditional news
media, while we do see homicides featured and things like that, it's not all homicide cases
that we see featured in popular news media. And so with that, this gives us another avenue to raise
awareness about cases. They really help to raise awareness about folks who maybe would otherwise
be excluded from popular news media or not highlighted in a way that they deserve.
- On May 26, 2021, Rebecca posted her TikTok ♪ and she used the hashtag ♪ justiceforDaisy,
because she wanted to be able to track the information that was coming in about Daisy's case.
And she captioned the video, come on, TikTok, do your thing. Let's blow this thing up-- meaning for it to go viral--
and let's find this asshole. [calm music] ♪ ♪ To her surprise, the next morning after she posted it,
it was really starting to get some momentum, and people were starting to share the video,
and Daisy's information was getting out there. It really started to bring attention to Daisy's case.
Sean Kipe: After the TikTok video is posted, there's an Instagram account created, Justicefordaisy.
There's a Facebook page. You know, all of these are promoting the video and promoting justice for Daisy,
and people start standing behind that. The likes and the clicks and the shares and the views
are coming in. ♪ People are sharing ♪ justicefordaisy. You know, people who never met her.
And it takes you from a place of law enforcement, with a department with 20 people in it.
Now you have tens of thousands of sets of eyes and ears out there 24/7. And they're looking for this guy.
So it was really important. - So it reached so many folks and so many comments, not only expressions of sympathy,
but also "I've seen him," and "I think I've seen him by the metro line or near encampments"
and things like that. And so there was a lot of leads that came up with this. Sean Kipe: I think the other aspect is people just lending
their support, just commenting, giving support to the family of Daisy saying, hey, we hear you, we see you,
we're thinking of you, we're sharing this. We want justice for you and your family and for Daisy.
You don't feel quite as alone when you know you have some support out there. - For me, I saw how many views that video has.
I was shocking that my daughter mattered. All the nice comments, all the people saying,
we're going to find them. Before, I didn't believe in that. Oh, what's so good about-- about social media, right?
It changed my life. It changed the outcome of my daughter's case. It changed because the spotlight was on that case.
Dr. Carlena Orosco: What we see, and the research supports this, is that some victims are not
highlighted in news media outlets as much as others, particularly when we look at women
victims of color, who are not primarily highlighted in news media. And so this is a way to bring awareness
to this victim, who otherwise would not have a voice in a major news media outlet.
It also holds the suspect accountable by putting his face out there as well. And I believe that it adds a sense of urgency
to the investigation. We're taking it upon ourselves to try and find this individual.
We understand you have to go through the process of the investigation, but we know who this is and we're
taking it upon ourselves. And that's ultimately what happened. - Well, TikTok is like the Wild West.
You never know which things will go viral. But I think what it shows is the spirit
of people wanting to help. And this is the guy who we need your help to find. There were so many different images of him
and information about him, and who you can call. Perfect posts in terms of capturing people's attention
and it going viral and raising awareness. Susana Salas: So many people have reached out to me
from all over the world, all over Mexico, all over US, England. It's-- it's crazy.
It's crazy, you know, and-- and it even makes me more think that even Daisy lived only 19 years,
her life made a difference, and that's incredible. narrator: With multiple social media pages set up
in the search for Victor Sosa, a single tip from the public emerges, and it could change everything.
Alisha Holland: Even though they'd been receiving tips all that time, the tip that came in the morning of July 1
was different. It included a video, and the video had a man in it that very much resembled Victor.
In a panic and her excitement, Rebecca started to take screenshots of the video.
She then sent those screenshots to Susana, asking, is this Victor? You know, did we find him?
Did it happen? - She sends it through to Susana to say, this is what's happened.
I've got this video, and Susana is very nervous about seeing it. And as soon as she sees it, the screenshot, she knows it's him.
And he's sat in a bar. He's got the middle part of his hair, is bleached. He's quite distinctive looking, and
he's just smoking a cigarette, incredibly casual in this very busy bar club in Baja.
So nonchalant, just living his life after he murdered Daisy. [ominous music] Alisha Holland: He was actually just enjoying his life,
living in Rosarito, Mexico. And in the video, he's just sitting at a table, having some cigarettes, enjoying some beers,
listening to live music, overlooking the beautiful ocean. And it was such a juxtaposition of what
everyone knew him to be. He was this monster that had hurt Daisy and most likely
killed her. Yet here he is, just living the high life, fully relaxed on a Mexico vacation.
narrator: Daisy's friend passes the information about Victor's whereabouts onto law enforcement.
Alisha Holland: Hopeful, Susana sent those images to the detectives, saying, this looks like it's Victor
and he's in Mexico. She had his exact location, his newest appearance, and the detectives' response was
kind of interesting because the way they tell the story, it's that they were already working
with Mexican authorities and that they already had Victor's location at this bar, which
still didn't make sense, because why wouldn't you arrest him? You wouldn't be staking him out or following him.
It didn't matter, because all that mattered now was they had Victor's location. And all of the work on TikTok, on Instagram,
on all the social medias to get the word out ♪ and using #justicefordaisy, it had worked
and it brought Victor to the mainstream. They were able to find him and track him down.
The following day, Mexican authorities went and arrested Victor at that same bar on the spot.
He didn't put up any kind of fight and the extradition process began. So he was sent back to Los Angeles County,
where he was then charged with first-degree murder. narrator: The legal process can now begin,
all thanks to social media. Susana Salas: For me, it's crazy because him smoking and all that, somebody sent us that.
You were here enjoying yourself while you destroyed my family. In my life I imagined I was going to go
through something like that. In my life I imagined that TikTok social media had a lot to do with everything in my daughter's case.
That's-- that's incredible for me. I had my doubts. I was like, what if it doesn't-- what
if people don't care? But no, thank God, there's a lot of good people that put their effort to find him, and they found him.
Sean Kipe: The fact that this all came together through social media, the viral aspect of Daisy's case being
shared and shared and shared and people rallying behind it, and people going out there and keeping their eyes open and
looking for this guy and looking for him online to see if he's tracked any-- he's made any movements.
The fact that that happened in that way through social media is amazing, and it shows the power of social media today.
Laura Richards: The US Marshals went and picked him up, brought him back to LA, and Detective Sanchez
was thinking about the interview and what he would ask, and he said he was quite surprised because he just
seemed to be this scared-- he called him a kid, but we have to remember he was 25 years old.
He was a man. For me, the important thing to say, we're not talking about a child here,
we're talking about a man who made decisions and then disappeared himself and was
thinking through post-offense behavior, putting distance between him and Daisy. Sean Kipe: When Sosa was arrested,
there was a-- celebration is not the right word because it's not something to celebrate.
But social media banded together and helped to get this guy. I mean, he could have been in any pocket
of the world, off the grid. Decades could have gone by while this guy remained free
and on the run. But because of the way this played out with social media coming together, it happened quickly.
So I think there was a celebration and there was a sense of, like, look what we did.
We can do this. Like, you can make change, positive change in the world just by banding together with people you've never met.
narrator: With Victor Sosa now in police custody, the original question remains-- is there
enough evidence to convict him of the murder of Daisy De La O? [audio logo] narrator: On February 23, 2021, 19-year-old Daisy De La O was
found murdered in Los Angeles. The prime suspect is her ex-boyfriend Victor Sosa,
who has fled the city. Fearing he would also evade justice, Daisy's friends and
family launch a social media campaign, which goes viral and results in Sosa being located in Mexico.
In July 2021, he is arrested and extradited to California. Dr. Carlena Orosco: I think tips
that come from social media, leads that come from social media, or perhaps the use
of social media as a case tool, I think it needs to be prioritized. It needs to be incorporated into investigations.
It's a very innovative tool that we perhaps didn't have 20 years ago. And to the same extent, there's this possibility
that something stemming from social media could lead to the resolution of a case.
And I think it needs to be prioritized in law enforcement agencies as an investigative tool.
- Because of the social media impact, there really was a strong community, and everyone was able to lean on each other
on those hard days and to get through the emotional roller coaster of a murder trial.
narrator: On April 18, 2022, the trial of Victor Sosa for the murder of Daisy De La O begins.
- So after Victor is accused, he goes to trial and he pleads not guilty. The cards are stacked against you,
man, because your DNA is at the scene of the crime. You're caught on video. You have eyewitnesses that saw you.
It's an uphill climb for him, but he says he's not guilty. Alisha Holland: When it came to the defense,
they really didn't have a leg to stand on. They just argued that there wasn't quite enough evidence
and there still was reasonable doubt. They didn't have a defense of their own to speak of.
Laura Richards: So the defense tried to argue that there was insufficient physical evidence.
I mean, which is really unbelievable in this case because there was direct physical evidence,
the forensic evidence on multiple points-- the carpet. So that was as conclusive as forensics can be.
There was also the digital evidence. He had texted her. There's the fact that he was the last to see her alive.
But there are also witnesses. There was Daisy's grandfather, who saw a shadow, who then realized that it was Victor
Sosa's just before Daisy left, the 13-year-old who saw him. The evidence was actually overwhelming and compelling.
If you add in the post-offense behavior, he then distanced himself. He disappears and he goes to Mexico
and he changes his appearance. You add in those things, it doesn't get more compelling than that.
narrator: In a shocking twist, one of Sosa's family members takes the stand. Alisha Holland: Perhaps the most damning moment
of all in the trial was that Victor's own mother testified against him. And what happened was word got out that Victor had probably
been involved in Daisy's murder, and his mother confronted him straight up and asked him if he had something to do with her death.
- She begged for him to do the right thing, to turn himself in, to face the consequences of his actions.
Instead, he ran off to Mexico. So she actually ended up testifying against her own son.
- I tried to put myself in the position of his mother and what that must have felt like,
to testify against your son in court, knowing that he did this, and how that must feel for a mother that
loves her child regardless. You know, I think that was so incredibly powerful for the case.
From what I heard, is still just incredibly sorry and devastated for what happened to Daisy.
And so I think that was very, very significant that she did that. narrator: As the trial concludes,
all eyes turn to the jury for their final verdict. - At the end of the trial, the jury found Victor Sosa guilty
for first-degree murder of Daisy De La O and sentenced to 26 years to life. Susana Salas: Once I heard so, so, so, and
he's guilty for first degree murder, wow. It's like-- this weight came off me. The weight came off me.
I wanted to scream and cry and everything. I just cry and I remember I was, like, squishing my-- my cousin's hand
and my friend's hand. And it was-- even though it's obviously what we all wanted,
you don't know what the judge is going to say. You don't know what the jury's going to decide.
It was incredible to hear. [somber music] Sean Kipe: Daisy's family was there through the whole trial,
and they were very active in every aspect of the investigation from start to finish,
going and asking for help online to strangers. I mean, it was such a roller coaster for them emotionally.
Once that finally came to a close and-- and Sosa was convicted, it was like a chance
to-- to take a breath. It's the beginning of the next phase of their life, which is to try to move forward without Daisy
and begin to heal. - Sadly, we will never be able to bring her back. Can never bring a victim back.
You know, it's bittersweet in the sense that we have a loss of life. But I think the fact that he was identified and brought
to trial and is serving his sentence, in this case, I think he was held accountable for his crime.
And I hope that moving forward, we will have the same sense of urgency and the same level of importance
placed on victims of intimate partner violence. Laura Richards: I think the fact that I didn't know about
Daisy's case until recently, talks to the fact that the media don't report on cases like Daisy's.
I just feel shame about that. - Justice for Daisy! crowd: Justice for Daisy! - Justice for Daisy! crowd: Justice for Daisy!
- Justice for Daisy! crowd: Justice for Daisy. man: Justice for Daisy! Laura Richards: And what's more,
there are so many lessons with her case about intervention and prevention. And if we really want to ensure that victims are not murdered
in vain and don't become footnotes, then it's incumbent upon all of us, the media, the legacy media, but also podcasters,
to talk about the Daisies. Just because they're not white, and I think that that is a real part of this,
it doesn't mean that they are any less valuable. Alisha Holland: The biggest piece to Daisy's case
was the social media. And we do hear often how bad social media can be, that it's bad for your mental health
or, you know, it's a negative space. But when it's utilized for good, it is such a huge platform.
Her friends and family stepped up, got the word out, and Victor was caught within a couple of weeks
of that video being posted. In this case, it at least shows there are people out there who are willing to help,
who want to try to solve these cases for you, and will work together to bring you those answers.
Dr. Carlena Orosco: My hope is that, if we can take anything away from this case, it's that community is powerful,
our voice is powerful, especially in a digital space. And my hope is that it will lead
to more innovation in terms of embracing the role of social media in investigations.
If a case is cold, if we can't locate someone. I think it also illuminates the fact
that we need to give families and communities a voice in terms of who knows the victim better but them?
Take those methods that we've used for years and years and try to incorporate this more innovative approach
with social media, and what can we learn from folks who are advocating in the community
and on social media that have been, in this case, incredibly successful in raising awareness.
How can we take both of those and put them together to quickly, swiftly and effectively bring justice?
Alisha Holland: In 2021, a CDC study found that one in 12 young people had been in a physically abusive relationship.
But what's important to see in that is that we are lacking education for adults to know
how to help young people in a dangerous relationship, and we haven't taught young people
how to protect themselves or what an abusive relationship is. Susana Salas: Whether I like it or not, it's my story.
And denying it, what happened or acting like it didn't happen, I think it's an insult
to my daughter's memory. Of course, she wants me to remember her how she is, but not to forget what happened to her.
Now, not to forget. Maybe one, maybe two, maybe a few people will listen and be, like, whoa.
Whatever this individual did to Daisy is happening to me. I think it's time to pack my bags and, bye-bye, you know.
Daisy was a very caring individual. She was a beautiful soul. She looked tough in the exterior,
but she was the sweetest person, kind and caring. She was so faithful to her friends.
[emotional music] Laura Richards: I think there's a lot to learn from Daisy's case.
The fact that there wasn't any coverage in the media, the fact there wasn't really an investigation.
I mean, that is just unconscionable. We have to ensure that everyone matters, particularly
when you've got a case that's unsolved, unresolved, and there is a very clear suspect.
There has to be a priority and urgency there. And women have to matter and women of color,
especially, because they don't get the visibility, they don't get the amplification.
No one should be a footnote in their own murder. ♪ ♪ [theme music] ♪ ♪

The murder of Daisy De La O sparked the viral movement #JusticeforDaisy, highlighting the perils of abusive online relationships.

This true crime series delves into real cases in the digital age, tracing social media clues throughout investigations to reveal how online footprints expose murder and reshape the pursuit of truth.

For More FilmRise Check Out Our Other Channels: FilmRise Television: https://www.youtube.com/⁨@UCVVXDVee0JZ2dlPYtpdTZVg FilmRise Movies: https://www.youtube.com/@FilmRiseMovies Highway to Heaven - Full Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@HighwaytoHeavenFullEpisodes

Brief Summary

Daisy De La O was murdered by her ex-boyfriend after a history of abuse; social media helped bring attention to her case and led to his arrest.

Key points

Daisy's Tragic Relationship. Daisy De La O, a 15-year-old, meets 21-year-old Victor Sosa on a dating app, leading to a tumultuous relationship.
Signs of Abuse. Family and friends notice signs of manipulation and violence from Victor towards Daisy.
The Media's Disappointment. The initial media response to Daisy's case is criticized for its lack of coverage and urgency.
Daisy's Final Moments. On February 22, 2021, Daisy leaves to meet Victor, marking the last time her mother sees her alive.
Investigation Delays. Despite clear evidence pointing to Victor, police fail to arrest him, leaving Daisy's family frustrated.
Viral TikTok Campaign. Daisy's friend Rebecca Fuentes creates a TikTok to raise awareness about her murder, urging the internet to help find the suspect.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

Justice for Daisy!

Crowd chant for justice

1:02WatchApr 6, 2026

Tension

85/ 100High tension

More from True Crime Files

Solve the Crime

Read a real case one clue at a time, then see how your call held up against the investigators.