Oluwatoyin Salau, a 19-year-old protester who begged for justice within the wake of Black lives misplaced, has died. Police and her household confirmed the dying Monday morning.
Salau was discovered useless Saturday night time after she went lacking greater than every week in the past, on June 6, members of the family informed the Tallahassee Democrat, a part of the USA TODAY Community.
Oluwatoyin Salau was one in every of two murder victims found Saturday night time in southeast Tallahassee, a pair miles from the place she was final seen at a library. Victoria “Vicki” Sims, 75, who additionally had been reported lacking, was the second sufferer. She was a retired state employee and grandmother well-known for her volunteerism and work in native Democratic politics.
Police recognized the suspect as Aaron Glee Jr, 49, who had been arrested twice not too long ago for violent offenses. Nevertheless, investigators haven’t launched a motive or some other particulars about what led to the double murder.
“There isn’t a justice that may be served that may exchange my sister’s life,” her brother, Oluwaseyi Salau mentioned. The final time Danaya Hemphill noticed her buddy was the day earlier than she went lacking. They have been at a Friday afternoon protest.
“We have been all collectively one minute and the subsequent minute our buddy was gone,” Hemphill mentioned. Hemphill felt a heavy unease within the days after her buddy was reported lacking.
“I had a sense that we weren’t going to seek out Toyin alive,” mentioned Hemphill, 22. At every demonstration, Oluwatoyin Salau had been reciting the names of Black individuals killed, reminiscent of Tony McDade of Tallahassee and George Floyd of Minneapolis.
“I don’t need their names gone in useless,” Salau mentioned throughout one protest in entrance of the Tallahassee Police Division final month. “I had a sense that we weren’t going to seek out Toyin alive,” mentioned Hemphill, 22
Hemphill did not suppose her buddy‘s identify would be a part of that checklist. “Toyin was very passionate,” mentioned Hemphill. “She was very vocal she was very loving, very non secular, very caring.
“She was like a light-weight in a darkish room. That was Toyin.” Although she went lacking June 6, newly surfaced surveillance footage exhibits on Wednesday, June 10, Salau walked into Large Simple Snowballs in Tallahassee, in response to proprietor of the ice cream store. She requested to make use of the restroom.
That was the final identified day she was seen alive. “I don’t know what on the planet occurred to Toyin,” mentioned Hemphill.
‘Oluwatoyin Salau stored crying’
Within the hours earlier than Salau went lacking, she tweeted she had simply been sexually assaulted. The afternoon she went lacking, Salau tweeted a person molested her that morning round Park Avenue and Richview Street. She mentioned the person supplied to present her a journey again to a church the place she had sought “refuge” due to “unjust residing situations.”
“He got here disguised as a person of God and ended up choosing me up from close by Saxon Avenue,” she tweeted. “I trusted the holy spirit to maintain me secure.” Salau mentioned she referred to as police after the assault occurred. She didn’t specify the church the place she had been staying.
A number of individuals replied to her on Twitter providing assist and asking whether or not she was OK. She by no means responded. Her shut buddies say that wasn’t the one time she was molested
Oluwatoyin Salau was additionally molested a few days earlier than she went lacking, Hemphill and two different buddies mentioned. They met up with Salau on the church the place she’d been looking for refuge.
“That Thursday she went with me to the church, she talked to a lawyer, she spent some time there,” mentioned buddy Ashley Loray. “She stored crying.” Together with law enforcement officials, Salau and buddies went to the home the place she’d escaped from close to Florida A&M to assemble her belongings. She’d been a sufferer of intercourse trafficking in that home a number of occasions, her buddies say.
A disoriented and sobbing Salau shuffled into the home along with her buddies and scooped up her belongings. “I personally really feel like they may have investigated and gotten DNA.” mentioned Loray. “That is the place they failed her. She might nonetheless be alive.”
The cop informed Loray they would want to assemble extra proof on the assault. That night time, she slept in Hemphill’s mattress.
Glee arrested twice earlier than murders
Glee was arrested Could 29 on a cost of aggravated battery after an officer stopped at a light-weight noticed him kicking a lady within the abdomen, in response to police studies.
The sufferer in that case was neither Sims nor Oluwatoyin Salau. The lady informed police she and Glee had been consuming alcohol collectively and have been strolling down the sidewalk when he propositioned her for intercourse.
“She informed him no so Glee turned indignant, shoved (her) to the bottom and started kicking her within the stomach,” the police report says. On-line Leon County Court docket information present a misdemeanor battery cost filed towards him June 6. Nevertheless, these studies weren’t instantly out there.
Glee was arrested final 12 months on a cost of possession of marijuana. Nevertheless, prosecutors dropped it, in response to court docket information.
