This mother and retired police detective was devastated to learn of her daughter’s murder at the hands of her boyfriend. This vicious man quickly fled the country and ended up on the US Marshall’s “most wanted” list. Determined to get justice for her slain daughter, this former cop jumped into action, vowing to exact revenge.
It’s a story of tragedy, pain and perseverance. In June 2016, 30-year-old Krystal Mitchell was found strangled and beaten to death inside an apartment in San Diego. Her boyfriend Raymond McLeod Jr. became the prime suspect, but he had gone into hiding before authorities could apprehend him.
Krystal’s mother Josephine Wentzel – a former detective – refused to give up hope that her daughter’s killer would be brought to justice. She took it upon herself to find him by starting a website dedicated to finding McLeod and posting wanted fliers on social media channels in Mexico and Central America.
Additionally, she reached out to hostels and newspapers in those regions in order to track down leads about his whereabouts.
Her tireless pursuit paid off when the US Marshalls Service received a tip that someone resembling McLeod may have been working as an English instructor at a school in El Salvador. It was indeed him.
He was extradited back to the United States where he awaits trial for Krystal’s murder today.
Josephine Wentzel spoke about how being a mother drove her relentless search for justice for her daughter rather than her experience as a former detective: “It’s not about being a former detective,” she said. “It’s about being a mom…It’s that mama bear…that mom determination that I gave birth to this child and so help me God, I’m going to take care of this child until I die.”
San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit also spoke highly of Wentzel’s dedication saying “She never let Krystal’s murder be forgotten” while adding “she was the driving force”.
When asked how she felt after McLeod’s arrest, Josephine responded with intense clarity: “I will be satisfied when he is convicted for brutally murdering my daughter, and that he’s sentenced to life in prison”. We can all agree with what we hope will become reality soon: ensuring that Krystal’s killer never sees the light of day again.
