Kriti Mehrotra
It was 2005 when everything turned upside down for the Boone family as Danielle Boone was shot to death inside her own Maple Heights, Ohio, apartment at the tender age of 19. However, as explored in Netflix’s ‘I Am a Killer: Redemption,’ arguably the most horrifying detail of this ordeal was that her 3-week-old daughter Cyanne was right there, mere feet away from her body. It turns out that her biological father, Jamel Dontez Hatcher, was the one to have killed her before fleeing the scene, and it took around 18 hours for someone to find Danielle and young Cyanne, who had been crying out in hunger.
Cyanne Hatcher Didn’t Know Who Her Biological Parents Were Until She Turned 17
Since it was Danielle’s mother, Melanie Boone-Palmer, and her then-11-year-old brother who had found her body upon getting a call from her grandparents stating they couldn’t get in touch with her, officials knew she had a tight-knit family. The custody of Cyanne, Danielle’s 3-week-old daughter, was thus granted to her mother, especially once it came to light that the perpetrator was none other than her partner, Jamal Dontez Hatcher. That’s also around the same time Melanie decided to raise her as her own and promised herself she would only reveal the truth to her once she had grown much older.
Melanie’s plan was to have a professional counselor or therapist ready for Cyanne before breaking the news to her because of how traumatic it could be – that her father killed her mother – but she never got a chance to do so. That’s because when she was 17 and attending Solon High School, she got a text message from Jamel’s end that simply contained a link to a blog post on his website. This post was actually a letter he had penned to his daughter from behind bars, saying he did and will continue to always love her and that he was sorry, driving the teen to reach out to him.
Melanie has since made it clear that she didn’t appreciate that she wasn’t talked to or informed first, but she can’t hold a grudge because Cyanne was actually happy. It obviously took her some time to process the news, and she had a lot of questions, but once she heard Jamel’s claim that the shooting was an accident and that he was genuinely sorry, she decided to talk to him. Little did Cyanne know that their first conversation itself would ease all her worries and make her realize that she did have a father, meaning she has since managed to develop an incredibly close relationship with him.
Cyanne Hatcher is Leading a Seemingly Happy Life Today
From what we can tell, Cyanne currently has a great bond with not just her father but also her stepmother, JaNae Bates, and all of her biological family, making it clear she has a sound support system every step of the way. The fact a majority of them feel the same way about her father as she does now is also a major relief to her since it means they are now all advocating for his early release. Nevertheless, her priority these days actually appears to be her own family – her relationship with a fellow Solon, Ohio resident named Eugene and their two children, Rae and Remi. As if that’s not enough, we should also mention that Cyanne is currently attending Bowling Green State University, indicating she is dedicated to building a good future for herself and her loved ones.
We should also mention that even though Cyanne is happy to have her father in her life and is supportive of him, she hasn’t forgotten her biological mother. In fact, in April 2023, the basketball enthusiast penned a message to Danielle on Facebook, reading, in part, “I know we never had the chance to meet in person, and it breaks my heart that you’re no longer here with me… Even though you’re gone, I know you’re watching over me. I wish I could have had the opportunity to know you and to have you in my life. From what I’ve heard about you, I know that you would have been an amazing mom. You were kind, loving, and always put others before yourself but also didn’t let ppl fuck with you. much LOVE❤️❤️❤️❤️😘😘😘😘😘”
Read More: JaNaé Bates: Where is Jamel Dontez Hatcher’s Wife Now?
