Sounak Sengupta
Investigation Discovery’s ‘Homicide Hunter: American Detective: Radio Silence’ chronicles the gruesome murder of 31-year-old Kumba Sesay in Houston, Texas, in July 2016. Based on tips from different public members, the investigators could solve the homicide within a few weeks of the crime. Now, if you’re intrigued to know the killer’s identity and current whereabouts, we have your back. Let’s begin then, shall we?
How Did Kumba Sesay Die?
Born to parents who were immigrants from Sierra Leone, Kumba Mariatu “Marie” Sesay was an aspiring Model and a Radio Jockey from Houston, Texas. According to her family, she had a moderately successful modeling career and was on her path to success. Kumba was also working as the host of a popular internet radio show, where she would interview people on controversial topics and present upcoming hip-hop stars to the community.
Kumba’s friend, Latausha White, stated, “She had ambitions and dreams, and she was going to use the platform to get where she needed to be.” A bright individual and a go-getter, the radio host’s family thought she would make something of herself. Another of her friends reminisced, “She would come over and eat up all my food and flip through my Netflix without finding one thing to watch. And then we would start talking about business and talking about God. That’s what I’m going to miss about her.”
Hence, it was a shock when Kumba’s body was discovered on July 3, 2016, near Southwind Street and Jutland Road, across the street from Jones Futures Academy in Houston. The 31-year-old had a single gunshot to the head and appeared to have been beaten severely on her head. However, the investigators noticed Kumba still had her jewelry on, ruling out the possibility of a robbery. They could confirm her identity with the help of her fingerprint, and the medical examiner found a close contact wound with no sign of any projectile.
Who Killed Kumba Sesay?
According to the Texan legislature, all drivers must submit their fingerprints to obtain a driving license. The officers of the Houston Police Department ran the female victim’s fingerprint through the database to identify her as Kumba. In addition, the investigators checked the surveillance footage from a security camera of Jones Futures Academy, situated across the street from the crime scene. They could see a car stopping by the side of the road and an individual dumping a body before driving off.
The footage corresponded with the evidence provided by the transfer of blood at the crime scene, indicating Kumba had been murdered somewhere else and dumped there. The officers talked with the victim’s mother and brother to learn she had returned home on July 2 at around 11:00 AM and informed them that she would be at a party later that evening. Her family also disclosed to the detectives about a bitter ex-boyfriend named David Gabriel. According to the show, their relationship went south over money.
Kumba’s brother informed the officers about his sister driving a blue 2004 Volkswagen Beetle, and the police put a BOLO on the car. They brought David in for questioning but had to release him when his alibi checked out on the night of the murder. As they seemed to run out of lead, the investigators were informed that Kumba’s burnt car had been found across a Texas Southern University dormitory. The arson officers had run the number plate and found it linked to a homicide investigation.
Eventually, the forensic experts obtained Kumba’s blood from the driver’s door and other DNA evidence. The officers reviewed the surveillance footage of a CCTV installed by the university to find someone parking the missing vehicle on July 4 at around 2:07 AM. The footage also revealed an individual returning to the spot on July 5 in a dark sedan and escaping after setting the Beetle on fire. Furthermore, the police were contacted by a warehouse owner further east of the crime scene. He told them his employees had found an ID card on the parking lot after a party had finished at around 10:30-11:00 AM on July 2.
The ID belonged to Kumba, and it had blood smears all over. The investigators interviewed the radio host’s employer to learn she had been dating an individual called Leroy Stoots, then 41. Not just that, according to Latausha, he was jealous of Kumba’s popularity and enraged when she invited another female jockey to co-host with her over him. The officers looked into Leroy to discover he had been imprisoned for a murder he committed in 1992 and was sentenced to 45 years in prison in May 1994.
However, Leroy got out on parole in December 2011 after serving less than half of his sentence. The most damning evidence the police found against him was when one of his cousins, Darrell Isle, called the authorities to inform them he had come over to his place in the late hours of July 2. According to Darrell, Leroy had scratches all over his face and blood on his clothes. Though he left after getting a new set of clothes, he mistakenly left his boots behind.
Leroy Stoots is Serving His Sentence Today
The officers discovered that Leroy’s daughter had the same make of sedan seen in the surveillance footage found at the university. When they brought her in, she reluctantly admitted to driving her father to the university on July 5. Not just that, the detectives found Kumba’s blood on Leroy’s boots and his DNA inside her car and clothes.
Confirming that Leroy was the killer, the police arrested him on July 19 and charged him with the first-degree murder of Kumba. Albeit, he denied the murder charge and went on trial in 2017. Leroy was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. According to official court records, the 48-year-old is serving his prison sentence at the H. H. Coffield Unit in unincorporated Anderson County, Texas. Leroy’s inmate records state he will be eligible for parole in July 2046.
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