It’s crazy to have people lie in your face, especially when they act like they are helping you. But that’s what happened between Bettersten Wade and the Jackson Police Department in Mississippi. Here’s the story.
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NBC News reported, that in March Wade got into an argument with her 37-year-old son, Dexter Wade. As a result, he left home and went to hang out with a friend. As someone who’s gotten into many heated arguments with my parents, I can relate.
The problem is that after more than a week, Dexter never returned home, which worried Bettersten beyond comprehension. So she did what a lot of people would do, she called local police and reported him missing, according to NBC News. But initially, it wasn’t something she was keen on doing. In 2022, Bettersten’s brother died after being slammed by a Jackson police officer, according to reports.
After more than 7 months, specifically 172 days, Bettersten did not hear one update about the whereabouts of her son. As any loving mother would be, she figured that she would never learn about her son’s fate. She would call the Jackson Police Department often asking for updates, but the lead investigator would tell her there were no leads, according to NBC News.
This would be acceptable if the Jackson Police Department truly did not know where her son was. But the problem is that they did. In fact, they’ve known since the night Dexter went “missing.”
NBC News reported, through the help of a coroner’s investigator, court records, public documents, and interviews with Dexter’s family, it’s been discovered on the night Dexter left his mom, he was struck by an off-duty Jackson police officer driving an SUV on the interstate.
Despite knowing Dexter’s name, and who his next of kin was, police failed to contact Bettersten, and let his body go unclaimed in the county morgue for months. Since his body went unclaimed, the county buried Dexter’s remains at a penal farm, with other unclaimed bodies, without telling his mother.
For months the lead investigator told Bettersten there were no leads. But once that investigator retired and a new one took over, they learned the truth within weeks.
More from NBC News on Dexter’s final moments:
Dexter Wade, 37, was less than a mile from his mother’s house when he was struck and killed by an off-duty police officer on March 5.
The corporal, who alerted police to the collision, was not injured. He was not suspected of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and was not given field sobriety tests. Nor was he cited for any traffic violations. The death was ruled accidental.
Dexter suffered severe injuries, including to his head. A toxicology report later noted that Dexter had PCP and methamphetamine in his system.
Earlier this month, Bettersten made the appointment to see the grave where her son was buried along with her sister, daughter, and close friend.
In an interview with WLBT, Bettersten, “Before they ever put him in the ground, they had the opportunity to come to my doorstep and say, ‘Ms. Wade, we’re getting ready to bury your son.’”
She continued, “I had to buy him back from the state! I had to pay $250 just to get his body rights back.”
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