Anna Siga-Nicolazzi
Appearances
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
but also of huge evidentiary value to investigators, was how CanCam was dressed.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
You may recognize the voice of Brian Porter, who has been a guest on AOM before. Let's see if you can remember which episode now. Brian started his career as a police officer in Washington, D.C., and in his hometown of Alexandria, Virginia, before deciding he wanted to be a lawyer.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
All the while, Samaya was filming with her phone. Watching this video, the tension and the threat of violence is palpable. You can almost feel Samaya's fear of what might happen if she puts that camera down and what might happen if she doesn't.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
But incredibly, there was a second video, timestamped from a month before the murder, that Brian believed to be just as frightening and just as damning.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
This also points to the too often seen tragedy of domestic abuse, that even despite the earlier threat in her life, she was either unable or unwilling to break off the relationship.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
And while I agree that that video evidence was incredible, as a prosecutor, I'm still going to probably advocate for a little caution here. Because as we know, once that arrest is made, the ticking clock of a defendant's right to a speedy trial begins.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
Notice that Brian said much of a criminal record. While he hadn't been arrested for violent assault, he was far from squeaky clean.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
Luckily, CanCam was not hard to find as he lived with his wife in an apartment on the west end of the city. But what had the appearance of a routine visit was in reality a test. Because detectives knew that CanCam's behavior in those first seconds of seeing law enforcement at his door could potentially tell them volumes about his involvement in Samaya's murder.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
And what followed was a masterclass in interrogation, which if done right, it's less about asking the questions and it's much more about letting a suspect talk.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
Detectives held their tongues as CanCam dug himself deeper and deeper into a hole.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
During his statement, CanCam was careful to include just enough truth to make his story sound believable as to why he would have been at Samaya's apartment on the night she was murdered.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
Incidentally, that 9mm Glock was consistent with Samaya's fatal gunshot wound. And while police did not yet have it in their possession to prove it was the murder weapon, it was clear that CanCam was trying to distance himself from it.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
I think this is actually the hardest part for investigators or prosecutors conducting an interview. It's resisting that urge to finally call out a suspect's lies, their contradictions, and to try to turn the tables and elicit that confession.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
Because there is always that risk that the confession doesn't come and the suspect just stops talking. And that could result in investigators missing out on critical information, even if that information comes in the form of a lie.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
On a cold January night, a young woman was returning to the apartment she shared with her roommate, Sumaya Ahmed, in a multi-story residential complex in the city of Alexandria.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
And that was certainly the case here. Alexandria detectives sought CanCam as both a flight risk and a risk to public safety, made all the more dangerous if he knew he was cornered.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
The boyfriend of Samaya Ahmed had dug himself into a deep hole with a barrage of lies to investigators about the night Samaya was killed.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
And if Brian was looking for ways to strengthen his case after CanCam was in custody, he got it.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
Now, there's always a recording when you make or receive a jailhouse call, and it warns inmates that their calls are being recorded and that information shared can be used against them in court. But CanCam thought he had come up with a foolproof plan to beat the system.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
But as soon as she entered the apartment, she knew something was terribly wrong.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
Luckily for Brian, the FBI was just over the river in D.C., and thanks to the Bureau's diverse workforce, they soon had CanCam's call translated.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
I mean, what are the odds? The friend asked to aid in a bet in the cover-up of a potential murder just happens to be a police informant?
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
And so homicide detectives borrowed a page out of the narcotics handbook and set up a sting in order to intercept this mysterious package.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
The contents of the bag included a man's security uniform covered in blood and the same external vest that CanCam was wearing in the video from Samaya's phone.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
To call this a treasure trove of evidence was an understatement. In short, it was an embarrassment of evidentiary riches that took the remaining question marks off the table.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
First responders arrived at the fifth floor apartment within minutes. But sadly, there was nothing they could do.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
I mean, look, in some cases, offering a plea in exchange for an admission of guilt is a good way to not only guarantee some level of accountability, but also to mitigate the risks of a trial.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
But despite the strong evidence against him, this was still potentially a tricky case to prosecute. With CanCam determined to testify in his own defense, the onus was on the prosecutor to not just so doubt that CanCam was telling the truth, the prosecution also had to piece together all the evidence that both disproves CanCam's story and laid out the actual truthful version of events.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
But as I've said to so many juries when it comes to a witness that might have a criminal past or is an otherwise less than perfect person, you don't have to like them. The question is, can you believe them? Are they credible?
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
The prosecution argued that the contents of the bag removed from CanCam's house was proof that he had not only killed Samaya, but that he had taken great lengths to clean up the crime scene and remove any incriminating evidence from the apartment. And incredibly, they even had more video proof.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
After the prosecution rested, it was still unclear whether CanCam would actually take the stand in his own defense.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
Common Sense suggested that Samaya's fatal injury might have been self-inflicted, but to investigators at the scene, it quickly became clear that her death was not the result of a suicide.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
Cancan claimed that after trying to calm himself down, he sat down in the bathroom and promptly passed out until the moment he was suddenly awakened by the sound of a single gunshot.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
But Brian also knew that his cross-examination, it wasn't just about facing off against an opponent and coming out on top. It was about proving hopefully the truth. And it was about a young woman's life and the justice she deserved.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
But as he knew it would be from the beginning, it was those videos filmed by the murder victim herself that proved to be the most effective and most emotional pieces of evidence.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
A threat to this woman's life dismissed as a joke. His depraved indifference to her life and her murder sent a chill through the jury.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
In the end, Samaya's murder was yet another tragic example of why domestic abuse remains one of the most dangerous threats to women, to people in this country.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
One of the unfortunate ironies of being a homicide prosecutor is that we never get to meet the victim for whom we are trying to achieve justice. But each and every victim, including Samaya Ahmed, has the potential to leave a profound and lasting impact on the prosecutor's life.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
Having left the profession some years ago, I can 100% say that it is a heavy load that homicide prosecutors, many prosecutors carry, whether they realize it or not, mentally and emotionally.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
We need to compartmentalize to get the job done, but it's also important to feel what these cases are actually about, just as Brian said, because they are about human beings who have lost their lives by violence, and there are so many other additional terrible ripple effects as a result. Samaya Ahmed was young and had come to this country looking for a better life.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
I'm Anna Siga-Nicolazzi, former New York City homicide prosecutor and host of Investigation Discovery's True Conviction.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
She lost it to a man she believed, or at least hoped, cared about her. Samaya Ahmed, you are remembered by your friends, your family, and now this AOM community too. So, what do you think, Chuck? Do you approve? I approve!
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
And the likely suspect? Someone that Samaya knew or recognized who gained access to her apartment without forced entry.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
Samaya had legally immigrated to the United States in pursuit of an education and a career.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
And so initially, investigators hoped that physical evidence might hold some clues as to who may have been behind her brutal murder.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
Just imagining the violence inflicted in that kind of an assault and the fact that this was likely committed by someone Samaya knew, it tells you so much about this murder.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
In this digital age, our phones have become our constant companions. And whether it's a blessing or a curse, it also means that rarely are any of us without a camera.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
But, you know, also the big thing that stands out to me is just the type of wound.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
It's almost I can picture without knowing it all, this is what actually happened as I was first learning this case, of this escalation, like something that is getting heated that then turns into this very physical assault up until someone, I can almost picture, I hate to say this, but like grabbing her by the hair and then placing that gun in her mouth.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
And really what that points to is whatever it was, whatever initiated, whoever it was, deliberate and obviously brutally violent.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
So whether it's a close friend, a family member, or who knows, even her roommate.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
Asked if she knew anyone who might want to hurt Samaya, the roommate admitted she didn't know too much about Samaya's personal life at all.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
According to the roommate, she also knew the likely cause of their frequent disputes.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
So he was married, he drank to excess, and he was a bully, it seems. So if you're narrowing down suspects, that's checking a lot of boxes. But it was actually the roommate's description of Can-Cam's job that got the most attention.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
And if you've ever scrolled social media and watched a supercut of people falling down or a tense confrontation in a parking lot, you probably know what we're talking about. These days, it seems like our every misstep is just destined to be captured on video and shared with the world.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
Needless to say, investigators immediately looked for any proof that CanCam could have been in Samaya's apartment the night she was murdered, starting with the search of security footage of the apartment building.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
But it would be something belonging to Samaya herself that would convince police that he was more than just a bad boyfriend. He might just be a killer.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
Her married boyfriend was immediately on investigators' radar as a person of interest. And while Sumaya's roommate described a man with a temper, a drinking habit, and a gun, investigators were still looking for hard evidence that could tie CanCam to the scene of the crime.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
As we have seen in previous stories, cell phones can provide everything from a victim's location, an archive of texts between the victim and any potential suspects, and of course, photos and videos that might be relevant to the investigation.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
But as a prosecutor, I will tell you that getting access to this digital information, well, it takes multiple steps and is often not a quick or straightforward thing to get.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
An archive of text messages recorded between Samaya and CanCam corroborated what her roommate had said about their volatile relationship.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
There was something even more valuable and more terrifying than the text between an argumentative couple. There were videos documenting a relationship simmering with potential violence.
Anatomy of Murder
The Sting (Somaya Hussein Ahmed)
The camera was being held by Samaya and very deliberately aimed at Can-Can, almost offensively. The couple was in the middle of an argument, and while it's not totally clear why she was filming, whether it was to protect herself or maybe just to show him later, but the exchange between them was most definitely confrontational.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
The police, news of the unidentified body, the reactions of her friends and family... Yvonne's brain was swirling and was having trouble deciphering all that was happening.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
Yvonne's brother went to the morgue to make the identification. They wouldn't let him view the actual body, but they showed him items that had been found nearby at the crime scene. He relayed the information to his sister.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
Yvonne was in shock and filled with questions. How could her daughter, so full of life just that morning, have ended up like this just hours later? Who could have done this to her?
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
The morning of the funeral, Yvonne had a few last minutes alone with her daughter. It was during that heartbreaking visit that Yvonne made a promise. She would uncover what happened to Gloria and bring her killer to justice. In that moment, her grief took a backseat to her determination.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
But there were limitations on the investigative tools that police had at their disposal. This was 1984, after all, the year that the process for developing a DNA profile was first discovered. It would be years before it could be used to effectively solve crimes.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
investigators began working with traditional policing methods. They canvassed the area of the school and spoke to multiple witnesses who had seen Gloria walking that morning.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
The first potential break in the case came in around 6 p.m. the same day of the murder. Cleveland police had responded to an attempted kidnapping in another part of the city.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
Two bystanders saw what was happening and called police. The car drove away, but they managed to copy down the license plate. Police traced the car to a 53-year-old man named Rommel Broom. A quick background check revealed he had a dark past.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
Yvonne worked hard, got good grades, and she dreamed of going off to college. But at age 16, her life took an unexpected turn when she became pregnant. She went from a student with straight A's to a student who was kicked out of school.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
detectives started developing a theory. Perhaps Broom had tried to strike twice in one day, the first attack being Gloria's murder. And Scott, you know, like you hear that. So obviously I think about like, oh my gosh, this person has had it more than once. But again, we are talking about a big city with hundreds of thousands, likely millions of people.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
And just in the most unfortunate of ways, it could easily just be a coincidence.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
In that case, another 14-year-old, a young girl named Trina Middleton, was walking home from a football game with two girlfriends.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
Just two hours later, Trina's body was found in a parking lot. She had been sexually assaulted and stabbed to death. In the months that followed, Trina's friends looked at hundreds of police photos attempting to identify the man from the car.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
In fact, their investigation was floundering. Besides the lack of evidence against Broom, other potential leads were going nowhere. They looked at multiple people, including Gloria's boyfriend and even her stepfather, but both had solid alibis.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
Yvonne dealt with the slow wheels of justice and the lack of answers in the only way she knew how. She made it her mission to try and prevent what happened to her daughter from happening to anyone else.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
She also stayed in touch with the detectives working Gloria's case, and she pushed them to find the killer.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
During Yvonne's interview, she told us that she had become disillusioned with the investigation and the way her daughter's case was initially handled.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
And Scott, I have to say, of course, I'm right with Yvonne. I mean, we are talking about this young woman who doesn't sound Anything like what is being even questioned by police. But that's one of those things that if they're even thinking about that stays like inside your head rather than going to the victim's mom. But you also have the weather, right? A snowstorm was coming in.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
This young woman, this young girl is on her way to school to get an award. Like nothing fits with this being anything other than the brutal attack we see that it was.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
And be as outraged and hurt as Yvonne clearly was and still is when she thinks back to that time. And according to Yvonne, police continued to pursue Rommel Broom as a suspect in Gloria's case, despite the lack of evidence connecting him to it.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
Frustrated with the still open investigation, Yvonne Poynter decided to take matters into her own hands. If police were so certain that Rommel Broom was behind her daughter's murder, then Yvonne would do what seemed to her like the most obvious thing in the world. She would go ask him herself.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
These changes were made all the harder by the lack of support from the person who mattered to her most, her mother.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
One letter turned into many. Broom never responded. But that did not stop Yvonne from continuing to be proactive. If the police weren't able to find Gloria's killer, perhaps she would be able to. She decided to search in the one place that she believed that most killers eventually lived, prisons.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
Yvonne became a regular speaker in prisons, sharing Gloria's story with countless inmates. Each time, she asked for their help in identifying the person responsible for her daughter's murder, even if one of them was that person.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
Like, Scott, we just have to stop for a second because I don't know. I just smile when I say just picture her just like marching into these prisons. Right. And just saying, like, here I am and telling, obviously, this story that has impacted her life in the worst of ways and just such strength.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
But I also think it's like I don't even know the word for it, but it's just this incredible power that she is going to figure this out one way or the other. And as you said, like, it's unconventional, to put it mildly.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
It was also a way to counteract the lack of faith she was feeling about the investigation. But primarily, she hoped it would bring her the answers she was so desperate to receive.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
What Yvonne got in response from prisoners surprised her.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
Initially, that testing was inconclusive. In 2008, a new round of testing was done. Analyzing hairs collected following the murder. Now, that testing positively identified Gloria's DNA. It allowed them to distinguish her profile from any other profile that might be found amongst the evidence.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
When the time came, his execution was rescheduled after what's been called in various articles I've read as a botched execution attempt. Broome was ultimately executed in 2020. A short time after that original execution date, Yvonne received a letter in the mail.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
The letter answered that one question for Yvonne. But if not Broom, then who had killed her child? Yvonne remained steadfast that eventually the killer would be found.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
they were able to identify a DNA profile with nine genetic markers. And for context, DNA profiles entered into a national database typically have between 10 to 13 genetic markers. Here, investigators decided to err on the side of caution rather than add the incomplete profile into the database.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
they decided to test the profile they found against former people of interest in this case, including Gloria's boyfriend at the time and her stepfather.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
That same year, Yvonne's sister noticed an article in the local newspaper that outlined DNA testing being done on old sexual assault kits. She called the journalist and told her about Gloria's case.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
And when the profile obtained from Gloria's clothing was entered into the database, there was a match. The DNA was connected to a 58-year-old man named Hernandez Warren. A quick background check into Warren revealed several pieces of relevant information.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
Warren also had a criminal past, and even more striking was the reason that his DNA had ended up in that database. Nine months after Gloria's murder, Warren had attacked multiple women, sexually assaulting one of them. He was arrested and convicted of sexual assault, burglary, and felony assault. He had served 17 years in prison. Warren was now free and living in Cleveland.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
Warren claimed to have done a lot of drugs at that time in his life, and he also said he'd been sexually active with multiple women. He went so far as to claim that it was even possible that Gloria had been one of his partners.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
Yvonne's daughter was born on February 28, 1970. She named her Gloria, meaning glory in Latin. With her big almond eyes and wide smile, Gloria lived up to her name.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
The detective next showed Warren pictures of Gloria and the crime scene from that morning, images that clearly unsettled him. Their strategy worked. Warren began to talk, and with each word, he slowly began to implicate himself in Gloria's murder.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
As the multi-hour interview continued, Warren eventually told police. terrifying details about the day Gloria was killed. He said that he saw Gloria walking to school and decided to lure her into the building where she was later found. It was there that he admitted to sexually assaulting her, and then he said he turned to leave.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
That confession from Warren, which came nearly 29 years after Gloria's murder, led to his arrest. That same day, Yvonne was busy working on behalf of the victims of a more recent high-profile case that had also taken place in Cleveland.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
Yvonne was called to be a victim advocate at the hospital where the women were staying after their rescue.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
Yvonne felt like it was a sign from God that she was sitting there with this young woman, a captive who was now free.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
In typical Yvonne fashion, she spent the next week trying to get a slice of cheesecake to the young woman. When police asked Yvonne to go to the station a week later, Yvonne assumed it was to bring Michelle the cheesecake.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
Detectives had decided to withhold the news of Warren's arrest for a few days so it wouldn't be overshadowed by the release of the women hostages. Now it would be public knowledge Yvonne was the first in line to get the news. it was finally her turn to receive justice for her daughter.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
Before the trial was set to begin, Hernandez-Warren pled guilty to murdering Gloria Pointer. At his sentencing, Yvonne took notice of everything, including the courtroom.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
But the meeting didn't go the way Yvonne expected. Warren cried and told Yvonne that he no longer had a reason to live.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
Life as a young single mom was challenging for Yvonne. Her father was her saving grace, and he stepped in when she needed support. He helped furnish an apartment for her and offered to babysit so Yvonne could continue her studies.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
The weight of waiting 29 years for justice took its obvious toll on her. The relentless pursuit of answers, the fight to keep Gloria's story alive, it was exhausting.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
Rather than allowing her grief to leave her bitter or closed off to the world, Yvonne chose the opposite path. It hasn't been easy, but she continues to channel her pain into activism. turning tragedy and grief into forward-moving positive purpose.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
Yvonne serves as the Ohio State lead for Voices of Black Mothers, an organization dedicated to eradicating intercommunity violence. She also established a scholarship in Gloria's name for victims of violence, ensuring Gloria's legacy is one of hope, not just loss.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
Yvonne is proud of the work she has done, but she also believes that it was this activism work that helped save her during her darkest of days.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
One thing remains clear. Gloria's unwavering strong belief in her mother, Yvonne. As a child, Gloria had an absolute faith in her mother. Whenever there was a need in the community or classroom, she would proudly say, my mother will do it.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
One of the things I love about AOM is that as we share the unnerving cases of homicide week after week, you also get to know about either their families or people that worked on their behalves. It's part of the reason why I'm still so drawn to these cases and this work after what now amounts to more than three decades.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
It is clear that Yvonne shared a special bond with both her children, Gloria and her younger brother. She has shared her loss and the years of anger and pain with us so honestly. We've also gotten a glimpse of her strength as she carries on Gloria's name and legacy in all the amazing work she has done. Gloria Pointer lost her life the day that she was set to win a perfect attendance award.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
How fitting that part of her legacy is helping educate children both here and as far away as Africa. The Gloria Pointer Foundation is an organization that is an advocate for abused, neglected, and abducted children. That, Gloria Pointer, is an amazing way for your legacy to thrive and your memory to live on. So, what do you think, Chuck? Do you approve? I approve!
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
A few years later, Yvonne's life started to stabilize, something she credits with rediscovering her religion.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
I'm Anna Siga-Nicolazzi, former New York City homicide prosecutor and host of Investigation Discovery's True Conviction.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
Throughout every challenge, Yvonne's greatest cheerleader was her daughter, Gloria. With her sunny personality and unwavering optimism, she was a natural caretaker, always looking out for her younger brother and doing everything she could to keep her mother's spirits high.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
Mother knows best. It's a phrase that many believe to be true. Perhaps no one more so than mothers themselves.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
Yvonne made it a priority to be deeply involved in her children's lives, a presence so constant that even Gloria's friends took notice.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
School hadn't been easy for Gloria, and academics were often challenging. But things started to change after she joined the cheerleading squad. She formed a close bond with the squad's coach, a relationship that not only boosted her confidence, but also helped turn around her grades.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
The first week of December in 1984 was a week Gloria was really looking forward to. That Friday would be her basketball team's first game. And the day before that, she was going to be presented with an award for having perfect attendance in school.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
Yvonne got ready for work. Her car was piled high with newspapers that she was scheduled to deliver. As she started to make her morning rounds, she unexpectedly ran into her daughter who had cut through a backstreet on her way to school.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
Yvonne thought about turning around and driving Gloria the rest of the way to school, but her car was full of newspapers and there wasn't really a place for Gloria to sit.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
The no-show was completely out of character. Remember, Gloria was set to receive a perfect attendance record that day. Yvonne, who had seen her daughter walking, was certain that the school was mistaken and that Gloria must be in the building somewhere. She suggested they continue to look.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
As years stretched on with little progress made, Yvonne's vow began to feel impossible. But a mother's promise and determination is a powerful force. And in this case, it proved to be unshakable.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
Gloria was known to be responsible, and Yvonne was certain that she would show back up. And when she did, Gloria was ready to give her daughter a talk.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
On the morning of December 6, 1984, a maintenance worker in Cleveland, Ohio, had heard repeated banging coming from an abandoned building about 500 feet from Gloria Pointer School.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
Investigators arrived to a tragic scene. The body was that of a young woman with extensive injuries, including a severe head wound. We do want to warn that the details are disturbing and may be triggering for some.
Anatomy of Murder
My Name Is Gloria (Gloria Pointer)
Investigators processed the scene and the body was taken to a local morgue. Yvonne's memories of that day are hazy.