Dad Closed Door Thinking he Walked in on Daughter Having Sex. She Was Being Raped & Murdered

Jodi Serrin, known as Jodi to her family and friends, resided in a condominium in Carlsbad, California, all by herself. Her parents had bought the condo for her, and even though she had developmental disabilities, she cherished her autonomy. At the age of 39, Jodi appreciated her independence.

Living independently brought Jodi much joy, and she was able to manage well on her own, despite her developmental disabilities. Although her parents assisted her with household chores, they ensured that she was in good health by checking on her every day. Jodi had a strong bond with her parents, and they remained close despite her living on her own.

A Shocking Valentine's Day Visit

On Valentine's Day in 2007, Art and Lois Serrin paid a visit to their daughter at her condo on Swallow Lane, bearing gifts and filled with anticipation. However, to their surprise, Jodi did not come to the door to greet them upon their arrival.
Given that it was late in the evening, Art and Lois assumed that Jodi might have been sleeping and not heard them knocking on the door or calling out to her. When she did not respond, they entered the condo on their own. However, upon searching the main room, Jodi was nowhere to be found.

Upon hearing sounds emanating from the bedroom, Art hastened to the room and swiftly opened the door.

Art was startled to find his daughter lying on the bed unclothed with a large, overweight man atop her. Thinking he had walked in on his daughter having sex, Art sternly ordered the man to put on his clothes and get out of there.

Although Art was taken aback by the sight, he managed to keep his cool. He quietly left the bedroom and headed towards the front of the condo where his wife was waiting for him. Art anticipated that Jodi and the unknown man would enter the room feeling embarrassed about getting caught. However, several minutes went by without any sign of Jodi or the man.

Art made the decision to return to the bedroom to investigate what was happening. He was perplexed as Jodi and the man must have heard him enter the room moments before. He wondered what could be taking them so long.

He finds Jodi dead

As Art walked towards the bedroom, he called out to Jodi two or three times, yet she did not respond. When he opened the bedroom door once again, he was confronted with an even more disturbing scene than before.
Art was met with a gruesome sight as he entered the bedroom. Jodi lay naked on the bed, drenched in blood and covered in bruises. Sadly, she was not breathing, and it was evident that she had passed away. The once-beautiful girl was now lifeless and alone in the room.

The man whom Art had spotted with his daughter moments earlier had disappeared, likely having fled through the bedroom window. When Art returned to the room, he noticed that the window was still open.

Art swiftly called 9-1-1 for help and waited for assistance to arrive. Unfortunately, it was too late as Jodi had already passed away, and nothing could be done to save her. A subsequent autopsy revealed that Jodi had been brutally beaten and strangled to death.

Despite collecting DNA evidence from Jodi's body and the crime scene, the authorities were unable to obtain sufficient leads to move the case forward, and the investigation stalled.

Jodi's Killer Identified

After eleven years had passed, in 2018, police were able to make a breakthrough in the case using a new DNA technology called phenotyping. This technology allowed them to use the DNA collected from Jodi's body to create an image of their suspect. By using forensic geology, they were able to identify a person of interest named David Mabrito, whose criminal history led them to his DNA. The DNA obtained from Mabrito matched the samples collected from Jodi's body and the crime scene.

Unfortunately, justice was never served in this case as David Mabrito committed suicide in 2012, six years before his DNA was matched to the crime. Despite never facing the consequences of his actions, the revelation of Mabrito's guilt brought some closure to Jodi's grief-stricken family, who finally had answers about what had happened to their beloved daughter and sister.

Also Check A Book: Sex Money Murder: A Story of Crack, Blood, and Betrayal

A 2019 Edgar Award Nominee and a CrimeReads Best Crime Book of the Year
A Story of Crack, Blood, and Betrayal" by Jonathan Green. It is a non-fiction book that explores the history and operations of the Sex Money Murder street gang in the Bronx during the late 1980s and early 1990s. The book delves into the lives of gang members, their crimes, and the social and economic factors that contributed to the rise of crack cocaine and street violence in urban America during that time.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Bronx had one of the highest per capita murder rates in the country. The use of crack cocaine surged, replacing heroin as the high of choice. Drug dealers claimed territory through intimidation and murder, and families found themselves fractured by crime and incarceration. Chronicling the rise and fall of Sex Money Murder, one of the most notorious gangs of its era, reporter Jonathan Green creates a visceral and devastating portrait of a New York City borough, and the dedicated detectives and prosecutors struggling to stop the tide of violence.

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the social and cultural history of America's inner cities.

Sex Money Murder: A Story of Crack, Blood, and Betrayal