Police are investigating the death of Atatiana Jefferson’s mother.
Jefferson, 28, was murdered on October 12, 2019, inside her home by former Fort Worth police officer #AaronDean. Dean resigned just a few days after the incident on Oct. 14. A Tarrant County grand jury charged Dean with murder on Dec. 20. “At least we know that justice was served, and he will be accountable for murder,” said #YolandaCarr, Jefferson’s mother, at the time of Dean’s indictment. “He murdered my baby in my home. She wasn’t doing anything. She didn’t do anything. She didn’t do anything wrong.”
But on Thursday morning, police were called to Carr’s home in the 1200 block of East Allen Avenue in Fort Worth, where she passed away. Her death comes just months after Jefferson was fatally shot. The Tarrant County medical examiner has yet to release a cause of death, but the 55-year-old woman had been dealing with illness.
Dallas attorney Lee Merritt, who represents the family, released a statement saying, “It is with heavy hearts our office reports the passing of Yolanda Carr, the mother of Atatiana Jefferson. Atatiana was serving as a caregiver to her mother, Ms. Carr, at the time of her murder by Fort Worth police officer Aaron Dean. The family is devastated by Ms. Carr’s untimely death and is requesting for space to process and mourn. Police brutality impacts entire families, communities, and generations. There is no doubt Ms. Carr’s recovery was complicated by the tragedy of her daughter’s death and the difficulty associated with the ongoing fight for justice. We will continue the fight in her honor. Please join us as we offer our prayers and condolences to this family during an incredibly difficult time.”
Dean murdered Jefferson while she was playing video games with her 8-year-old nephew. Dean and another officer were responding to a non-emergency request for a wellness check at around 2:30 a.m. No trial date has been set for Dean.
