Jonathan Lee Easterling murder 2001

Name: Jonathan Easterling
Age: 18
Sex: Male
Race: Black
Unsolved Homicide
Date of Incident: 11/24/2001
Incident Location: Shakopee, MN
Originating Agency: Shakopee Police Department

Details: Jonathan Easterling’s body was found at Rice Lake Park in Shakopee on November 24, 2001. Jonathan died as a result of fatal gunshot wounds to the head. Easterling was last seen one day prior to his death as he entered a vehicle with an unidentified driver.
If you have any information regarding this case, please contact the MN BCA tip line at 877-996-6222.

Obituary:

Easterling Jonathan Lee, age 17, passed away on November 23, 2001. He is survived by his parents, Oraetta & Byron West; siblings, Angelica Easterling, Cyonna West, Byron West Jr; grandparents, Bernice, Herman Easterling, Grant & Ruthelle West; a host of cousins and friends. Funeral service Friday, 3 PM at Kwanzaa Community Church, 2100 Emerson Ave. N., Mpls. Jonathan was a loving and giving son and brother, who will be missed. Arr. by Estes Funeral Chapel

Published on November 29, 2001

Nov. 30, 2001: Arrest made in teen’s death

Victim is St. Paul boy, 17; motive remains unclear
By JIM ADAMS Star Tribune

Authorities have identified the homicide victim found Saturday in Shakopee as a St. Paul teenager who had left home a day earlier with a man.

Jonathan Easterling, 17, apparently died from head injuries, said Dr. Lindsey Thomas, head of the Minnesota Regional Coroner’s Office in Hastings.

Shakopee Deputy Police Chief Jerry Poole said that a suspect has been arrested and that the investigation continues. He said that no weapon was recovered and that the motive is still unclear.

Easterling’s family last saw him the morning of Nov. 23, when he talked with a man on the phone and then left in a car with him, said his mother, Oraetta West. She said she doesn’t know why her son would have gone to Shakopee, where police found his body the next morning in a ditch.

His sister, Angelica Easterling, 16, said he seemed uncertain while waiting to be picked up about whether he should go with the man. She said the family called hospitals and authorities trying to find him Sunday, but didn’t know what happened until detectives came to their East Side house Monday evening. He didn’t have identification when he was found.

“He was very unselfish. He was the type of kid if another kid was being bullied, he would try to protect that kid,” West said. Her son, the oldest of four siblings, liked sketching cars and playing clarinet, she said. He wasn’t attending school and was searching for what he wanted to do in life, she said.

Angelica Easterling said her brother was full of life and sensitive to others’ feelings. “He could make bad situations funny,” she said. He also did impersonations of family members, including his mother, “that had me cracked up,” his mom recalled.
“He had a free spirit.”

Berneice Easterling, who lived with the family this year, said her grandson was always helpful. “Sometimes he would come in late and say, `Grandma, is there anything you want?’ ” she said. “He was very caring.”

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