On a tragic early morning in Bremerton, Washington, the life of 29-year-old Caucasian female Heather Kelso was cut short. On March 28, 2015, a violent attack unfolded at her residence in the Kariotis Mobile Home Park, ending not only her life but also that of a two-year-old boy named Kaden Lum, who was the son of her roommate. The incident, which appeared to be a targeted act of violence, sent shockwaves through the community and launched an intensive investigation.
Heather was at home
with her boyfriend, Matthew Dean, her roommate Jalisa Lum, and Jalisa's son, Kaden. The evening took a horrifying turn when a gunman opened fire. Heather was initially shot in the legs on her back porch before the attacker followed her inside. Inside the mobile home, the assailant continued the rampage, fatally shooting Heather and Kaden Lum. Jalisa Lum tried to shield her young son from the gunfire, but he was struck and died in her arms. Matthew Dean was also shot multiple times but managed to escape by diving through a window and survived his life-threatening injuries.
The investigation quickly focused on Heather's ex-boyfriend, Geraldo "Jerry" Castro De Jesus, who also went by Gerardo DeJesus. The relationship between Heather and De Jesus had been troubled, and she had sought and received a protective order against him just a month before her murder, citing fears for her safety and his access to guns. Prosecutors later argued that De Jesus was motivated by anger over their breakup and her allegations of child abuse against him. Despite his claims of being elsewhere at the time of the shooting, investigators built a case against him.
In August 2015, after a lengthy and exhaustive investigation, authorities arrested Geraldo De Jesus at his workplace, the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, where Heather had also been employed. He was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder. In September 2016, a jury found the 31-year-old De Jesus guilty on all counts after deliberating for three days. He was subsequently sentenced to two life sentences without the possibility of parole, ensuring he would be held accountable for the brutal deaths of Heather Kelso and young Kaden Lum.
