In a quiet West Bloomfield, Michigan neighborhood, 31-year-old Diana Pesserl's life was tragically cut short in what appeared to be a random and senseless act of violence. On December 9, 2016, her body was discovered inside her burning car behind the old Pine Lake Elementary School. An autopsy would later reveal that she had died from a single gunshot wound to her abdomen.
The investigation into her death quickly led police to two young men.
The primary suspect was identified as 18-year-old DeSean Maurice Smith. He had been visiting a friend, 19-year-old Jaylen Steven Stringer, who lived just a few houses down from Pesserl. On the night of the murder, Pesserl was reportedly sitting in her car listening to music, a frequent pastime of hers. It is believed that Smith left his friend's house and, in a chance encounter, shot Pesserl. According to statements made by Smith to his friend, he claimed Pesserl had tried to grab his gun.
Following the shooting, Smith allegedly placed Pesserl in the trunk of her own car and drove it to the nearby school where he set it on fire. Stringer was implicated in the crime for assisting Smith in concealing the murder weapon, a. 38 caliber pistol, which was later found by detectives in a heating vent at Stringer's home. Both Smith and Stringer were subsequently arrested.
DeSean Smith was charged with open murder, arson, and felony firearm. Despite his claims of innocence in court, a jury found him guilty of first-degree felony murder, fourth-degree arson, and possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Jaylen Stringer faced charges of tampering with evidence and being an accessory after the fact. In exchange for his cooperation with the investigation, he pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence and was sentenced to five years of probation and 500 hours of community service.
