Many Questions After Brutal Slaying of Baltimore Black Gay Teen

A popular black gay Baltimore teen was laid to rest Wednesday but the circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear. Fifteen-year-old Jason Mattison Jr. was known for his skin-tight jeans and funky sweaters. The flamboyant, openly gay teen was a star student at the Vivian T. Thomas Medical Arts Academy and hoped to become a pediatrician. Little was known about his family life until his body was found, viciously stabbed and stuffed into a closet. A 35-year-old ex-convict who previously served time for murder has confessed to killing Jason—a man who apparently lived at Dante's home and forced the boy into a sexual relationship, reports the Baltimore Sun.

Last week, at his aunt's house, one of the few occupied homes on a block boarded and sagging, he was found dead - raped, gagged with a pillowcase, stabbed repeatedly in the head and throat, and shoved into an upstairs closet. Jason's killing left his teachers, classmates and relatives in tears and family members asking questions of one another even in the days leading up to today's funeral. Did Jason leave his mother's house and move in with his aunt, as his grandmother suggested? Or was he just visiting on that fateful day, as a cousin said?

[Jason's grandmother] said Jason left his mother recently and moved into the house on Llewellyn Avenue, though family members there said he only visited. A Baltimore police spokesman would say only that Jason "was staying at his aunt's house." It was there that Jason met Dante Parrish, with whom the spokesman said the teen had a "forced sexual relationship." Whether Parrish went from prison to live at the rowhouse on Llewellyn Avenue or frequented it could not be determined. [Jayson's cousin Laquanna Couplin] would not elaborate beyond confirming that the man was a longtime family friend.

The day Jason's body was found, it was Couplin who called police, at 3 a.m. Nov. 10. She reported that someone had broken into the house and stolen a television from the living room. A police officer came and wrote a larceny report. Couplin called police again at 5:09 a.m., saying that she saw blood on a banister leading to the second floor. She also reported Jason missing.Police found his body in the back of a second-floor closet. Charging documents say that "several witnesses were identified and positively identified defendant Dante Parrish as the person responsible for this act." Couplin said she now believes the missing television was a diversion to make it look like a break-in.

Police arrested Parrish two days later at a convenience store. Parrish confessed and is being held without bail. In the meantime, many questions remain about Parrish's relationship with the family. How many people at the boarding house knew Parrish forced Jayson into a sexual relationship but looked the other way? And why did the family allow Parrish into the home? Jason's grandmother, Wanda Williams, questioned how other relatives could have allowed the boy to be in the same house with Parrish. "I haven't cried so much this entire life," Williams said. "My grandson hollering for help and there is nobody there to help him.

Thanks BALTIMORE FEMME and RJ!

Comments

[Carlos]

This story is so sad and so tragic. It seems that the death could have been prevented if the aunt's family hadn't welcomed the killer into their home. smh another black gay life tragically cut down

[Johnira Johnson]

Oh, my goodness, this is such a terrible story/event. I pray for the strength of his family...it seems that his grandmother is the only one to care.

[Devon]

Wow. How many red flags did they need to see? And how can the aunt and cousin call this man a family friend? This was no friend of the family if you ask me.

And what Johnira said. Only the grandmother cared about the young man.

[Charlie]

wow. i can't even begin to express my feelings on this one. just tragic on so many levels ...

[Mellovirgo89]

Somehow black people have GOT to learn that life is valuable. You just cant take somebodies life like that. I just dont get it......

[AlekWekJunkie]

this is so sad, it should make all of us furious, why are we just taking this sh!t?? being beaten/jumped or possibly killed for being out and about minding our business? why can't we defend ourselves?? we need to bear arms, because our lives obivously mean nothing to the justice system or police!!

[CC]

My thoughts and prayers go out to the family- How sad that a predator has robbed the life of a bright kid.

[Ravenback]

God, no. Not another young life taken from us. It seems that Jason Mattison, Jr. was on his way to doing great things in life. And this is the reward he's given. Family members should have known something terribly wrong was going on. Ex-cons are ex-cons for a reason, and it's not because they were playing tiddly-winks. If your own family doesn't have your back at age 15, then what chance do you really have?

This goes beyond being black or gay. There is something f'd up about America. We have the highest incarceration rate in the world and the most murders. This country breeds violence. We don't have a civil war going on or rebel forces running amok in this country, yet so many people are murdered here. What's this country's excuse? The only thing our prisons accomplish is turning out even more violent criminals. Just a few days ago, 5 year old Shaniya Davis's body was found amongst deer carcasses. The man who took her has a long criminal record including shooting someone and running down a cop with a car. Yet he was still around to kidnap and possibly kill that little girl. Or people exhibit odd behavior that essentially telegraphs a sign of things to come. A major in the Army gave off warning signs all over the place, yet he was allowed to stay in the military to eventually kill 13 soldiers and wound many more. I could go on but it just shows that nobody took things seriously enough until after people were murdered.

We need to wake up to what's going on around us. Jason and all those who met a violent end deserved better. Too many people let them down.

[TheRevKev]

I am trying to catch my mouth with this story.

My God. My God.

What's wrong with us that we are letting our children slip through the cracks?

How are we not paying more attention?

Looking the other ways has cost us FAR TOO MUCH for FAR TOO LONG.

I have paragraphs and pastoral sayings running around my heart right now, but they are all being choked by personal pain.

He did the right thing, lived a great life, was smart and personable and loved and he still wasn't worth protecting?

I am praying for his family right now because guilt is going to devour someone who knew and ignored this tragedy.

I am confused about what a FORCED SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP is with a teenager AND family around? Did the aunt pimp him out? Was he forced to sleep with this dude so that bills got paid? I am so angry right now that I could spit nails!!!

So many tragedies happen to us and we look to God and wonder how God could let them happen, but PEOPLE it's time that we take OWNERSHIP of our own...MESS...CRAP...SH...STUFF! We are not paying enough attention to the signs that we are unraveling. We hide behind closed doors and on cell phones, so that we can say that we didn't know. ENOUGH! This is the kind of loss that makes angels weep!

I AM FURIOUS. I have a 19 year old son, who has to walk the streets of the world everyday and everyday, I pray that he makes it home okay because the streets are devouring our kids of color. I pray that no one comes after him because of his own sense of style or because he has a Gay Dad or because he has some blessings that they don't. I pray because hell would have no fury like mine if anything ever happened to my child. This is devastating because I see myself in Jason, even in those same project-like surroundings (me in DC) and just thank God that my mother kept her hands and eyes on me!

Rest in Peace, Sweet Jason!

[Amir]

I visit this blog frequently but have never left a comment...but I will today.

I want to cry for this innocent teen. I was abused as a child and had circumstances been a little different this could have easily been my fate.

This reminds me of a time in our country's history when whites placed little to no value on the lives of blacks and thought nothing of mudering, raping, or commiting other criminal acts against them. This didn't start to change until the black community stood up and demanded equality and respect.

The black communtiy is fostering a culture in which it is okay to hate homosexuals and this is the result. I am constantly correcting family members and friends who make disparaging remarks about someone who maybe too 'flamboyant'. We should take this as a call to action before we lose another angel.

[A.]

This loss is tragic. It seems that the family may have known that Jason was being molested by this man but thought it was okay because Jason was gay. It's a shame that our young brothers and sisters are being slain like this. It doesn't seem like Jason was a troubled kid; just one stuck in a bad situation. His family failed him and so did all of us who let this kind of thing go on in our community without advocating for those who can not advocate for themselves.

[DC]

This is disturbing on so many levels. I'll never understand why or how someone can take an innocent persons life so easily.

Why was this man let out of prison? Why was he even allowed around this kid? Why did people know this kid was in a "forced sexual relationship" with a convicted murderer and not do or say a d@mn thing about it. I hope those that knew are charged as an accessory to this crime or something.

Brothers be careful out there and about who you meet. There are definitely some unstable dudes out there...this is proof of that.

WOW, just WOW.

[DW Jazzlover]

Dear Brothers,This is truly tragic,a beautiful life lost! Look at the names and understand your questions!
We all know there is alot more to this story..as a lot of us have lived through...
My question remains the same! what do we do to stop this from happening? What is the solution?
Do we continue to live in fear? What is the solution?
What can we do?
This has gone on too long and I am tired of crying over our children....

[thegaytekeeper]

I just don't know anymore...maybe I NEVER did...

[mimi]

There is a teen in Puerto Rico who was found murdered, decapitated, dismembered. Puerto Rico is a colony so they are subject to US federal laws. They are also subject to the hate crime laws.

read the story
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2009/11/19/man_charged_in_death_of_puerto_rico_teen/

[John Ozed]

I've been following this story since it initially broke. So heart breaking and sad. Rest in peace young Jayson.

[alicia banks]

welcome back rod!

tragic

these dl butch thugs/holy homohaters are becoming more deadly each day

i wish we had an online cemetary for names of global gays lynched

if my schedule was not insane, i would host it myself

it is time to have a quick ref for all the gay lynchings that gaybashers dare to deny....

shame!!!!!!!

[worst_1_yet]

Sounds like Jayson was a great kid and a joy to be around.

Wish I could've had his back. People got to take care and look out for one another. All of us.

[RC]

This was a tough read. I am thankful the Baltimore Sun treated the story with such respect.

[Mr. FAMU]

Why do I have any respect for humanity again?

Like seriously.

The teen decapitated, dismembered, and burned in puerto rico.

3 transgender people murdered every hour in the world.

this story?

sigh.

[James M]

This a true tragedy! There are times when I wonder about humanity, and this story REALLY makes me wonder if we can make it.

[Garçon Stupide]

I don't mind admitting this made me cry like a baby, and I'm not given to weeping. Poor, sweet child. :(

The scale of the loss, the horror of this, is just incomprehensible. 15-years-old. :(

[Mike]

It's plain and simple, people, it takes a village....

Until your mothers ,fathers, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, sons, daughter, cousins, friends, lovers or whoever residing in our communities realize that saying nothing is actually a bigger crime than the actual crime itself,then we ain't seen nothing yet. Speak up people!

All that Stop the Snitching bs is just that bs.

[CC]

I think its funny when I hear people say Stop Snitching, until its their personal loss and they know others know about it. How quickly they change their words...........

[QH]

This story, and the one above, I feel ill. What is wrong with people? Why do we have to be so hateful to one another? God help us.-QH