A Voice for Jenny

My Mom wants very much for my story to be told so she is going to help me try to tell it. I know there are unanswered questions and I have no way to give her the answers. But, with my Mom’s help, I will tell you as much as I can.

On the morning of July 3rd, 1999, I met my co-worker, Jonathan Lloyd. We worked together at Kinko’s. Our shifts only crossed for a short period of time but when I was in training only a few weeks before, we did work together. That morning, he made advances toward me that I rebuffed, and then he strangled me to death in the home of his girlfriend on Willow Street. He hid my body overnight in his parents storage unit off Mt Rose Highway. The next day, July 4th, he bought 5 cans of highly flammable chemicals and a sleeping bag, placed my body in the sleeping bag, poured the chemicals over my head and body and set my body on fire. The authorities know that I died the day before at approximately 11:00 in the morning. They know that Jonathan Lloyd strangled me with a rope. Also, there are others who know that Jonathan Lloyd physically attacked me. He told them so. But he destroyed a lot of evidence when he burned my body, and because he had killed me the day before, his burning of my body is considered to be only a minor offense known as “improper disposal of a body”. My Mom is very angry that the act of burning my body is legally considered to be only a minor offense because I was already dead when he did it. My Mom was never able to see me again and she is haunted by the horror of what he did to me.

So Mom wants me to tell you about myself. I was 20 years old, and would have been 21 on December 16th, 1999. I went to Galena High School for my freshman and sophomore years and then moved to my Dad’s in California, where I graduated from high school in 1997. I played the violin in the Galena Orchestra and sat 1st chair, 2nd violin plus I played for the Galena Chamber Orchestra. After I graduated from high school, I attended one year of college at Feather River Junior College. I played basketball for Feather River and it seems I was well liked by my teammates and known by my coaches as a fun loving, hard working team player. Some of my teammates and all of my coaches came to my memorial service on the Friday following my death. I know I really meant a lot to them.

After a year of college, I came home to live with my Mom and Step-Dad in Reno and found a job at Macys, in the fine china and tabletop department. I had many wonderful clients and co-workers and worked there for 10 months. I also took a part time job working for Franktown Corner Car Wash. But I knew I needed to do more with my life. My Mom had told me that for what seems forever, and I decided to look for another job that paid better so I could repay my Mom the money she had loaned me for my car. For almost all the month of June, I worked all three jobs, Macy’s, Kinko’s and Franktown Corner Car Wash.

On June 28th, 1999, I went to Sacramento where I enlisted in the US Navy. I took all the tests and signed a 6-year enlistment. Because I did so well on the entrance exams, I was given my choice of fields. Boy, was I excited and proud of myself. When I got home on the evening of June 28th, all I could talk about was the Navy. I chose the delayed entry and had decided to work for Kinko’s and Franktown Corners for another six weeks before I left for Boot Camp.

Five days later, I died and was never be able to fulfill my dreams. Two days before I died I got my paychecks and put all my money in the bank, except the $5.00 I held out as spending money. I really didn’t need any money because all I was going to do was spend time with friends and work. I tested completely drug-free at the Navy Recruitment office on the Monday before I died, and when the coroner tested my body after I was found, I still tested drug free. Mom wants everyone to know, I didn’t have any drugs around and I didn’t have any money, so what Jonathan Lloyd told the police couldn’t be true. I did not meet him to buy drugs. Mom guesses that I went to meet him that morning just to have breakfast and talk about the Navy before I came home to sleep. I have no way to tell her why I met him that fateful day. Unfortunately, she will never know.

I have lots of friends and family and feel so very badly for all their pain. It is very hard on my family to know my death was so brutal. I fought Jon Lloyd very hard, but I was a pretty small person, only 109 pounds and Jon Lloyd is over 6’ tall and weighed over 200 pounds. I fought for my life! The police know that I fought very hard because they saw the scratches and marks I left on Jon Lloyd when they picked him up at Kinko’s a few days later. But unfortunately I lost that fight and so did my family and friends.

My Mom was told by the District Attorney’s office that they were considering seeking the death penalty. However, as time passed a critical document was not filed and, based on the lack of this document filing, the DA’s office couldn’t seek the death penalty without bringing the matter before the Supreme Court to ask for a special ruling. Also, it was determined, during their “staffing” meetings, that there did not exist a sufficient number of “aggravators” as the law calls them, to believe they would have been successful in seeking the death penalty. You see, Jon Lloyd is young and there is no evidence that he has ever committed a violent crime before. Just those factors alone “mitigate” the other elements of the crime. My Mom and I both agree, the law seems very confusing and from our perspective, unfair, but that is the law. My Mom now feels that the law is designed to protect the innocent, basically the accused – until proven guilty - innocent, not the victim innocent.

On August 8th, 2000 Jonathan Lloyd pled guilty to 1st degree kidnapping and 1st degree murder. This agreement to plead guilty was reached with the District Attorney’s office and his state issued attorneys, Fred Pinkerton and John Olsen in exchange for the state agreeing to drop the sexual assault charge. On September 22nd, Jonathan Lloyd will face Judge Janet Berry and receive his sentence. My Mom, my family, my friends are praying he will receive a life sentence without the possibility of parole. Since I cannot be there to tell the Judge what I want, my Mom, family and friends want to let everyone know that he should never be able to leave prison, he should never be able to walk freely again. My family and friends have already been through so much, they should never have to go before the Parole Board sometime in the future to beg that they keep Jon Lloyd in prison. You would think justice would be served if his life were taken because he took mine … but that’s not going to happen. The only sentence that might be considered close to justice is that he never be able to enjoy freedom again.

I loved art and music. English was by far my favorite course in college. I did quite a bit of writing some of which my Mom found when she went through my things after my death. One of my poems is written below and is how I will end this article. I have missed out on so much and my family has been devastated by my brutal death. I’m safe now and reside with God. My Mom has taken some comfort in knowing that I will spend eternity in heaven. She and the rest of my family and friends will now have a personal guardian angel.

DREAMS
Jenny Wren Testa, 1997

Walking in a world of shattered dreams
I opened a bolted door.
There are so many unanswered questions.
What will happen next?
Confusion.
Corruption.
The world turns upside down,
Nobody knows what’s going on.

Murder

The door closes behind me and I am now inside.
The minds of those tormented by crazy thoughts
Spin around my body.
Knocked over, I stand up.
Run.
I can’t find the door.
This world is scaring me,
We cannot turn back.

Lies.
I will.
Later.
The check is in the mail.
This won’t hurt.
I wouldn’t do that.
I promise.
I love you.

I’m walking along a tilted edge,
I don’t want to fall.
Someone reaches out and touches my hand.
Who is saving me?
Outstretched arms are comforting me,
“Don’t worry, everything will be alright”.
I look into the eyes of love and trust,
I see a place to call home.