What happened to Rosie? Former foster families have more questions after 18-year-old's death ruled suicide
More than a month after Rosie O'Brien's death, two former foster families say they have more questions after an hours-long meeting with detectives.
What happened to Rosie? That's the question two foster families asked for more than a month after a young woman they helped raise died.
After First Coast News started investigating, the families now have some answers, but still a lot of questions.
A troubled past "Rosie was a beautiful girl, inside and out... but as soon as she started getting close with someone she would bolt."
Rosie O’Brien endured a lot in her 18 years, according to her former foster mother.
“She was 13 when she was first exploited,” Renee Balassaitis said. “The life of individuals who've been trafficked, it’s been transformed. They stop believing in themselves. Someone that you thought was so confident, so competent, so stubborn turns into someone that you just don't recognize behaviorally.”
According to police reports from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, Rosie had experienced mental health crises, had been Baker Acted, and had a history of running away from those to whose care she was entrusted, including the Youth Crisis Center.
Rosie’s former foster father, Greg Driskell, considered her a daughter.
“Rosie was a beautiful girl, inside and out. She had a lot of struggles throughout her life. She was in the system for 16 years. It's a long time. She's had a number of foster parents throughout her life,” Driskell said. “We called her Rosie the runner because it seemed that as soon as she started getting close with someone, she would bolt. She would leave, or she'd request for a change in parents.”
The Driskells and the Balassaitises were at different times Rosie’s foster parents. Both say they cared deeply about her. Rosie had just aged out of the legal custody of the Department of Children and Families. She was in the care of the Balassaitis’ through extended foster care when they say she left.
“Although I'm not her foster mom, I have influence not authority, which is tricky, but that's how it is,” Balassaitis said.
John Harrell, a spokesperson for the Department of Children and Families, says the extended foster care program is a completely voluntary program for youth aging out of the foster care system.
Balasssaitis says Rosie left frequently, but always stayed in touch. On April 25th it had been four days since she had been heard from.
“We knew she was missing for a couple of days. The friend she was staying with at the time had been in contact with me multiple times a day saying she's not back. I don't have a good feeling,” Balassaitis said.
Renee met with an officer with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office to file a missing person report and gave him Rosie’s information. “And after two hours of waiting, the officer came up to me and just said, ‘I'm sorry she's dead, that bluntly’”, Balassaitis said.
“I didn't expect to hear I'm sorry Rosie's dead, and that's how we found out.”
More questions than answers We spoke with at least 7 people who say they communicated with Rosie in the days leading up to her death. They say they were never questioned by police.
Police told Renee that Rosie had died four days earlier on April 21. She contacted the homicide detective assigned to the case and was left with more questions.
“Where was she found? What happened? How did she die? And the answer I kept getting? You know, we can't answer that. It's an active investigation,” Balassaitis said.
Rosie was laid to rest, but questions surrounding her death lingered. After First Coast News started asking the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office for answers, a detective reached out to Balassaitis and told her investigators would come to her home this week to answer her questions.
For more than two hours, three detectives sat down with the Balassaitises and Driskell. They told them the Medical Examiner had just ruled Rosie’s death a suicide.
“Rosie died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound into the chest, intentional or not, cannot be determined,” Balassaitis said. “Flat out, we don't believe it was intentional. She did not seem to be in a depressed state at all, moments before.”
Police say she shot herself in a home on Jacksonville’s Westside, but would not give the families the address.
“She was on the floor. There was a gun,” Driskell recalled officers telling them. “She had a holster attached to her, which we found a little strange.”
The only person police told them was in the home with her at the time was a 50-year-old convicted felon who was on probation.
“They did describe it as what it appeared to be a sugar daddy relationship,” Driskell said. “They said he caught her playing with this gun and then walked away and went into another room, and there was a gunshot, and he returned and found that she had shot herself.”
Detectives told them he was questioned for several hours and was very forthcoming.
“They gave them his phone, they were looking at the messaging between himself and Rosie,” Driskell said. “They searched the house and didn't find anything.”
Both families still don’t understand why police didn’t interview them as they investigated Rosie’s case before it was ruled a suicide.
First Coast News spoke with at least seven people who communicated with Rosie in the days leading up to her death. All of them say they were never questioned by police. We also spoke with someone who heard the gunshot and was not questioned.
Balassaitis is appreciative detectives finally sat down with her, but still has many unanswered questions, including how the drugs police told her were in Rosie’s system, like cocaine, ended up there.
“Her drugs of choice weren’t the ones found in her,” Balassaitis said. “Who gave her a gun? How did she have access to a gun?”
The Balassaiti and Driskells say detectives told them the semi-automatic handgun Rosie used had been stolen years earlier. Now that her death has been ruled a suicide, they say police told them they plan to close the case and no charges will be filed.
“Even though Rosie's life has ended, our seeking justice has not,” Driskell said.
Families wonder where do we go from here? "According to the detectives, Rosie’s life came to an end as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest. This is not consistent with her nature."
First Coast News requested Rosie's autopsy and toxicology reports from the Medical Examiner’s Office and were told a report will be generated within approximately 90 days from the date of examination.
After reflecting on the information they were given, the Balassaitises and Driskells sent First Coast News this statement:
First, we want to express our gratitude to those who have and continue to assist us in our efforts to find the truths surrounding the death of Rosie. Especially to the First Coast News Investigative Team and anchor Heather Crawford. We believe that their efforts in bringing this tragedy to the public have motivated the authorities to expedite the revealing of such information.
On May 24th, 2022 we were contacted by and arranged a face-to-face meeting with the JSO detectives handling Rosie’s case. In this meeting, the detectives laid out the scenario and the circumstances that led up to Rosie’s death and the time after. Although we felt care and concern from these detectives, we believe that the circumstances laid before us simply do not yet add up. We are currently composing a list of questions and plan to arrange another meeting with the detectives in hope of more answers and clarity.
According to the detectives, Rosie’s life came to an end as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest. This is not consistent with her nature. Nor did she own, carry or for that matter have an interest in a gun at any time prior to this event. We want to know where did she get the gun and why?
We want to know more about where she was when she died and who was with her? Over the past several weeks we have repeatedly asked that question and even in our meeting with JSO on May 24th, 2022 we were told that they could not reveal that to us.
We want a better explanation as to why the investigation did not include interviewing those that were closest to Rosie? How does a homicide case, suicide or not, get opened and shut with no effort to discover the motive from those that knew her best and were with her most.
There are more questions of which we expect JSO to honor their stated commitment to answer “all of our questions” and will be arranging a follow-up meeting over the next couple of days.
We want to close with this. We are longtime supporters of the men and women officers that risk their lives every day to protect ours. We also understand the strenuous workload and complexity of homicide cases. Regardless, Rosie’s life has ended, but our efforts to ensure justice have not.
Thank you,
Brad and Renee Balassaitis
Gregory and Debra Driskell
First Coast News also received a statement from Kids First of Florida, the Clay County agency DCF contracted with for Rosie’s extended foster care.
Interim CEO Kevin Davidson said:
“We, at Kids First of Florida, acknowledge the heartbreaking loss of this young woman. We extend our deepest sympathies to all those who loved her – family, friends and those who worked with her and cared for her.
We understand that there is an active investigation by law enforcement and KFF is cooperating fully with that investigation, and we will continue to do so. We do not have specific information related to that investigation
Our role as a Community Based Care agency is to provide quality care, services, and support care to at risk children, families, and young adults who are dealing with issues of abuse and neglect. – we take that responsibility seriously, and we are cooperating fully with law enforcement and our partners at DCF.
When we work with young adults, we inform them of resources and supports that are available to them to help them be safe and successful - we always encourage them to make the best choices and decisions for their lives.”