True Crime with Kimbyr - College Dream Turns Deadly: The Heart breaking Murder of Andrea DelVesco

Episode Date: May 2, 2025

In this emotional episode of True Crime with Kimbyr, Kimbyrleigha unpacks the tragic case of Andrea DelVesco, a UCLA student whose promising future was cut short in her final year of college. Raised in a loving and successful family, Andrea had everything to live for—until one horrific night changed everything. What led to her untimely death, and why was this young woman targeted? With compassion and detail, Kimbyrleigha explores the life Andrea built, the mystery that shattered it, and the devastating truths that followed. Don’t miss this deeply moving true crime story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

College. It's supposed to be one of the most exciting chapters of a person's academic life. A time when you become more independent, develop friendships that will last a lifetime, and maybe even meet your soulmate. But for one college student, it would be their final chapter. Andrea Delvesco was full of excitement about starting her final year at UCLA. She never could have imagined her story would end so suddenly. Today's story is another college killing, and these always scare me so much. Again, like many others that have covered, it was so unexpected and so tragic. I'd like to introduce you to Andrea Lauren Delvesco.

She was born in Chicago, Illinois on June 29, 1994, to her parents Arthur and Leslie Delvesco. Andrea was the middle child. She had an older brother, James, who was two years older than her at the time, and her younger sister, Alexis, came along four years later in 1998. in 1998. They became a family of five, a happy family, a close family, a loving family. Everything a family should be. That is what the DeVascos were. Ultimately, they made their home out in Austin, Texas. Andrea's mother, she studied finance and marketing at Southern Methodist University, and then she worked at Merrill Lynch, and she had a job working with American Airlines, and was a

former account executive for residential mortgages at Citibank USA before becoming a stay-at-home mom. Arthur Delvesco, Andrea's father owns Delvesco family investments. It's a holding and investment company. Now, before I tell you this next part, I wanted to tell you that, you know, I heard something the other day that really bothered me, and it was in relation to the Titan submersible. You probably are aware what happened in that situation,

and the people on board who tragically lost their lives. I saw a lot of insensitive memes and jokes, and most of them were in regard to them being wealthy. being wealthy. I think most of us would only dream of working hard enough to one day be at that place. But for that to be a reason to discount someone's life, it just felt gross, that there were people out there that had that perspective. That felt like those people's lives didn't matter and weren't worth as much. Why? I know it's probably none of you. I know how loving you are and how much you don't take life for granted. No matter what someone's income is, we all believe

the same. We all grieve for our lost loved ones. So I want to say right away, Andrea's family was well off. Her father was able to provide a very comfortable life and then some, but let's not let that cloud our vision on what's irreplaceable, no matter how much money someone has, and that's life. It's true that it seems like Andrea's father, he worked very hard and had a really good income. And I'm gauging this all off of a few things. The company he operates, the industry that it's in, the pictures that I've seen, and the home that they owned. Mostly the last one, the home. The Delvesco's lived in a subdivision called Glen Lake.

It's part of Travis County in Austin. I'll be visiting Austin next month. It's beautiful there. And this part of Austin is very nice. It's definitely off the beaten path. Look at the road into the DeVesco's neighborhood. Now, here's the front gate of their property. There were so many different websites with information about this house.

Some said it had 11 bathrooms, so I have no idea how many bedrooms it would have had with 11 bathrooms. Other websites said it only had nine, only nine. And I've seen as low as seven. But one consistent fact is that it was around 10,000 square feet, and I'm pretty sure they had it built. So I can't be sure how much they spent on it, but some sites were appraising it at $13 million. Other said four million. But really, I'm saying enough to say that it's a man. to most of us. It's on almost 17 acres of land and it has this winding driveway that

leads up to the home and it appears to even have a lake on the property as well as a swimming pool and possible guest homes as well. I can't be sure, but from what you can see from this bird's eye view, it's pretty big and there's lots of land surrounding it as well. And good for them. I never say must be nice anymore. I learned that from a speech from YouTuber Peter McKinnon one time at a video conference, it's nice when you work hard and you get rewarded. So I took Must Be Nice out of my vocabulary. Saying it is like scoffing,

and there's no reason to, especially when you don't know these people. From what I've gathered during all of my research, this family was a good one. Arthur and Leslie, they were loving parents who instilled important values in their children. The DeVescos were able to send their children to the best schools, which reinforced those vows.

and they enrolled them at St. Andrews Episcopal School, which is a K-12 school. The website says they empower scholars, artists, athletes, and servants since 1952. It's a private school with a dedicated faculty, a challenging academic program, fine and performing arts, competitive athletics, and a wide selection of extracurricular activities. Now I mentioned, it's an Episcopalian school which focuses on chapel and religious tradition that's rooted in the Christian story of God's love and grace. No matter the person's, I guess you could call it, level of religious devotion, I know a variety of people send their children to Episcopalian schools

for the quality of education. I've been told that they feel like it doesn't hurt that they're learning morals even if they are religious-based. There were many of these schools where I'm from in Florida. Usually they're popular among families that can afford to send their children there. And all three of the DeVosco children were attending St. Andrews and they were thriving. During Andrea's high school career, she was the National Commended Merit Scholar. She won numerous awards for excelling in Latin, English, and Spanish. Andrea also excelled outside of the classroom, developing her leadership skills through her involvement in various

extracurricular activities. She played field hockey and lacrosse for the varsity team at St. Andrews, and Leslie took note of Andrea's love for learning. She spent time reading, she liked going to museums, she enjoyed learning about art. But most of all, she was fascinated by people. She had a natural talent for being empathetic. She could feel others' feelings before they even told her how they felt. Since she was just in the first grade, she would never pass up the opportunity to volunteer and to help,

to lend a hand, and offer advice and support, even if it meant sacrificing her own time or resources. Her loyalty seemed to be unmatched. She was always there for those she cared about, no matter the cost. Her mom noticed that from a very young age, Andrea would know when her siblings were upset and she was ready to comfort them. Leslie said that you could just see that she saw into your soul

and understood exactly what you were going through. As I was learning all about Andrea, I got to know a lot about Leslie's nature and that of her other daughter, Alexis, Andrea's little sister. And it became apparent to me that many of their qualities actually stemmed from what a caring, soft, and loving, woman their mother was. I can tell that Leslie loved being a mom. She didn't just consider Andrea daughter. She called her her best friend. They developed a very strong bond. Andrea once wrote her mother

a letter that included these words, quote, Dear mom, I love you with my whole heart, and I hope that I have inherited half of your strength. I will never love anyone as much as I love you, end quote. Her mom knew that Andrea was very special, that not many people had the capacity to love others the way that Andrea did. But it wasn't just her family that she extended her hands and her heart to. It was friends and also strangers. She enjoyed traveling, getting to know people, and learning about different cultures. For example, Andrea took a trip to Peru for her 16th birthday. When that's the day that usually reserved for celebrating yourself, she spent it helping villagers construct shelters by making bricks out of mud. This was a trip that she planned all on her own, and she spent two weeks camping in a tent,

just exploring a different part of the world and the people who live there. I could tell Andrea loved to have fun. I was looking at all her pictures of her growing up, like this one with her friends, swinging off a rope into the water. They went rafting and boating, and she really looked like she enjoyed life, and she had a great time with her friends, lots of laughing, lots of pictures growing up where she was just adorable with this cute little smile and her shiny blonde hair. I could tell that she had a childhood full of activities like horseback riding and vacations to the mountains.

She created lots of memories with the people she loved the most. The way her dad is looking at her in this photo says everything without saying one word. Andrea made him proud. Her compassion set her apart more than anything, more than her straight A's or being on the Honor Society, even though those were accomplishments to be proud of and Andrea's parents were definitely proud of them.

So was Alexis. She really looked up to her older sister. In Alexis's opinion, there was no one cooler than Andrea. She just said that there was something about her sister that drew you in. And Alexis admired Andrea's confidence, her grace, and her charisma. She felt like Andrea could do anything that she put her mind to and she wanted to be just like her when she grew up. Whatever Andrew was doing, Alexis wasn't far behind.

There were so many things to admire about Andrew. I think what I liked learning the most about her was how funny that people thought she was. I read every single post on her Facebook and all the comments between her and her friends, and I got a clear picture of how witty she was. It was cute. And I always say, if you're witty, then you're intelligent. Because putting together puns takes talent, and who doesn't love a good pun? I know I do.

Andrea had a great sense of humor. And that, coupled with her adventurous spirit, enabled her to stand out. It was everything. It was the way that she dressed. Bright colors were her thing. Her funny outfits to shock and surprise her friends. She may have even acquired some of that uniqueness from attending St. Andrews because it did focus on the performing arts.

I could tell Andrea was the life of the party. You would know when she showed up because she would make sure of that. I'll tell you more about this because I think that as she grew more into her true self, she showed that and that was when she was in college. But that was the next step in her life. something that she was looking forward to after finishing her senior year in 2012. She had applied to a number of colleges, and Leslie was hoping that her daughter would choose the University of Chicago

because her older brother James was studying there. Leslie felt like having two kids attending the same school would provide them with support and security. She knew that Andrea would be safe. But as each one of Andrea's acceptance letters came rolling in, Andrea wanted to wait until they all arrived, before choosing which college she would attend. It's no surprise with Andrea's love for adventure.

She wanted a challenge, and she believed that you grow as a person when you push yourself outside of your comfort zone. One of the last acceptance letters to come in was from UCLA, and Andrea knew that it would be a huge change, going from a small town in Austin out to Los Angeles, and she was more than ready. She was excited to tell her mom that she chose UCLA. And of course, Leslie was so happy for her.

She remembers giving her a big hug and congratulating her in her acceptance. But what was so strange is when Leslie left and got back into her car, she broke down in tears. It was something she couldn't understand. Why was she so overcome with sadness? She found herself sobbing so hard,

and she really couldn't pinpoint what it stemmed from. However, once you find out what happens, I think you'll believe what Leslie now think happened to her. It was like she had some kind of premonition in that moment. And I truly believe we're connected to our children. It's something I can't really explain. It's a connection that's so deep and so real. I feel it all the time, not only with my daughter, but anyone that I'm close to. We call it intuition or a gut feeling, but Leslie truly didn't feel right about Andrea leaving for Los Angeles. But of course, she wanted to support her daughter. And Andrea was looking forward

to double majoring in psychology and Spanish. When she told her mom what she would be studying, especially when she said psychology, Leslie thought, wow, that's the perfect career path for Andrea, someone who always had a love for people and was very compassionate. She was a natural. Andrea was also interested in helping people abroad and moving to a Spanish-speaking country one day

so she could experience another culture. It was part of her fascination with how people thought and what made them think the way that they did. And that is exactly why I got a degree in psychology as well. And why I love doing what I do now. I love learning about people. I could really relate to Andrea, and I'm sure a lot of you can too.

That's why you're here, right? Because of your fascination with people. It wasn't long before Andrea was moving into the dorms on the UCLA campus with the help of her family. It was her freshman year in the fall of 2012 right after she graduated. That summer, she went from high school, right into college, her first real experience away from home,

away from the safety and security of the people she knew and the place she grew up. Leslie had to leave her daughter behind. And as they said goodbye, she looked at her and she said, honey, this is your opportunity to grow and to be whatever you want to be. It must be so hard to let go like that. There's so much uncertainty, but that excited Andrea.

Like it does with many people, everything is new, and this is Los Angeles. It's a dream come true to live here. That's why I'm here. I dreamed about living here since I was in the sixth grade and had a pen pal in LA. It's like nowhere I've ever lived before. I feel like I'll always come back here,

and many people feel the same way, Andrea included. It's everything. It's the weather, the people, the adventure, there's so much to do in California, especially if you're like Andrea and you love people and new things. It's got everything. The snowy mountains for skiing, the glitz and glamour of Hollywood,

the sandy beaches, the nuts, nightlife, the desert life, there's so much to do. It really is the perfect place for college when most people are trying new things, trying to experience the world, especially coming here for college and a place like UCLA. There's so much to do. You really get the real college experience at UCLA in particular. The school is beautiful. Just look at the campus. Plus, it's a really great school academically, which is really important.

UCLA is a highly regarded public research university. Many graduates from UCLA received prestigious awards, including Nobel Prizes, and UCLA ranked, along with UC Berkeley, as the 20th best college in the country in October 2022. Many people dream of attending UCLA. It attracts students from around the world. And that's partly because of its picturesque campus. Looking at this university, you might even think it belongs in a movie, especially if it's from the early 2000s. The scenery is stunning. Kind of reminds me of something like Clueless.

And then, of course, there are the traditions, for one, the sorority life, and that was definitely something Andrea wanted to be a part of. It's also something you have to plan for, because rush week starts right away during the first week of school. So knowing which sorority you want to be a part of is important, and Andrea had her sights set on one in particular. Pi Beta Fee. Now, I've talked about sororities and other college videos that have done, but briefly,

These are social clubs on campus, ones that are exclusive to those who are chosen to be part of them. So you essentially have to try out. You have to audition. And this is a big goal for many girls. They want to be part of a sisterhood. They want to meet friends for life and instantly have people to bond with, sort of like a built-in support system. And the same goes for fraternities when it comes to guys in college. They want to be part of the coolest ones that throw the biggest and best parties.

and of course most of it is to impress the ladies. And while of course there are more to these groups than just partying, they do charity work and they take part in many community-building activities. But for most college campuses, being a part of a fraternity or a sorority has its stigma. High beta fee helps young women achieve their full potential by fostering meaningful relationships with one another, and these relationships allow them to adapt to college by giving them a sense of belonging and support.

and guidance. Their mission statement says, we, the women of Pi Beta Phi Beta Phi are dedicated to creating an inclusive space for all our women. We acknowledge our history, and we will continue to reflect and educate ourselves, listen to the experiences of those within marginalized groups, and support our community. Where UCLA campus is located is called Westwood,

and students say that it's one of the most perfect places for a college town. I feel small even though you're part of LA. It's very inclusive with many students. living there for school. So there are students everywhere. They're working in local restaurants and bars, and it feels like you're always in good company.

And of course, the streets are lined with the infamous frat houses in Greek row, where there are whole neighborhoods, where they have big block parties. Many students don't even lock their doors because they come in and out of each other's apartments to hang out. Everyone is very welcoming.

And it's all within walking distance of UCLA's campus, places like West Westwood Village, has shopping and dining, it's an entertainment complex with restaurants, theaters, and much more. It's not only that there's so much to do in Westwood, but it's also a safe area where college students feel comfortable walking home a night by themselves. Andrea, who is known by everyone as Andy, her nickname at this point, was ready to experience all of this and more.

She could not wait for Rush Week. It's the first week of college, and sororities also have what is known as bid day. signifies the end of recruitment or rush, and it's when all the invitations to join the sororities are sent out, and the women extend a bit. They attend a party hosted by the sorority that they're accepted into when they meet everyone. It's a fun night. You get to meet and get to know all the girls that you're going to be spending the rest of your college years with. All the upper classmen welcome their new members into the sisterhood. It's full of fun, and it's a lot of excitement. This was the day Andrea met some of the women who would become her best friends, including

to Jessica and Jackie. Andrea was the type of person who was very easy to get along with. So many people actually called her their best friend. Andrea had a unique combination, a great personality, good sense of humor,

and she was enthusiastic. It made her presence unforgettable. It left everyone around her feeling uplifted and happy, and she and Jessica clicked right away. It was like they had an instinct connection. That's the way Jessica put it. It was Andrea's crazy sense of style

that really made her stand out. And that was something Andrea would become very well known for. Her unique fashion sense, because it was a great conversation starter, and of course her positive energy. She always lighten the mood when she was around and she brought everyone together. She was a valuable asset to her new sorority,

since that's what it's all about, bringing everyone together. Andrea also clicked with Jackie right from the start. She loved Andrea's sense of humor. She called her outrageous and over the top. And Andrea made friends with everyone. That's the type of person she was. She was many people's first friends at UCLA.

She made sure to give them attention, even at orientation. And those friendships stood the test of time, which was most likely due to the fact that Andrea was described as having a big heart and that her kindness was contagious. She was known as being one of the sweetest people, even to strangers. But maybe that can also be a flaw, being too nice, too open, too friendly, when not everyone out there are one of the good ones.

But it was clear that Andrea was. She was one of the good ones. I told you that she really grew into herself and the person that she was meant to be when she was in college. More of her personality began to shine through. She developed things like a signature outfit, which was a giant fur coat, and she would end up spending Christmas morning one year riding bikes around the Google offices in Mountain View, California, with a friend wearing. her big white coat. And he snapped this picture of her. But it didn't stop there. I told you that she had these outlandish outfits. That's what she was known for. And Sarah Murr, another close friend and sorority sister, remembers meeting Andrea one night. They were at a theme party and most of the girls were dressed

in really skimpy outfits, but Andrew walked in with this on. It's a huge outfit that looks like a dress that you would wear as a Vegas showgirl, like a corset, even with little tassels. And it was like she was jumping out of a cake and the skirt was shaped like the cake. With this picture, I can see why Andrea's friends called her unique and fun. I can't help but hear the song Happy Birthday Mr. President when I see this picture. When Andrea wasn't catching waves on the beach at 3 a.m. on her long board, or going on a hike or helping a friend with schoolwork or a sorority project, she was doing something else she loved.

Partying. Sure, she was a typical college girl, but why not? This is the best time and she liked to go wild and let loose in between working and studying hard. During the summer, she would spend that extra time finding a job. And one of those places that she landed a job was as an administrative assistant at a law firm in Brentwood. Another time she worked at Jamba Juice in the UCLA Student Union. But when she wasn't working, why not live it up with good music, great friends, a little drinking, maybe a lot of drinking. We know how college life can be, but it's one of the best places to do it. You're surrounded by so many people who are willing to go anywhere and do

anything with you, like music festivals at the drop of a hat. Andrea definitely didn't miss out on Coachella. I've never been. And I'm sure you've heard of it before, but here she is wearing a cute tie-dye dress at Coachella. Tie-dye, that was another popular outfit choice for Andrea, along with mixed-match socks, and anything neon or bright. When Andrea was off at college, her little sister would actually raid her closet. And Andrea posted a comment on one of Alexis' Facebook pictures, and she was joking around saying, like, do you ever wear your own clothes anymore?

And she hashtag, like, I miss my clothes. It's this picture here. And Alexis wrote something back, like, well, someone has to wear them when you're gone. So I could tell they had a very close relationship, even when Andrea was away at college. She always made a point to keep in contact with her family. Andrea and her mom, they talked all the time for hours on end. Andrea would call her not only if she just needed something,

but just to check to see how her mom was doing. Leslie would get daily calls from Andrea. She would call her mom from all over. Sometimes it was when she was on campus, from the sculpture garden, or the botanical garden, or one of her other favorite spots in California. And her mom got to hear all of the details, how much fun she was having, how much she loved it there.

And I think you have a feel for Andrea's nature, and her helpful spirit. Even when she had studying to do and she had a class next day that she had to wake up early for, it wouldn't matter. She would still be the first one to stay up late with someone helping them with their homework. So campus life is what the first year of college is all about. It's the dorm rooms, the tight-knit community, but as you become an upperclassmen, things shift. It becomes more about being a little more exclusive, which usually includes moving off-campus into senior housing, for example. There are some special apartments close to campus where groups of upper-class students, specifically those in fraternities and sororities, rent out the whole complex.

And that way they have their own little world outside of the confines of the school, but still close enough to be involved in all the activities. Many seniors look forward to their last year for this reason, and they plan on where they're going to live a year in advance or more. So it was 2015. It was senior year, and Andrea had a lot of the last year. of goals for after she graduated. Of course, she wanted to travel that was high up on her list, and her and Jessica talked about one day getting a place on the beach together. And after that,

maybe it would be something like the Peace Corps for Andrea, because that's what her friends imagined she would do. She was fearless. She was always stepping out and challenging herself to do new things. But right now, the most important thing was senior year. And for Andrea and her five other roommates, her Pi Beta Fe sisters, they decided to move in two, this apartment complex on Roebling Avenue. It is in high demand. Even today, I saw that there is usually waiting lists. It's a coveted location. It's only five minutes away from campus. You can walk there and back so easily, and it's right in the middle of a bunch of frat houses and sororities off roads like Strathmore Drive or Galey Avenue. It's definitely the place to be. This building boasts extra

large, two, three, and four bedroom apartments, hardwood floors, washer, and dryers in the unit, and parking included in the rent. Also, if you look closely, this apartment complex would be perfect for sorority parties. Look at the huge balconies out front. They face the road where they have frequent block parties. This would also be great for sunbathing, studying, or just enjoying the weather. Andrea shared her apartment with some of her sorority sisters, including close friends Jessica Westling, who I've mentioned before, Abigail Strout,

Erica Frizen, Samantha Santopolo, and Lizzie Matasasas. off. There were other girls from their sorority living in the other units in the same complex like Sarah Murr who lived just upstairs. This was a prime location with a beautiful big courtyard, which is perfect for socializing, especially since all the doors to their apartments are on the inside. So it's easy to see what everyone's doing, to come over, to catch up. And that's exactly what I meant by them not locking their doors. There usually wasn't a reason to everyone was welcome in each other's apartments, and they knew everyone. Students were also residing in all the surrounding apartment buildings. It was like one big Bruins family. The Bruins is their UCLA mascot,

which is like a big grizzly bear. And I almost forgot something. So there was another girl living with Andrea and her sisters. Her name was Shea Panda. She's a dog, not a human, but she was the newest addition to Andrea's life. She loved animals. She had a family dog named Jewel back at home in Austin, but now it was time that she had a companion of her own. Shea was a little long-haired chihuahua terrier. mix. Andrea rescued her from a shelter in January of that year, and Shea Panda gave Andrea a new purpose. She had something to take care of that was her own, and you know how much Andrea loves to give. So her cheeky and goofy side came out when she was introducing her new pet to her sorority sisters. She did it via social media. She made an Instagram called Shea Panda Pup, and she's so cute.

I love dogs so much. I've had a few chihuahuas of my own, and mine have been with me through so many changes in my life. They're like a part of my family. And Little Shea was just this cute little honey-colored cutie pie. Shea was the newest member of Pie Beta Phi. Introduced as the Pie Beta Pup. She's Instagram was pretty funny. It definitely showed off Andrea's sense of humor. She had pictures of her covered in dollar bills, even some provocative poses. I really like the cute ones like this Valentine's Day picture with a big teddy bear in a box of chocolates. Shea Panda brought so much joy to Andrea's life and to everyone around her. The girls treated her like one of the new sisters to move into their apartment.

She had free reign over the whole unit. And Andrea, as social as she was and close with all the girls she lived with, she never even shut her bedroom door. It was always open, welcoming her friends in for a chat, to hang out to get assistance from her on a project that we're working on. And she also brought Shea everywhere with her. She kind of reminds me of Elle Woods with little bruiser from League. very fitting for Andrea with the blonde hair, the bright clothing, the small dog.

Even this video I found of Andrea in the pool reminds me of the opening scene with El Woods. I saw that on August 1st of that year, poor little Shay Panda actually went missing. Andrea was devastated. She posted on Facebook saying, quote, Shea Panda is on the loose, please, we need your help to bring this baby home. And quote. And I'm so happy that thankfully, a few days later on August 5th, Shea had

been found. And Andrea posted an update along with this cute picture of her enjoying some jamba juice with Shea in her arms. And the post read, Glad Tidings, my puppy-loving friends, my tiny pup Shay Panda, who went missing August 1st, has been found. She's a little tired and really hungry, but she's back in my love and arms. Wow, I would be losing my mind if I didn't know where my fur babies were. By mid-September, Andrew was actually in the process of starting to volunteer at a local animal adoption center. But the only thing on her mind at that very moment was rush week. Senior year meant it was Andrea and her sorority sisters turn once again to invite the freshmen to explore pie-veta fee and all it has to offer. Once the fall came around, it was time for the

girls to put everything they needed for rush week together. The first day of fall semester was Monday, September 21st, and a lot had to get done by the time classes start on the 24th. I had to mention Andrea's posts on September 19th. It's one of my favorite music videos. If you haven't seen it, it's a must. I'll link it below or after this video. But it's little Dicky save that money. I could tell she definitely had a sense of humor when she posted that. Her post also said when you're too poor, but you still want to hang with your rich homies.

It's a classic song and video. If you know, you know. But this would be Andrea's last public Facebook post. She never could have anticipated. what was going to happen just one day later. It was Sunday, September 20th, the last weekend before school starts on Thursday, September 24th.

The girls decided to hang out on the balconies out in the front of their building, drinking, partying, people watching, as other fraternities and sororities on Roebling Ave also took part in their own festivities, a big block party. They spent the later part of that afternoon and early evening doing this,

and then later, Andrea and her roommates were working, on their sorority's recruitment project in their living room of their apartment. They were making posters, putting together things they would need for setting up their booth in the quad, all the decorations, and more, and Andrea was wearing her red, snuggy blanket. She was drinking wine, hanging out, and working on the project.

It was a lot to get done, but this was not a school project. It was fun. That was part of what the sorority was all about. That's what's so great about it. It's the social aspect. The girls worked on this project into the early morning hours, and then each one of them started to head to their to get into bed.

Jessica and Andrea worked until about 3 a.m. And then they both started to fall asleep in the living room on the couch. Eventually, Jessica got up around 3.30 in the morning and went to sleep in her own room. She's a light sleeper. There were parties all around all the time, so she would have two fans going at night

to block out the noise from the street. So she fell asleep. The next thing she knew, she was being woken up by someone banging on her bedroom door. Then she heard one of her roommates yelling that their apartment was on fire. So she quickly jumps out of bed, she runs out of her bedroom, and once she's out of her door, she sees the fire. Jessica saw her other roommate Samantha running toward Andy's door, which was closed, which seemed odd, because she always kept it open to let Shea run free around the apartment.

As Samantha opened Andy's door, Jessica stood right behind her, and they were both screaming, Andy over and over again. They didn't want to believe that she was inside that room, but as their eyes scanned the entire room that was engulfed in flames at this point, they thought they could make out an outline of their sorority sister lying in her bed, surrounded by that fire.

It was a lot to take in. It's not something that you can ever prepare yourself for. They didn't know what to do. They can't go inside. The fire is growing and they needed to get out. They only had seconds to decide what to do. to do so they ran and evacuated the building. Everyone was standing on the sidewalk.

It was 7.10 in the morning the fire trucks were already on scene. Los Angeles City Fire Department Captain Alfred Hernandez and other firefighters had arrived to put out the fire. They worked quickly while students gathered around in shock. The firefighters weaved their fire hose up the steps and into the courtyard and into Andrew's room through a set of French doors on her balcony. Smoke could be seen from all over the neighborhood and beyond. Everyone was on high alert wondering what was going on.

Panic hadn't really set in yet, but of course texts were going out. They were alerting other sorority sisters and students about the location of the fire, that it was at the senior apartments off Roebling Avenue. One of Andrea's close friends, Jackie, she was a Pi Beta fee sister as well, and the chapter president. She heard about the fire that morning. She lived in a different apartment complex, and she was up early like everyone else getting ready for rush week. She was in the bathroom dyeing her hair when she heard the news.

One of the girls from across the hall said, I just heard that there's a fire at senior apartments. And Jackie tried to remain calm, but that's where a number of her friends lived. But her first thought was, of course, you know what? Someone probably left their straining iron on. I'm sure they're just going to pull them. put it out with a towel, everything's going to be fine. Mine goes off by itself.

That's a must because I have anxiety about the exact same scenario. But that is not what was happening. The scene outside on Roebling Avenue was chaotic. You can tell by these photos, everyone was scared, they were confused, and most of all, they were worried about Andrea, because her roommates had gathered around, and they couldn't help but notice that someone was missing. Andrea was unaccounted for, and it was horrifying for Jessica and Samantha,

because they know what they saw. Andrea was inside her bedroom. She had to be, but they didn't want to believe it. Maybe the firefighters were going to be able to rescue her. They couldn't see what was happening, but the fire was fully consuming Andrea's bedroom, and firefighters could not determine if anyone was inside. The flames were so overpowering.

It was bad. It took 32 firefighters to put out this fire. which lasts at about 15 minutes. But the fire had been burning much longer than that. And I'm sure you know how rapidly it can cause death and destruction. Now, many students and sorority sisters they're getting text messages about Andrea. Frantic text messages about her being missing,

her not being accounted for. But no authorities are telling them anything yet. However, there were officers and firefighters on the scene trying to gather as much information about this fire. How did it start? Did anyone see or hear anything? They were asking so many questions to other residents in that same building or anyone that had information. It is common for these things to happen in a college town.

A lot of people are on their own for the very first time. And yes, they can leave something on, like a stove or another appliance. But it seemed as though this fire started from Andrea's bedroom. So how? And why? And why wasn't she moving when her friends were screaming her name? Where was she? was she? Well, after the firefighters were able to extinguish the flames, they began looking around the room, and that's when they discovered the lifeless and charred body of a woman, lying

on the bed near the headboard. Sadly, her body had been fully incinerated. There was nothing they could do to help her. She was no longer capable of being resuscitated. The woman was officially pronounced dead at 8 o'clock a.m. Now, I am never trying to be graviv for the safety, of hurting anyone or being insensitive or disrespectful or even for shock factor. I think it's very important to give you the facts. And many times, they are horrific. Fires are unforgiving. They destroy everything in their path. And when firefighters finally realize someone had still been inside, while the fire was raging, they wanted to attempt to identify who she was. Unfortunately, she was categorized as a Jane Doe at the time due to the damage to her face. It was

so badly burned it was unrecognizable and her fingertips were too badly burned to take fingerprints. I saw these pictures. They're haunting. It's incredible how unrecognizable everything is, everything. It's just diminished to ash. While firefighters are calling in the coroner to transport their Jane Doe to the morgue, they heard something and they look towards the noise and they notice something moving and they take a closer look and they realize, oh my God, it's a dog and it's still alive. Poor Shay Panda. It was hurt at the foot of Andrea's bed, burned, charred, and barely breathing, clinging to life. This was hard for me. It's heartbreaking. I can't imagine the pain that the poor little puppy had to endure. She was severely injured and needed immediate medical intervention, so they rushed her to an emergency vet office.

Meanwhile, outside, Andrea's roommates are telling police that they think that their friend is still inside the apartment. It doesn't take long for everyone to figure out that one of them didn't make it out alive. The coroner shows up on the scene. That's never good. Selena Barrows, a coroner investigator, was called to recover and remove the victim's body. A sense of fear and shock spread across the college town when the coroners could be seen, removing a body from the premises. These pictures were posted in the newspaper

and news stations were already on the scene capturing videos as all of this was unfolding. This made everything real. Those close to Andrea knew she was the only one that wasn't accounted for. And of course, Samantha and Jessica saw her lying on that bed engulfed in flames. It was unreal.

And again, the text and the calls were going out and this time Jackie's roommate told her someone was found dead at the senior apartments. And then everyone was accounted for except for Andy. That's when Jackie didn't know what to do. She felt frozen. She just saw Andrea the night before, albeit only for a few minutes when she ran in to grab a prop for the recruitment skit.

She sat there thinking, if this is true when Andrea is dead, that would have been the last time that she would ever see her. Nobody knew how this could have happened. Did Andrea fall asleep and leave a candle burning? There were so many thoughts going through their minds, and firefighters are assessing the scene asking the same questions. But something stood out to them. They've seen hundreds of fires, and there are clues to be seen inside.

Signs to look for. First, they check outlets, like this one from the scene. Are any of them blown out? Was it electrical? No. It wasn't. But something didn't belong. A trash can was lined.

lying on the top of the bed. That was strange. It didn't get there on its own. Someone must have placed it there. And not only that, its contents were all burned down to ash. It looks suspicious, as though maybe this is how the fire started. And it didn't look like an accident. The victim wouldn't have slept with a burning trash can beside her.

The firefighters relay this information to police and dispatch sends out arson investigators. They arrive on the scene two hours after the fire was reported. They took pictures of everything. They wanted everything to appear the way it was before they began their investigation. I have some of these photos, and I'm going to warn you, they're really bad. Let's start with this one. Here are investigators putting the doors back on to envision what they looked like before the blaze. And you can see, the screen is still in one of them, but both of the frames are charred.

They were double French doors from outside the balcony. Now let's move to the inside. Here's the vantage point looking outside from in the room. It looks like a very messy room, but something you have to remember is that firefighters use very high-pressure to hoses. Anything in the room that's not bolted down or heavy can be displaced by the power of the water.

It's coming in at such a high speed. So all this debris, it wasn't necessarily in these places before the fire started. If you look closely, you can see a metal shelving unit here. metal shelving unit here. I have the same one in my house, in my daughter's room, actually, in the closet of my daughter's room. This could have had boxes on it with clothing inside. It could have been very organized. You can still see some folded items still intact. They're on the shelves

right here. But see all this? Well, this? Well, as the fire burned, it destroyed everything, and it just fell to the ground in ashes. These could have been outfits on hangers in the section of metal organizer. It's the section without shelves, so it appears to have maybe had long-hanging garments. Maybe these were all of Andy's costumes. They could have been hung here, but now they're just a pile of debris. Same with a comforter that is now lying between the bed frame and the metal shelving unit. Just because it's there doesn't mean it was there before firefighters used the hose to put out the flames. The water could have picked it up and ripped it off the bed. Anything light could be thrown around the room.

We don't know for sure where these items were, but I can see a dresser here. Then there's a pair of shoes still lying next to one another, a Trader Joe's bag on the floor, pillows, bedding, and now looking at the bed, you can see how the fire burned

the mattress down to the springs. A rug is hanging from the outside balcony. Let's look at the room from a different angle. I examined these pictures for probably a good hour. Just trying to understand the layout of the room. This right here is the side of that dresser I just showed you earlier. And these appear to be a set of drawers and here are those metal shelves that we already saw. You can now see boxes of what looks like clothing and some items are still intact. I can just imagine

all of the cute, curly things that were on these shelves before they went up in flames. It's terrifying to think of how quickly they're reduced to nothing. There's another small dresser here. Maybe this This could have been like a side table or maybe it sat inside the metal organizer. Now it's between the bed and the organizer. Now let me show you the bed. This may be emotional for some of you and I don't know what was for me, but you can see the mattress and the springs coming through it. This area right here was circled.

And if I had to guess from what I know from my death investigation courses that have taken, I'd say this could be where little Shay Panda was found. The circle was already on the evidence photos, and the only other item in the circle is a cup. So okay, perhaps that was of interest, but when reading documents, they indicated that Shea was found at the foot of the bed. This area is less burned than the other places, so I assume that this was most likely where the doggy was found. And you can see all this debris on the bed.

And now to the headboard area. As you can see, this right here is that metal trash cam that was observed on the bed. And inside, there are burned items of trash. It seemed to investigators that the fire actually originated on the bed. And this led them to believe that someone started the inferno by dumping the contents of this trash can onto the bed and lighting it on fire. And then the fire moved upward to the ceiling and then down the walls and made its way across the whole room.

This fire was no accident. Once it was determined to be arson, which is intentional, The investigation was more intense. There was something else a miss. All the blood. There was a lot of it, especially right next to the bed on the floor and even dripping off of the bed frame. It didn't add up. The blood on the hardwoods was smeared and there was a great deal of it at this point in particular, right next to the bed.

Now, I know that they stated that Andrea was near the headboard, but at some point she was hanging off this bed. I know because the picture I saw. from the scene. Towards the headboard, there is a lot of blood on top of that charred bed sheet and trash. There's also blood on the headboard of the bed, which leads me to believe that this is the area of the bed where Samantha and Jessica had witnessed their friend, curled up and unresponsive. The way the blood is dripping downward on the side also makes sense if this is where she was laying bleeding. But why was she bleeding this much? The smeared blood could indicate signs of a struggle.

Whatever happened here was done on purpose, and it was beginning to look as though the woman labeled as Jane Doe had been the target of a brutal homicide. While all of this is going on in Los Angeles, Andrea's mom and dad back in Austin, Texas, are getting up and starting their day as usual. Her sister Alexis is at school, and she's in math class.

Alexis sees her phone ringing, and it's one of Andrea's friend, so she picks up. Never could she have ever except. expected to hear the words, do you know? Well, she does now. And soon, Leslie is made aware of what is being said. She immediately reaches out to the friend that called Alexis and she said, what is going on? She explained to Leslie that there had been a fire in their apartment and everyone made it out except for Andy. Leslie sat there shocked. She didn't know what to believe. She didn't want to believe this was true. Maybe they just didn't know where she was. Maybe she was at a friend's house because she couldn't be dead.

Andrew's father contacted the LAPD, and they told him that they couldn't release any information until they got to Los Angeles. And, of course, the family immediately booked their flights. They prayed that entire trip, just saying, please let her be alive. Leslie could not believe this was happening. It was her worst nightmare. And now that premonition made a lot more sense. By 10.30 a.m., Andrew's roommates and other sisters, students from the apartment complex were all down at the LAPD being interviewed separately,

one after the other. The detectives wanted to put together a time frame of the events that happened before the fire started. There was a lot to gain in these interviews. I'm going to break down all of that information and give you the timeline. All of the girls gave the same account regarding spending time on the balcony, out front in their apartment complex, and that was in the early evening and then working on the recruitment project in the living room, having wine, hanging out together. A roommate you haven't heard much about is Abigail. She got home from work around 10.20 p.m. on Sunday night. The girls were working on the project. She joined in for a little while, and then she made it to bed around 1.30 in the morning. I already told you that Jessica was up the

longest with Andrea until she went to bed in her own room around 3.30 a.m. However, there was someone in that apartment that saw Andrea after this. Remember how I mentioned Samantha had a job on campus and that she had to clock in before 6 a.m.? Well, she was allowed to work from home as long as she went in and clocked in. So she left the apartment at approximately 5.50 in the morning. And when she was leaving, she actually saw Andrea still asleep on the living room couch. However, when she returned less than an hour later at 6.30 a.m., Andrea was no longer on that couch and she noticed her bedroom door was closed. In that moment, she recalled thinking, that's unusual. That wasn't normally how Andrea slept. The biggest lead that police got was when they spoke to Sarah. During this time frame that I just

laid out, Sarah had been driving her boyfriend to the airport. She came back home around 5.35 a.m. Her apartment is directly above Andrea's room. It was still dark when she arrived. Sarah made her way up the front stairway and into the inner corridor of the adjoining buildings where her front door was and where the front doors to the apartments are accessed. From the pictures that I could find, it appears as though the apartments on top have a stairwell that leads to their front doors on the second floor, and the first floor apartments are accessed through doors like these on the bottom floor. So Sarah made her way to her front door in the courtyard, and she was about to turn her key when she heard something that made her turn around. That's when she saw a man at the bottom

of the stairwell in the courtyard. As she was turning to face him, he ran away toward the front of the building in the direction of Roebling Avenue. This made her uneasy. She didn't recognize him and it was in the middle of the night and it scared her. So she took note of what he was wearing, a black baseball cap and a black and white taintop and dark colored jeans. Even with this encounter being as brief as it was, it left Sarah feeling really frightened. So when she was inside her apartment, she deadbolted the door and then she texted her boyfriend to let him know what had happened. She told them what she saw, that there had been a man at the bottom of her stairs.

And she wasn't sure if she should call the campus police or not. But after speaking on the phone with her boyfriend, she felt a little better. And I can understand why it's tough both ways. Because on one hand, it could be someone's friend. It could be someone's boyfriend. I mean, it is a college town. new people are coming in and out all the time. So you don't want to jump to conclusions, but on the other hand,

sometimes you just have a gut feeling. Maybe it's the way that they're leaving, like running away, that just gives you a bad feeling. There are plenty of walks of shame at this hour of the night when someone's been hooking up with someone. So sometimes you just really can't be sure. But either way, Sarah still felt uneasy. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

Seeing that stranger in the private part of their complex just didn't really sit right with her. She didn't have much longer to sleep, but she did set her alarm and she tried to get some rest. But just 45 minutes later around 6.15, she was jolted awake by the sound of a woman screaming and a dog barking loudly.