The mobile home that 23 year old Bernice Joseph lived in with her boyfriend accidentally caught fire and burned down, killing Joseph. The boyfriend, Stanley Burson DeHart III told police that he had went outside to smoke, and looked behind him to see the mobile home engulfed in flames. He claimed that he was unable to get back into the home to save his girlfriend.
At least, that's the story he was hoping police would believe. Police however, have come up with a different conclusion altogether.
Bernice wasn't 23, in fact she wasn't even Bernice Joseph- she was a 16 year old run away who had been missing from her Hollywood, Fl for more than a year by the name of Talia Ashley.
Police also say that the deadly fire wasn't the cause of her death:
While Talia had been a excellent student, she had begun rebelling as a teen. Her mother said that she started fighting more, leading to counseling that never seemed to work. Talia had had a habit of running away, but had always returned home.
Talia had been reported as a run away on New Years day 2005, only to return a few days later. After that, Talia ran away again, although it was not reported. This time, she didn't return home although she called her brother often on the phone. Police believe that is when she met DeHart, and that at some point around then, she moved with him to South Carolina.
In South Carolina, Talia and DeHart took up residing in a trailer next to one that his mother lived in although police have been reluctant to comment on the relationship between the two. Little has been said about DeHart's background, however his MySpace page seems to indicate that he had lived in Hollywood long enough prior to the move to South Caroline to make a few friends. The MySpace page entitled "Ruff Productions" also gives a hint about his interest in music and perhaps an attempt to become involved in the music industry.
Listed under his "Influences" he states "All the musicians, artists, poets and literaries throughout world history that actually have something to say through their expression." And I have to wonder if he was trying to actually say something when he wrote:
Despite having been in South Carolina for almost a year, it's obvious by comments left on his friends MySpace pages that things weren't going the way DeHart had planned or hoped. In one of the comments he left back in January of this year, he briefly describes the lack of work and "good weed" available in the area:
Whether DeHart was really disturbed or depressed from the lack of excitement available to him in South Caroline, or whether it was just a domestic violence scene turned deadly isn't known. What is known is that moments after repeatedly hitting Talia in the head with a stone until she died, police say that he called her family back in Florida. After over a year, the message wasn't what they were expecting. Talia's mother quoted DeHart as saying that Talia had been in a tragic trailer accident, and that he was just calling to let them know. It's believe that shortly after that DeHart started the fire, then waited for firefighters and police to arrive.
At least, that's the story he was hoping police would believe. Police however, have come up with a different conclusion altogether.
Bernice wasn't 23, in fact she wasn't even Bernice Joseph- she was a 16 year old run away who had been missing from her Hollywood, Fl for more than a year by the name of Talia Ashley.
Police also say that the deadly fire wasn't the cause of her death:
View Story- At a news conference Monday night, Anderson County sheriff’s deputies announced that Talia Ashley, whose whose body was found in the burned mobile home, died from being hit in the head.
The fire started at about 9:30 a.m. at the mobile home on Beta Street. Firefighters said it was destroyed within about 10 minutes..
While Talia had been a excellent student, she had begun rebelling as a teen. Her mother said that she started fighting more, leading to counseling that never seemed to work. Talia had had a habit of running away, but had always returned home.
Talia had been reported as a run away on New Years day 2005, only to return a few days later. After that, Talia ran away again, although it was not reported. This time, she didn't return home although she called her brother often on the phone. Police believe that is when she met DeHart, and that at some point around then, she moved with him to South Carolina.
In South Carolina, Talia and DeHart took up residing in a trailer next to one that his mother lived in although police have been reluctant to comment on the relationship between the two. Little has been said about DeHart's background, however his MySpace page seems to indicate that he had lived in Hollywood long enough prior to the move to South Caroline to make a few friends. The MySpace page entitled "Ruff Productions" also gives a hint about his interest in music and perhaps an attempt to become involved in the music industry.
Listed under his "Influences" he states "All the musicians, artists, poets and literaries throughout world history that actually have something to say through their expression." And I have to wonder if he was trying to actually say something when he wrote:
About Ruff Draft Productions
Spiralling down into the center of the black hole within the mind. An infinity of mental chaos. Whether psychosis or overwhelming thought, like being in the middle of an ocean with no boat, no life preserver nor even the ability to swim.
Despite having been in South Carolina for almost a year, it's obvious by comments left on his friends MySpace pages that things weren't going the way DeHart had planned or hoped. In one of the comments he left back in January of this year, he briefly describes the lack of work and "good weed" available in the area:
Rednecks as far as the eye can see, a bunch of gangsta wannabes that don't do anything they claim, fat women the size of very large pick-up trucks, money comes in small amounts over long intervals (unless you're a crack dealer, then you can make millions), crackheads and crackwhores on almost every block of this hood, too many cops for the area, hard to find good weed in good quantity and there are like 3 times as many residents as there are jobs.
Whether DeHart was really disturbed or depressed from the lack of excitement available to him in South Caroline, or whether it was just a domestic violence scene turned deadly isn't known. What is known is that moments after repeatedly hitting Talia in the head with a stone until she died, police say that he called her family back in Florida. After over a year, the message wasn't what they were expecting. Talia's mother quoted DeHart as saying that Talia had been in a tragic trailer accident, and that he was just calling to let them know. It's believe that shortly after that DeHart started the fire, then waited for firefighters and police to arrive.