On Memorial Day, my family received the tragic news of my brother Mario’s sudden death.
The order of my siblings: Jermaine, Mario, Georgia and myself.
There are so many words I could use to describe Mario. He was cool, funny, as fierce as a lion, but had a heart of gold. He was truly an unforgettable person. I'm incredibly thankful for the time I had with him and the opportunity to hear about Georgia from his perspective. He gave this world 45 incredible years. He will be missed dearly.
Three Years Ago
Looking back, I see clearly that the journey of fighting for justice was more than just a happenstance. For months, the pieces came together little by little until finally in June 2020 – it happened. I made the phone call to reopen Georgia’s case. I even joined a Facebook group dedicated to her. I was nervous and scared as I waited for the admins to accept my request. The world knowing who I was, was a deep-rooted fear of mine. For decades, the media portrayed Georgia and my family horribly, and I didn’t have the courage to face those lies, especially publicly.
But Georgia's story was more than just a story about a murdered girl. There were many layers to this story and the truth had been locked away for years. I knew I had the key and for some reason, 2020 was the year to unlock that door. It was time to face the reality of my past, our past, and set the record straight.
When I joined that Facebook group for Georgia, to my surprise, many people inquired about Mario. I had no idea so many people from back then knew Mario and remembered him enough to ask about him. But that's who Mario was, an unforgettable person.
The Reunion
In July 2020, I traveled to Buffalo to see my brothers for the first time in nearly two decades.
While compiling photos for Mario’s obituary, I realized I saw Jermaine on July 23rd and Mario July 24th, exactly 1 year before the Scooby Doo Mysteries began. What are the odds? In the midst of the world shutting down my family reunited!
Super Mario
The first thing I noticed when I went to spend the day with Mario was the inside of his car. Being in his 40’s, the last thing I expected to see was for his car to be Mario themed! Mario shirts over the seats, Mario characters in the windshield and other Mario items around his car. Looking back, I can only smile at those memories because I know without a doubt that Mario was a Super Mario fan.
Over the last 3 years, I had the opportunity to make many memories with my brothers. Memories that I thought would never happen. For the first time since Georgia’s murder, we had the chance to properly grieve Georgia's death and face it as a family. We laughed, we cried and we even celebrated her memory with a balloon release in 2021.
My last phone call with Mario was probably the longest conversation we had on the phone to date. That call was prompted by new details I found in March about the Scooby Doo Mystery, Georgia Leah Moses Mystery.
During that conversation, we both acknowledged being at peace with the current state of Georgia’s case. The world finally knew the truth about her and our family. We didn't have all the answers but in our pursuit for justice, we gained so much.
This conversation took place a month before Mario died.
The Connections
So how does the Scooby Doo Mysteries tie in to all of this? Surprisingly, a lot of ways.
In April, the Super Mario Bros., Movie and the Tupac Documentary “Dear Mama,” was released. In July, authorities executed a search warrant at the house of Duane Keith Davis, aka Keffe D. The search warrant was part of an investigation into Tupac’s murder. Keffe D is the uncle of Orlando Anderson who is suspected of murdering Tupac.
A few weeks ago, Charles Martinet, the original voice actor for the Mario character, announced his retirement from voicing Nintendo characters.
The main reason this retirement announcement stands out to me is because of the Scooby Doo Mysteries details about Don Messick, the original voice actor of Scooby Doo.
But wait, there's more!
*Mario was born: February 5, 1978 (205)
*Afeni Shakur (Tupac’s mom) died: May 2, 2016 (502)
*Mario died: May 29, 2023
*Orlando Anderson died: May 29, 2023
*Mario’s birthday: February 5, 1978 (2578)
*Tupac’s star number on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: 2758
*The Super Mario Bros., game was first released September 13, 1985 (the day Tupac died and the year Georgia was born).
These were things that took place on June 7, 2023:
*Tupac receives star on Hollywood Walk of Fame posthumously
*Kim Pegula celebrates 54th birthday
*It was announced that Josh Allen will be on the cover of Madden NFL 24. He is the first Buffalo Bills player to be featured on the cover.
Here is all of the information to date:
Notable similarities:
January 7th (1-7):
*Georgia was born January 7, 1985
*Josh Allen Jersey number: 17
*Josh Allen draft pick in 2018: 1st round 7th pick
*Kim Pegula suffered cardiac arrest on her birthday (6-7-2022), 17 days after Biggie’s birthday (5-21-2022). Kim’s daughter, Kelly, performed CPR on her.
*Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest during the week 17 game against the Cincinnati Bengals
*On January 7th, 2023, Damar Hamlin returned to social media for the 1st time since his cardiac arrest
*The O.J. Simpson trial began 17 days after Georgia’s birthday (1-24-1995)
*The 2023 NFL season ends January 7, 2024
January 11 (1-11):
*Sean McDermott, current Bills head coach, joined as head coach January 11, 2017
*On January 11, 2023, Damar Hamlin was released from the hospital
*On January 11, 2023, Micah Hyde, #23 and Jamison Crowder, #80, returned to practice for the first time since their injuries
-Micah injured: September 19th
-Jamison injured: October 2nd
-Jamison was born June 17, 1993 (date of Georgia’s funeral)
-Micah signed to the Bills March 9, 2017 (anniversary of Biggie’s murder)
March 9th (3-9):
*Biggie died March 9, 1997
*Damar Hamlin was activated to the main roster following Micah Hyde’s injury in 2022 (Micah Hyde signed to the Bills March 9, 2017
May 21st (5-21):
*Josh was born May 21, 1996
*Biggie was born May 21, 1972
*Damar Hamlin signed to the Bills May 21, 2021
May 29th (5-29):
*Mario died: May 29, 2023
*Orlando Anderson died: May 29, 1998
June 7th (6-07):
*-Tupac receives star on Hollywood Walk of Fame posthumously
*Announced that Josh Allen will be on the cover of Madden NFL 24. He is the first Buffalo Bills player to be featured on the cover.
*Kim Pegula was born June 7, 1969
June 16 (6-16):
*Tupac birthday: Born June 16, 1971
*Funeral for Nicole Brown Simpson: June 16, 1994
*Georgia’s body finally released from investigators for burial June 16, 1998
June 17 (6-17):
*Arrest warrant issued for O.J. Simpson and he went on a highly televised low speed car chase: 6-17-1994
*Georgia’s funeral: June 17, 1998
*Reverse of Buffalo, New York’s area code (716)
August 13th (8-13):
*Last time Georgia was seen alive (date of death listed on death certificate (8-13-1997)
*The prime suspect in Tupac’s murder, Orlando Anderson, was born August 13, 1974.
August 14th (8-14):
*It is believed that Georgia’s murder took place between the night of August 13th and the morning of August 14th
September 7th (9-7):
*Don Messick was born on September 7, 1926
*Tupac was shot on September 7, 1996
*Reverse of O.J. Simpson’s birthday: July 9, 1947 (7-9)
*The 2023 NFL season begins on September 7
September 13th (9-13):
*Fred Silverman was born on September 13, 1937
*The first Scooby Doo episode aired on September 13, 1969
*Biggie’s first album released September 13, 1994
*Tupac died on September 13, 1996
*The current owners of the Buffalo Bills, the Pegulas, had their daughter, Kelly on September 13, 1996. Kelly performed CPR on her mom following her cardiac arrest on June 7, 2023
*O.J. Simpson’s book, If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer, was published on September 13, 2007
*O.J. Simpson committed an armed robbery in Las Vegas on September 13, 2007
*The Super Mario game was first released September 13, 1985
October 24 (10-24):
*Georgia’s memorial service was held on October 24, 1997
*Don Messick Died October 24, 1997
*Tupac Shakur: The Authorized Biography is set to be released October 24, 2023
Born in New York:
*Georgia and Don were born in Buffalo
*Biggie was born in Brooklyn
*Tupac was born in Harlem
*Fred Silverman born in New York City
*Mario character in Super Mario Bros., from Brooklyn
Died in California:
*Biggie died in Los Angeles
*Georgia died in Sonoma County
*Don died in Salinas
*Tupac died is Las Vegas, but he lived in Los Angeles at the time
*Fred Silverman died in Los Angeles
*Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman died in Los Angeles
1997 deaths:
*Biggie died March 9, 1997
*Georgia presumably died between August 13 and August 14, 1997
*Don died October 24, 1997
California/New York connection:
*Georgia: born in New York, died in Cali
*Josh Allen: born in Cali, plays football in New York
*Biggie: born in New York, died in Cali
*Tupac: born in New York, lived in Cali at the time he died
*Fred Silverman: born in New York, died in Cali
*Don Messick: born in New York, died in Cali
*O.J. Simpson: played for the Buffalo Bills and the San Francisco 49ers
I had the opportunity of capturing this photo of Mario when he visited for Georgia's balloon release. It only seemed right to include it in this story.
2023 is far from over. I’m expecting some major revelations to come to light before the end of year.
I’m forever grateful for the time my siblings and I had together. Rest in peace Georgia and Mario. Mario Jackson: 2-5-1978 -- 5-29-2023 Georgia Leah Moses: 1-7-1985 -- 8-13-1997