If Why Did You Kill Me? has become your latest true crime obsession, then you might be looking for answers to some of these frequently asked questions about the case. Keep reading for details on Crystal Theobald—who she was, what happened to her, how she died and who murdered her.
Who is Crystal Theobald?
Crystal was a 24-year-old mother of two residing in Riverside, California. She was shot in the head and killed while in the car at an intersection. Her boyfriend, who was also wounded in the shooting, and her brother, Justin, were also in the car. Her mother,Belinda Lane, was in the car in front of Crystal and witnessed the unprovoked attack as well.
What happened to Crystal Theobald that led to the shooting?
Crystal was gunned down by members of the local gang 5150 in what police believe was a case of mistaken identity. Initial accounts of Crystal’s murder placed a white Ford Expedition at the scene and described how a single gunman got out of the car to pepper Crystal’s car with bullets. Earlier that night, Crystal’s other brother Robert “Robbie” Theobald left their family’s house in a similar color SUV. According to Robbie’s account, the other SUV—the white Expedition—was circling the block and appeared to be following him. Robbie stepped on the gas, passed the vehicle, and fled, but the white Expedition pursued him. After a minutes-long car chase, Robbie escaped and drove to his daughter’s mother’s house. At the time, he thought it was over. But back in the neighborhood, passengers in the white Expedition thought Robbie’s car belonged to a rival gang and were angered by a hit that happened earlier that day. When Belinda’s car and then Crystal’s car pulled up to the intersection, the gang members in the white Expedition thought it was members of the rival gang arriving with weapons. A man exited the Expedition, walked toward Crystal’s car and unloaded. Minutes after the attack, Justin drove them to a local store where he got out of the car and can be seen on video surveillance holding his dying sister in his arms, pleading for help. Crystal did not survive.
Who killed Crystal Theobald?
With the help of Crystal’s younger cousin, Jaimie, Belinda Lane made two fake MySpace accounts—one that used the late Crystal’s picture, but not her name—to connect with members of the 5150 and glean information from them. One of the fake accounts connected with a member of the gang named William “Jokes” Sotelo, who was the driver of the white Ford Expedition and revealed he owned that car during one of their conversations on MySpace. With this information, police were able to bring Jokes in for a voluntary interview, during which he incriminated Julio Heredia—also known as Lil Huero—as the gunman. With not enough to hold Jokes, he was let go. Shortly after, Jokes fled and disappeared for over a decade. Police then identified two other 5150 gang members in the car as William “Rascal” Lemus and his brother Manuel “Tripper” Lemus. For both the Lemus brothers’ parts in cooperating with detectives, neither was charged in Crystal’s murder. After 10 years in hiding, Jokes was eventually apprehended and charged for his part in Crystal’s murder.
What happened to Jokes?
After coming in for a voluntary interview with police, Jokes, who wanted to be a chef, fled to Mexico where he hid for 10 years. Belinda received a tip via Facebook, which led to Jokes’ arrest. On January 23, 2020, Jokes pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter among other firearms and gang charges. He was sentenced to 22 years in prison. Craving more true crime? Read up on the mysterious death of Elisa Lam.
