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In a 2017 interview, Tito Jackson and his sons TJ, Taj and Taryll recalled the death of their mother, Delores “Dee Dee” Jackson. TJ described learning she was gone as “a nightmare” and “a kid’s worst memory.” The family also questioned the account that she drowned, while the report separately described the criminal conviction of her boyfriend, Don Bohana.
What TJ, Taj and Taryll remembered
PEOPLE’s September 15, 2017 report on an ABC News 20/20 interview said the brothers were unable to reach the hospital before their mother died. TJ recalled the moment he realized she was gone: “It was just a nightmare. It’s like a kid’s worst memory.”
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The report quoted Tito describing the news as “just a sad moment” and “horrifying.” TJ also spoke about grief that had not gone away: “To this day, I’m learning how to deal with it. But the pain is still there.” That was his personal reflection in the 2017 interview.
What the family said about the drowning account
According to PEOPLE, Dee Dee was found in the swimming pool at the Ladera Heights home of her boyfriend, Don Bohana. The report described family members’ doubts about the account that she drowned; those comments were their recollections and suspicions, not forensic findings.
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Tito recalled asking, “My first question was, ‘Drown?’ What was she doing in the water?” Taj said the account did not fit what they knew of their mother, explaining: “That didn’t line up with anything that we believed in knowing our mom and knowing how much she feared the pool.”
PEOPLE reported that Bohana was convicted of second-degree murder in 1998 and sentenced to 15 years to life. The same report attributed to the family a belief that a money dispute was connected to Dee Dee’s death, and quoted Tito expressing suspicion based on injuries. Those are allegations and doubts attributed to the family; the available account does not independently establish them as facts.
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TJ’s 2017 comment about parole
In the 2017 report, TJ said he would no longer object to Bohana’s release at the next parole hearing: “If you feel it’s time for him to get out, then let him out.” That statement records TJ’s position at the time; it does not establish Bohana’s current parole status.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How the family described carrying her legacy
PEOPLE said the family continued Dee Dee’s legacy through the Dee Dee Jackson Foundation and music therapy classes intended to help people manage grief. The report documents what the family was doing at the time; it does not establish what programs, if any, are active today.
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The account comes from Alexia Fernandez’s PEOPLE report, syndicated by Yahoo Entertainment on September 15, 2017: read the report.
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