A year does not lessen family’s grief

Deepa Bharath

Ceceline Godsoe was not a stereotypical teenager.

She was quiet and introspective.

She was always smiling, but it was never a big, dazzling smile. It

was an understated, yet warm half smile.

She was not too outgoing, but was kind-hearted and caring and

never hesitated to help out a friend.

Exactly one year after 16-year-old Godsoe was found dead on a

brush-covered trail in Fairview Park, her memories linger among

friends and family. Victor Garcia, the 17-year-old Costa Mesa boy

suspected of bludgeoning Godsoe to death during the wee hours of

Sept. 21, is still at large.

Godsoe’s mother, Martha Godsoe, says she is yearning for closure.

“There are so many things we don’t know that have been preying on

my mind,” Martha Godsoe said. “I think the grieving process has been

worse for me because [Garcia] has not been arrested.”

She added she is horrified by the fact that Garcia has not been

brought to justice.

“He’s had a whole year of freedom,” she said. “He’s been walking

and breathing and living life while all I have left is grief.”

She also said she knows the truth will be horrible to hear.

“But I want to hear it,” she said. “I need to know what happened

during the last minutes of my daughter’s life. I need to know why she

was killed.”

Police are looking for answers as well, Costa Mesa Police Sgt. Don

Holford said. The most important question: Where is Garcia?

“We don’t really know,” Holford said. “There is some speculation

that he may have fled to Mexico, which makes it really difficult for

us. The real challenge is finding him and that’s where we could do

with some help from the public.”

Detectives have received several tips after the TV show “America’s

Most Wanted” featured the case, he said.

“We got leads from several people who had either seen him or heard

of him,” Holford said. “Our detectives are currently pursuing many of

those leads. We’re determined to bring him to justice.”

Ceceline Godsoe’s father, William Godsoe, said he is confident

Garcia will be arrested.

“I know they’ll find him,” he said. “It’s only a matter of time.”

Godsoe said he does not seek vengeance for his daughter’s death,

but he does believe Garcia should face the consequences.

“I sure would feel better if he’s arrested,” he said. “But I don’t

believe it would have changed the way I feel. When Ceceline died, my

grief was so piercing that I felt connected to the grief of all the

world.”

William Godsoe recalled those moments frozen in time when he and

his daughter sat by the streams in Silverado and Modjeska canyons

just admiring the beauty of nature.

“She was just so happy when she was there,” he said. “Now it’s all

gone.”

Martha Godsoe said she just cannot imagine why anybody would want

to kill her daughter, whom she can still see in her mind’s eye -- her

long hair blowing in the wind, her flared pants flapping.

“It’s the worst thing in the world to lose a child,” she said.

“But to think someone would deliberately hurt my baby ... it simply

broke my heart.”

* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at deepa.bharath@latimes.com.