Several people, including her sister, LaKendra Bausby, testified during Jerry’s sentencing. LaKendra told the judge that she and her sister had tough lives, according to a news release from the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office.

“She wanted to prove to the world that she was worthy of being loved …,” LaKendra said in court. “She didn’t deserve what Jerry did to her.

Daizsa was a star at her school, active in cheerleading and the performing arts, according to a news release from the school at the time of her death.

“She was an inspiration,” Southwest Principal Earl Williams in a May statement. “She was a mentor to all of our kids through the activities she was involved with and as they move forward, they will remember her spirit and wisdom.”