STOCKTON, Calif. — Painful moments from two weeks ago still haunt Latonia Watkins and her family.
"When my son woke me up to tell me two police officers were at my door, I did not think that was what I was going to hear. I am now the YouTube stories I see. I am now the news reports that I see," said Watkins. "Nobody ever thinks it’s going to come knocking at their door until it comes knocking at their door.”
Moments after that knock on her door, she found out her daughter, 31-year-old Den’Nicia Rowe, was killed. Rowe's body was found early in the morning Jan. 5 along Chrisman Road in a rural part of San Joaquin County, just outside Tracy.
The San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office said she was the victim of a homicide.
"Den'Nicia was a loving person, a kind person. She never got into a fight in school — not elementary school, not middle school, or high school. She’s never committed any crimes," said Watkins adding that her daughter loved spending time with family and had dreams of living in her own apartment. "She was fine up until the age of 29.”
That’s when family members learned she had the most severe form of paranoid schizophrenia.
"Because she didn’t accept her diagnosis, she wouldn’t take her medication," said Watkins. "As a mom, I don't know the questions to ask. I look to the doctors to educate me. None of them told us, explained to us, the form of paranoid schizophrenia she had. None of them offered support groups."
Rowe spent time at mental hospitals but was eventually released on her own. Her mother was not notified because Rowe was an adult. Watkins believes that decision might have led to her death.
After Rowe's release, her mom believes she was taken advantage of and killed.
“I was on the phone with my child when I believe she was murdered," said Watkins. "The last words I heard my child speak, I will never forget. That rings in my head every day, every night.”
The mental hospital she was released from declined to comment citing HIPAA laws. Watkins hopes that changes, including legislation and policies, can be made to help parents and families in her situation.
The San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office says that while they have some leads in the case, they are still looking for Rowe's killer and have released very few details. Family members are now raising funds for funeral expenses through GoFundMe.
The pain is still raw, but along with heartbreak, the tragedy has left Watkins with a message.
"Please, if your parents are telling you something — even if you’re in your 20s or 30s — listen to them," said Watkins. "I’m in a tremendous amount of pain and will not rest until the person who did this to my daughter is found.”
Find mental health resources in San Joaquin County here.
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