Delores Martes Jackson in Photos: Her Life Alongside Tito Jackson and Her Sons
By James H. Sterling
On August 27, 1994, Los Angeles first responders answered a midnight emergency call at the Ladera Heights residence of Donald Bohana, an entrepreneur and former insurance executive. Emergency personnel found the 39-year-old Martes unresponsive at the bottom of Bohana's backyard swimming pool. Bohana told authorities that Martes drowned accidentally while swimming with him late that evening.
Her family rejected that explanation immediately. Dee Dee Martes could not swim, harbored a lifelong fear of deep water, and avoided swimming pools altogether. Furthermore, the Los Angeles County coroner’s autopsy uncovered severe blunt force trauma: nineteen distinct cuts and bruises across her face, head, and torso, accompanied by fractured cartilage in her neck. Investigators determined that her physical trauma was entirely inconsistent with a casual dip in a pool.
| Year | Critical Milestone | Legal & Musical Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Marriage of Tito Jackson and Delores Martes | Built a private family unit within the Jackson 5 era |
| 1988 | Divorce finalized after 16 years | Maintained an amicable co-parenting partnership |
| 1994 | Death at Ladera Heights estate | Initial drowning ruling challenged; homicide inquiry launched |
| 1995 | 3T releases Brotherhood | Album dedicated to Dee Dee; sells over 3 million copies |
| 1998 | Second-degree murder trial concludes | Donald Bohana convicted; sentenced to 15 years to life |
Taj, Taryll, and TJ rallied legal resources alongside Tito to demand deeper scrutiny. In 1996, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office formally charged Donald Bohana with murder. During the 1998 trial, prosecutors established that Bohana was facing financial collapse and pressured Martes for a substantial loan to bail out his failing business. When she refused, a physical altercation ensued, resulting in her asphyxiation and submersion. The jury convicted Bohana of second-degree murder, handing down a prison sentence of 15 years to life.
James Sterling reports on renewable energy developments, climate policy, ecological conservation, and green tech innovations around the globe.
