Taquesta Graham, who goes by the name “Dior Racks” on Facebook, is the mother of murdered child Trinity Love Jones. She has a serious criminal history and is a registered sex offender.
Her boyfriend, Emiel Hunt, a convicted child abuser, now stands accused of Trinity’s murder. Authorities announced those charges on March 12, 2019.
Emiel Hunt, 38, a former El Cajon resident is now charged in the murder of 9-year old Trinity Love Jones. Her body was found in a duffel bag in Hacienda Heights. Hunt has a 2005 conviction in San Diego for felony child abuse and torture. #NBC7
Trinity Love Jones is the 9-year-old girl whose body was found inside a duffel bag in Hacienda Heights, California. The child was wearing a pink shirt reading “future princess hero” when discovered protruding from the bag.
Trinity’s family – namely her father, Antonio Jones – told the news media that the child found in the bag had been identified as Trinity Jones. Officials later confirmed that information in a statement, and they said they had two persons of interest in custody. KTLA-TV is reporting that family members claim the persons of interest are Taquesta Graham and her boyfriend, Emiel Hunt. Authorities have not confirmed this information as regards to Graham. Jail records do show Hunt is in custody; however, Graham is not listed in the jail’s inmate database by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
“Information regarding the second person of interest is being withheld pending further investigation. The homicide investigation is ongoing,” authorities wrote in the release announcing Hunt’s arrest. “Investigators anticipate releasing additional case information as more facts are established and verified.”
Trinity’s dad told CBS LA that DNA was used to identify her as the deceased girl and the child had a chipped tooth like Trinity’s.
Trinity Love Jones
Hacienda Heights is a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. “These are the hardest cases to handle,” sheriff’s officials said in a news conference, pledging to “find the reason for this child’s death…our investigators are working diligently on it…It’s just a tragic situation.”
Here’s what you need to know about Trinity’s Mother:
1. Taquesta Graham Is a Registered Sex Offender With a History of Prostitution-Related Offenses
Taquesta Graham
Taquesta Graham, 28, is a registered sex offender. KTLA reported that Trinity’s family members “want to know why the girl was allowed to be in the custody of her mother, Taquesta Graham, who is a registered sex offender. They also want to know more about Graham’s boyfriend, Emiel Hunt.”
According to California’s sex offender registry, Taquesta Graham is a registered sex offender for the offense of enticing a minor female for prostitution. Her conviction was in 2009 and her release was in 2016. San Bernardino County court records say she received a suspended prison term, time served in jail, and probation. There was a hearing to revoke her probation. The charges involved a minor under age 16.
The court records show she was also ordered to “COOPERATE WITH THE PSYCHIATRIST AND MEDICAL DOCTOR AND TAKE ALL MEDICATION AS PRESCRIBED AND IN THE PRESCRIBED MANNER. MEET AND KEEP ALL APPOINTMENTS WITH MENTAL HEALTH CASE MANAGER TWO(2) TO THREE(3) TIMES WEEKLY OR AS DIRECTED.”
She was also ordered at sentencing to “NOT SOLICIT OR ACCEPT A RIDE FROM M-MALE MOTORISTS NOT PREVIOUSLY KNOWN TO YOU, OR BE PARKED IN A MOTOR VEHICLE WITH A LONE M-MALE MOTORIST NOT PREVIOUSLY KNOWN TO YOU. NOT APPROACH M-MALE MOTORISTS OR PEDESTRIANS NOT PREVIOUSLY KNOWN TO YOU OR ENGAGE SAME IN CONVERSATION IN A PUBLIC PLACE OR STREET. NOT OCCUPY A HOTEL OR MOTEL ROOM OR ANY OTHER RESIDENCE, UNLESS REGISTERED IN YOUR TRUE NAME.”
In 2010, Graham was accused in San Bernardino County of living in a house “of ill fame” and disorderly conduct – prostitution. She received a fairly short jail term. In 2009, she was also accused of prostitution. She also has charges in Fresno County, including a warrant and accusation of loitering.
2. Taquesta Is In a Relationship With Emiel Hunt, Who Was Being Held in the Los Angeles County Jail on $2 Million Bail
FacebookEmiel Hunt Facebook photo
Emiel Hunt, who says on Facebook that he is in a relationship “Dior Racks,” which is the name Taquesta Graham uses on social media, is currently being held in the Los Angeles County Jail on $2 million bail and a felony accusation, online records show.
Authorities say they found him sleeping in a car at the San Diego airport. He’s a convicted child abuser out of San Diego, they say, a charge that dates to 2005.
He is the son of a church elder in San Diego. According to NBC San Diego, Hunt’s father begged him to attend church and change his life after his child abuse conviction in 2005, for which he spent significant time in prison.
“He wanted to do what he wanted to do and we have rules and regulations here. He couldn’t abide by rules and regulations so we don’t have any contact [for years],” Hunt’s father said to the station. “He needs help. If he did this, he needs help. I’ve already prayed for him.”
Emiel Hunt jail record
On Facebook, Trinity’s mom goes by the name of Dior Racks. She also indicated on Facebook that she was in a relationship with Hunt. The pair gushed over each other on social media.
In one Facebook post, Hunt posted a photo that called Dior Racks the “wifie” of Emiel Hunt. He wrote that they had been in a relationship since December 2017. She wrote under a Valentine’s Day photo with Emiel, “love you and this pic.”
A sketch of the girl whose body was found.
In a press conference, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department released pictures of the clothing that the deceased girl was wearing. That was before her family and authorities identified the child as Trinity Jones. According to the photos released, the girl was wearing a pink shirt that bore the words “future princess hero” when she died.
Trinity Love Jones
“The young girl was found to be wearing a pink, long sleeve shirt with gray panda print pants (actual clothing depicted). She stood approx. 4 ft, 5 inch. tall and weighed about 55 lbs. No obvious signs of trauma were found on the victim’s body,” the Sheriff’s Department said in a release.
Family members are confirming that the little girl found dead in #HaciendaHeights last week is 9 yr old Trinity Love Jones–@LASDHQ has NOT confirmed this information, but family is stating detectives shared the news with them today. @NBCLA@TELEMUNDO52
“We have no leads,” authorities said in their initial news conference. They also said they did not have any suspects. That changed with their announcement that two persons of interest were identified. They think the body was placed on the trail on a Sunday afternoon.
The child’s death was later ruled a homicide. However, authorities have not revealed the child’s specific cause of death beyond that. The bag was located “at the bottom of an embankment,” said authorities.
3. Taquesta Graham Mostly Posted Selfies on Her Facebook Page
A photo on “Dior Racks” Facebook page
Taquesta Graham filled her Facebook page with selfies of herself. There are two pictures of Trinity on her page also. In one she says they were at the zoo. She said she lived in Long Beach and was from Hollywood. Her cover photo shows her kissing Hunt. In one post, she made a homophobic remark.
One photo showed her in a head covering, although her publicly visible posts are not religious in nature.
“My momma didn’t raise a fool. A f*cking psycho maybe, but no fool,” read a graphic she shared in 2016. Another graphic read, “My kids save me from doing life in prison all the time.” In 2016, she wrote, “These hoes need red noses they clowns hoi b*tches cam not f*ck with me idgaf if you was really f*cking wit me hahahahahah.”
A photo on Dior Racks’ Facebook page
Emiel Hunt’s Facebook profile reads, “#DEFINITELY 1 OF THA REALEST (N word) TIL THIS DAY! 100%?.”
The page says he’s from San Diego. His top post is a ribald joke about R. Kelly in prison. He mostly shared other joking videos to his page.
“Dior Racks”
No criminal history comes up for Hunt in Los Angeles. There’s an old criminal file in San Diego from 2004 but it’s not clear what it was for or what the disposition was per online records. There are some “domestic cases,” including paternity, that come up under his name. The details aren’t clear.
A post on Dior Racks’ Facebook page.
On March 5, 2019, the child’s body was discovered on an equestrian trail near a Buddhist temple, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in the news conference, calling the child’s death “suspicious.” The body was found down an embankment just below the temple at around 10 a.m.
“The victim was dumped at the location some time during the late evening hours. The victim was discovered by county workers who were there clearing some brush,” authorities said. “The victim was found partially inside of a black rollaway type duffel bag.”
The upper portion of the victim was “protruding” from the bag, authorities said. At first, authorities said the victim was about 4 foot 5 inches tall. Investigators did not observe obvious signs of trauma to the victim’s body. The autopsy determined the cause of death.
The motive was listed as being unknown. Authorities held the news conference in the hopes that witnesses would come forward who might have seen a vehicle pulled over to the side of the road or who would recognize the bag.
4. Family Members of Trinity Unleashed Angry Comments on Facebook & Claimed Taquesta Kept the Child From Them
Emiel Hunt Facebook photo
Family members of the slain girl unleashed angry comments on Facebook. Trinity’s grandmother wrote, in a comment directed at Emiel, “You going to rot in hell you kept my grandbaby.”
Relative Mishale’ Wilson wrote on Facebook, “Trinity you deserve to be on tv you was a movie star but you didn’t deserve to be on tv like this ????.” She added: “I cannot believe this sh*t !!!!!! Somebody wake me up I am dreaming !!!! Not my trinity omg !!.”
“Justice for Trinity Love Jones !!! Well just is about to start because they are already in jail !!! I hope they riot in hell,” Mishale’ also wrote. She also claimed on Facebook that Trinity was “not reported missing because her mother kept her away from us. Every time we asked about her she would say she was okay. She enrolled her in home school so she basically was with the mother and boyfriend the whole time…we all reached out, we called dcfs. nobody would listen.”
Antonio Jones, the father of Trinity Love Jones, told KTLA-TV that the girl was “just the best. Full of character, full of life, full of joy.”
“Words can’t explain what I’m feeling right now,” he said. “I just want answers. I just want justice,” he said.
UPDATE: “Rest In Heaven Our Trinity Love Jones.” sign was left at a makeshift memorial. If you have info call @LASDHQ Homicide 323-890-5500 or @LACrimeStopper1 800-222-TIPS RIP #TrinityJones 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
He has also posted Facebook Live videos about the girl’s death. In one, a woman tells Jones that a detective has asked the family not to talk to the press, but he keeps the video going, and you can hear part of the call. “This is my daughter who was found in a suitcase. My daughter Trinity,” he says at one point. “She was the youngest out of my three girls.” There was no publicly visible previous post about the child being missing.
People with tips can call the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.
It’s not clear whether the child was alive when placed in the bag, authorities said. They would not comment on whether there were any items in the bag along with the girl’s body.
It’s not clear whether the child was reported missing. The National Center for Missing and Endangered, Inc. wrote on Facebook:
“Little girl who was dumped beside the road in a black suit case in Hacienda Heights has been identified as 9 year old Trinity Jones***
BREAKING: Little girl whose body was found dumped in Hacienda Heights has been identified by extended family members as Trinity Jones.
There is a lot happening right now and many questions still need to be answered.
Meanwhile, the first piece of the puzzle is now in place.
This baby girl, formerly known as Jane Doe #11, is Trinity.
She has a name.
She has a story.
And someone is responsible for her death.”
Asked by a comment thread writer if the girl was reported missing before her death, the center wrote, “we do not have that information all the information we have is posted above.”
5. Trinity Was Described as a Child Who Enjoyed Fashion & Was a ‘Social Butterfly’
The bag the girl was found in
Tributes flooded in for the child.
“Trinity Love Jones was Bright, Full of Life, and Had a Smile that would Brighten Up the Moment of those around Her. It’s what stood out the Most, like with most Children,” one tribute reads.
“Her Curiosities often raised awareness that Left one Enlightened if they were to ever encounter one of her many keen Questions. She enjoyed Fashion, and often played Dress Up, which was one of Her favorite pastime activities. Dainty, Prissy, and a Social Butterfly, She will be Greatly Missed and Celebrated by Close Family and Friends. Funds are being raised to help with Homegoing costs and arrangements. Any amount is Appreciated, and Thanks Ahead of Time for your Love and Support.”
According to NBC Los Angeles, family members added Trinity’s picture “to the abundance of flowers, balloons and candles” that people have placed at the spot where the girl’s body was found.
In a Facebook Live post, Antonio Jones thanked people for showing love and support for his daughter. “That was my baby they found,” he said.
Jessica McBride is a news, sports, and entertainment reporter covering breaking news, politics sports, entertainment, and crime for Heavy. She is a former reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Waukesha Freeman newspapers in Wisconsin and is a senior journalism instructor at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. More about Jessica McBride
var VUUKLE_CONFIG = {
apiKey: "6ff6a1d2-d34b-462f-bf11-c86cae0e6821",
};
// DON'T EDIT BELOW THIS LINE
(function() {
var d = document,
s = d.createElement('script');
s.src = 'https://cdn.vuukle.com/platform.js';
(d.head || d.body).appendChild(s);
})();
