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In June 2004, Jesse Valencia, a 23-year-old University of Missouri student, was found dead off-campus, with his throat slit and only his boxers on. Investigators then discovered that Jesse was openly gay and was in an ongoing physical relationship with a married police officer with one child in his late 20s, who was later identified as Steven Rios.
Disclaimer: This article contains details about violence and murder. Discretion is advised.
DNA found on the victim's body, paired with witness statements, and the manner of Jesse's death helped to implicate Rios in connection to the murder. He was eventually found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
Friday's all-new Dateline on NBC is slated to chronicle Jesse Valencia's murder case. The episode, titled Before Daylight, will air at 9 pm ET on February 24, 2023. The synopsis states:
"When college student Jesse Valencia is found murdered in a residential neighborhood, investigators are stunned to learn that one of their own might be involved."
University of Missouri student Jesse Valencia was attacked and killed "before daylight" the same day his body was found
Jesse Valencia, a 23-year-old law student at the University of Missouri in Columbia, was found dead on a lawn in the afternoon hours of June 5, 2004. He was found lying face up, wearing nothing but shorts, and had a deep cut on his throat and bruises on his upper body. The medical examiner was able to determine that Jesse was killed before 6 that morning.
Valencia's apartment was located close to the scene where his body was discovered, and upon reaching there, authorities found the door unlocked. Following some questioning, one of the neighbors reported hearing noises coming from inside his apartment in the early morning hours of that day.
Investigators then spoke to the victim's friends and family members to get a better understanding of his final movements before the murder. This is how they learned that he was gay and that one of his s*xual partners came forward to inform them of Valencia's relationship with a police officer. They also learned about the victim's s*xual encounter with the officer a few weeks before the murder.
The officer in question was later identified as Steven Rios, a 27-year-old married father-of-one, who initially denied having the relationship but ultimately came clean. However, Rios persistently maintained his innocence, despite the fact that even the evidence gathered throughout the investigation suggested otherwise.
Jesse Valencia's s*xual partner and police officer Steven Rios was connected to the case based on DNA evidence
According to Jesse Valencia's friends, he first met Steven Rios while the latter was responding to a noise complaint report at one of his friends' houses sometime in April of that year. At the time, Jesse was given a municipal court summons and their affair soon started with the hope that the officer might use his influence to get the charges dropped or reduced.
Authorities believed that when things didn't go as planned, Valencia decided to confront his partner about it and threatened to expose their relationship, which prompted Rios to take extreme measures.
Additionally, DNA evidence found under his fingernails matched Rios', along with the arm hair discovered on his body. Authorities were then able to determine that Jesse was placed in a chokehold until he was unconscious, given that the bruises on his body were consistent with the type of chokehold police officers are taught as part of their training before joining the service.
Steven Rios was initially convicted of first-degree murder and armed criminal action, receiving a life sentence with an additional ten years without the possibility of parole in 2005. However, he was granted a retrial in 2008 and was eventually convicted of second-degree murder and armed criminal action. He was handed down a life sentence with the possibility of parole, plus an additional 23 years.
NBC Dateline drops a new episode on Friday, February 24, 2023.
