June 11, 2026
Woman Used Social Media To Catch Mom’s Killer
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RSS Feed An incredible story out of Maryland this week! A young woman located her mother’s killer 12 years after her brutal murder. 24-year-old Kiany DeJesus was just 11 when her mother’s ex boyfriend lured her to a restaurant and stabbed her 27 times, then fled the country. DeJesus finally found him through social media and this week, she faced him at sentencing where the judge gave him the maximum sentence.
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00:00:02
Speaker 1: Hey there, folks. It is Thursday, June eleventh, and a remarkable story. This week, a woman watched her mother's murderer get sentenced to prison. Here's the thing. She was the one that tracked down the killer on social media. Welcome everybody to this episode of Amy and TJ resents.
00:00:24
Speaker 2: Oh my goodness, Amy and TJ presents you forgot the most important word present, yes.
00:00:30
Speaker 1: And we present you right now. No, Rose, this was the story you have been you have been fascinated by, because this was a case that took ten plus years to track a guy down and social media made it happen.
00:00:44
Speaker 3: That's right.
00:00:45
Speaker 2: So Keana de Jesus, she gets all the credit, but she was able to see justice finally for her mom when her mother's killer was sentenced this week. She was only eleven years old when her mom, Ilia Ignacio, was killed. This was back in April of twenty fourteen, and police knew who murdered her.
00:01:08
Speaker 1: Yeah, immediately knew who murdered her. Immediately a warrant was issued for his arrest. But he also probably it looks like, immediately got the hell out of town.
00:01:18
Speaker 3: Absolutely so.
00:01:19
Speaker 2: She was murdered by her ex boyfriend this happened in Green Belt, Maryland, and his name was Juan Miguel Roman Balderes. So he takes off, as you point out, and is never found again. And obviously this young girl is just tortured by the fact that her mother's killer is on the lamb and by the way, he left behind the one year old son that he had with her mother. So now it's her she's eleven and her one year old baby brother. She's lost her mom, and her mom's killer is on the loose. So she spends the rest of her time trying to track him down, and eventually it worked.
00:02:00
Speaker 1: Yeah, And I don't know, I haven't seen it fully explain where the police were in all this time, how much effort was being put into trying to track him down was this? Did they have any idea? It didn't seem like they did. Yeah, crowds, But I just what was going on for the past ten plus y.
00:02:17
Speaker 2: Yeah, it didn't seem like there was a priority. And because it turns out, look Roman Balderas had escaped to Mexico.
00:02:24
Speaker 3: Obviously that's almost a cliche.
00:02:26
Speaker 2: You know, you get in trouble, you're fleeing from the law, you cross the border you're in Mexico, you make it you're safe. And it actually turns out that is exactly what happened in this case. So he goes down to Mexico and she actually Keana de Jussu's who found her mother's killer. She's crediting the Instagram account Crime Time Tea Time. So this Instagram account gave the case attention. And because the case got attention, and she's looking for this man, she knows his name. She gets help with internet, so I think her cousin's involved as well. And through social media they find that Juan Miguel had basically started up an entirely new life with a new family. And there he was on Instagram.
00:03:16
Speaker 1: Isn't that? Is that? What was the name? Was he using the same name a different name?
00:03:20
Speaker 2: I'm not sure about that. But she found him from social media posts with his new family.
00:03:27
Speaker 3: Ain't that He felt so comfortable.
00:03:29
Speaker 1: That's the part that's remarkable to me. Keep your head down if you got away with murder, right, he got so comfortable he was no longer looking over his shoulder, to the point he could put his face out there and say exactly where he what That is unbelievable.
00:03:46
Speaker 2: Yep. So she finds him, gets authorities, US authorities involved and they go down and they get him. They bring him back here to Maryland to face justice, and almost immediately he he's guilty. So that's one kind thing this man did in that he spared her daughter and his son the awful, awful experience of going through a trial. So he pleaded guilty to first degree murder back in February, and so this week it was his sentencing, and his attorneys tried real hard to get some sort of favor with the court because, hey, our guy, he turned himself in, he cooperated, he is pleading guilty. Really, y'all don't have to spend any money for a trial. Can we please just get twenty years. He's taking responsibility for the crime.
00:04:37
Speaker 1: That's no deal.
00:04:39
Speaker 3: That was a no deal from the judge.
00:04:41
Speaker 2: In fact, the judge, you know what, because there was some sort of a plead deal in place, he could only sentence him to thirty years. That was the maximum amount of time the judge could give this man. But he said, yeah, I'm going to give you the maximum, and he said it was in part because he tortured this a young woman's twenty eight year old mom, a mom of two with an infant at home or a toddler at home, and an eleven year old little girl, and she was tortured and look DeJesus herself was able to stand there and face him. She said she hadn't seen him since she was eleven. She said it was like seeing a ghost, and a scary ghost. Can you imagine that moment that that young woman had in that courtroom and at Marylyn courtroom this week?
00:05:27
Speaker 1: And it really rose the motive for the killing and the viciousness of this crime. I didn't see much of an explanation for anywhere that made no sense. Just how awful he was to her, the violent spine, this attack.
00:05:50
Speaker 2: It's he lured her to a red lobster, like he's going to take her out to dinner.
00:05:57
Speaker 3: Isn't that horrific?
00:05:58
Speaker 2: Like to even create that expectation that they were going to meet, they were going to have a nice dinner, And the whole time he planned the entire murder, and he murdered her right there in her car. She thinks she's going out for a nice meal. She never sees her babies again because of his viciousness, and he wants leniency from the court after he's taken up with an entirely new family, living in Mexico, feeling totally free to be himself on social media.
00:06:24
Speaker 1: Don't asking for credit for starting a new life after I murdered somebody. That's not how that works.
00:06:36
Speaker 3: No, it is not at all.
00:06:38
Speaker 2: So that is what the judge agreed with. And so I thought it was one of those moments. And we've talked about this often in these types of cases, the victim impact statements don't usually change a judge's decision.
00:06:48
Speaker 3: They usually know what they're going to sentence a criminal to.
00:06:52
Speaker 2: But it is this really cathartic moment, and it was, oh my god, it was so emotional to hear de Jesus. It was a tearful victim impact statement. She talked about the impact of losing her mom at eleven. She talked about the impact of that on her young brother, and she talked about the abuse of Roman Balderas. So, yes, we hear that he viciously attacked and killed her mother, but she told the judge about how he burned her hand on the stove, and just how he abused her dog, just all of these awful things about him She said she had nothing but nightmares when she thought of this man.
00:07:30
Speaker 1: How old is you know?
00:07:32
Speaker 2: I actually do not I did not see his age, but I mean he's been on the lamb since twenty fourteen, so for twelve years, and her mother was twenty eight, so I'm imagining this man's in his forties at this stage in his life. And look, she was able to speak to reporters after court, and she said, I knew that if I didn't get it out, I probably would regret it. So I'm so glad that I did this. I'm glad that he got to hear it my words. It makes me really happy to finally close all of this. That is that is that moment that so many victims' families talk about getting in that courtroom on sentencing day and to know that she's the reason why he was finally brought to justice. I cannot imagine that full circle moment, and it was certainly a powerful moment in court. But when we come back, we're going to tell you what is next for this incredible young woman who found her mother's killer. And she's going to say what the judge herself told this young woman after sentencing. Welcome back, everyone to Amy and TJ Presents. We are talking about a I think you said incredible, remarkable, Put whatever superlative you want in front of it. This case is one of those where you just have to see it to believe that. This young woman spends a decade trying to find her mother's killer, and she does it. She finds him through social media. He murdered his mother. Before he murdered her mother, he bought a one way ticket. He knew what he was going to do to get the heck out of there, to get to Mexico. And he was so comfortable living his life after committing this murder. Twelve years ago, he had a new family and started posting on social media.
00:09:26
Speaker 1: How then that will I don't think you'll ever get me to understand that if you actually know you killed, you know that they at one point identified you as the killer. I don't care how far away you move, Why would you start? I do not understand. Can has he gotten so removed from the murder that he forgot he's a murderer.
00:09:48
Speaker 2: I don't know what goes through the mind of someone like that who can also just lure someone to a romantic dinner. Stabbered twenty seven times in the car already of purchase one way ticket to Mexico and just leave your one year old son and her eleven year old daughter without anyone to take care of them. What kind of a person can do that and then just start living your life like nothing happened.
00:10:14
Speaker 1: And ask for leniency because he's been a good family.
00:10:17
Speaker 3: Man exactly because he came clean and pleaded guilty. No, that is not what happened.
00:10:22
Speaker 2: He will be serving the next thirty years behind bars, and if he's in his forties right now, that may certainly end up being a life sentence for this man. But in terms of what's next for DeJesus, I love this After everything she's gone through to find her mother's killer, to see him sentence, She says she is now considering to be becoming a lawyer or a detective, but she's really into now the criminal justice system and that makes a lot of sense. That is.
00:10:51
Speaker 1: Roabes. There are communities online that do serve a purpose and support each other. This is very cool to see it work like this. She found these people who helped her. Wasn't it that she ultimately just got a call from a woman that said, hey, I I think I known that guy. Yep, and so world it's the story is I guess social media can do good?
00:11:21
Speaker 3: Yes, that And we talk about this all the time.
00:11:23
Speaker 2: There are so many ways in which social media connects us to people we would never otherwise be able to communicate with, learn anything from. And so yes, when you're when it comes to solving a crime, this is a huge tool the police employ all the time.
00:11:36
Speaker 3: Why police didn't do this, Why police didn't follow.
00:11:39
Speaker 2: Through on this, Why this woman's death and brutal murder didn't matter or rise to the level to get any real attention to get the focus of police on it. Why it took this this young mother's child to find her. But thank god that happened. And yes, the crime time tea time. That's so she and she really wanted to give a show out to them that they made they made it happen.
00:12:05
Speaker 1: But why she used the phone, she used an app? How much investigative exactly education? Do you need to do that? Well, I'm why were police not doing a scan? What did she do that they weren't able to do? I guess just have the passion to get it done.
00:12:28
Speaker 2: Yeah, she followed through, She followed up and yes, she had the passion to find her mother's killer.
00:12:33
Speaker 3: And look the judge. She said this, the judge told her that she was really proud of her.
00:12:37
Speaker 2: I thought that was sweet that the judge made a point to talk to this young woman after this.
00:12:41
Speaker 3: And she said, it made me really happy.
00:12:43
Speaker 2: It made me feel like all of the work that I did was, you know, for something good to finally come out of it.
00:12:49
Speaker 3: She said, It's just like taking a really heavy backpack off.
00:12:53
Speaker 2: I feel I can finally start my life instead of worrying about where is he and if my mom is going to get justice? You know what would that be like she was twenty four, she's twenty four years old. She finally sees him sentenced, but all that time knowing that he was out there, knowing that he knew who she was, he knew her who her brother was, and knowing he was living somewhere freely. But he could have been around the corner, he could have been ten minutes away. You would be looking over your shoulder because you could put him away.
00:13:25
Speaker 1: Yeah, he might be specifically coming back for you. Well, so, uh, yeah, we see stuff like this in movies, kind of something scenario like this but this is real life where you were. She's been living in fears since she was eleven years old.
00:13:40
Speaker 3: Yes, and I hadn't thought about that part of it.
00:13:42
Speaker 2: And yes, the weights lifted because she now knows her mother can rest in peace, her mother. She has finally made sure her mother has had justice. But man, that really does have to take a load off of looking over your shoulder and wondering where he is. So I just thought it was such a cool story to know that, yes, some bright, passionate young people sometimes can figure things out better than the rest of us, and certainly better than an entire police department, which you would have hoped would have put at least the same sort of resources into finding this man. Hey, at least her daughter did Keana de jesus, well done.
00:14:21
Speaker 1: She solved a crime. She's literally solved the crime. What was the detail there? How did she go about getting the information to them?
00:14:30
Speaker 3: She just called the police.
00:14:31
Speaker 2: I mean she had a relationship with them along the way trying to figure out what was going on, so she was able to say, hey, guys, found him.
00:14:39
Speaker 3: Found him.
00:14:40
Speaker 1: I mean, I'm sure they appreciate the help.
00:14:42
Speaker 2: But man, it's sad when you do have to take matters into your own hands, but that is what this young woman did. So wanted to share her story with all of you. We always appreciate you listening to us. I'm Amy Robach alongside TJ.
00:14:56
Speaker 3: Holmes. We will talk to you soon.
00:15:01
Speaker 2: Thank
Speaker 1: Hey there, folks. It is Thursday, June eleventh, and a remarkable story. This week, a woman watched her mother's murderer get sentenced to prison. Here's the thing. She was the one that tracked down the killer on social media. Welcome everybody to this episode of Amy and TJ resents.
00:00:24
Speaker 2: Oh my goodness, Amy and TJ presents you forgot the most important word present, yes.
00:00:30
Speaker 1: And we present you right now. No, Rose, this was the story you have been you have been fascinated by, because this was a case that took ten plus years to track a guy down and social media made it happen.
00:00:44
Speaker 3: That's right.
00:00:45
Speaker 2: So Keana de Jesus, she gets all the credit, but she was able to see justice finally for her mom when her mother's killer was sentenced this week. She was only eleven years old when her mom, Ilia Ignacio, was killed. This was back in April of twenty fourteen, and police knew who murdered her.
00:01:08
Speaker 1: Yeah, immediately knew who murdered her. Immediately a warrant was issued for his arrest. But he also probably it looks like, immediately got the hell out of town.
00:01:18
Speaker 3: Absolutely so.
00:01:19
Speaker 2: She was murdered by her ex boyfriend this happened in Green Belt, Maryland, and his name was Juan Miguel Roman Balderes. So he takes off, as you point out, and is never found again. And obviously this young girl is just tortured by the fact that her mother's killer is on the lamb and by the way, he left behind the one year old son that he had with her mother. So now it's her she's eleven and her one year old baby brother. She's lost her mom, and her mom's killer is on the loose. So she spends the rest of her time trying to track him down, and eventually it worked.
00:02:00
Speaker 1: Yeah, And I don't know, I haven't seen it fully explain where the police were in all this time, how much effort was being put into trying to track him down was this? Did they have any idea? It didn't seem like they did. Yeah, crowds, But I just what was going on for the past ten plus y.
00:02:17
Speaker 2: Yeah, it didn't seem like there was a priority. And because it turns out, look Roman Balderas had escaped to Mexico.
00:02:24
Speaker 3: Obviously that's almost a cliche.
00:02:26
Speaker 2: You know, you get in trouble, you're fleeing from the law, you cross the border you're in Mexico, you make it you're safe. And it actually turns out that is exactly what happened in this case. So he goes down to Mexico and she actually Keana de Jussu's who found her mother's killer. She's crediting the Instagram account Crime Time Tea Time. So this Instagram account gave the case attention. And because the case got attention, and she's looking for this man, she knows his name. She gets help with internet, so I think her cousin's involved as well. And through social media they find that Juan Miguel had basically started up an entirely new life with a new family. And there he was on Instagram.
00:03:16
Speaker 1: Isn't that? Is that? What was the name? Was he using the same name a different name?
00:03:20
Speaker 2: I'm not sure about that. But she found him from social media posts with his new family.
00:03:27
Speaker 3: Ain't that He felt so comfortable.
00:03:29
Speaker 1: That's the part that's remarkable to me. Keep your head down if you got away with murder, right, he got so comfortable he was no longer looking over his shoulder, to the point he could put his face out there and say exactly where he what That is unbelievable.
00:03:46
Speaker 2: Yep. So she finds him, gets authorities, US authorities involved and they go down and they get him. They bring him back here to Maryland to face justice, and almost immediately he he's guilty. So that's one kind thing this man did in that he spared her daughter and his son the awful, awful experience of going through a trial. So he pleaded guilty to first degree murder back in February, and so this week it was his sentencing, and his attorneys tried real hard to get some sort of favor with the court because, hey, our guy, he turned himself in, he cooperated, he is pleading guilty. Really, y'all don't have to spend any money for a trial. Can we please just get twenty years. He's taking responsibility for the crime.
00:04:37
Speaker 1: That's no deal.
00:04:39
Speaker 3: That was a no deal from the judge.
00:04:41
Speaker 2: In fact, the judge, you know what, because there was some sort of a plead deal in place, he could only sentence him to thirty years. That was the maximum amount of time the judge could give this man. But he said, yeah, I'm going to give you the maximum, and he said it was in part because he tortured this a young woman's twenty eight year old mom, a mom of two with an infant at home or a toddler at home, and an eleven year old little girl, and she was tortured and look DeJesus herself was able to stand there and face him. She said she hadn't seen him since she was eleven. She said it was like seeing a ghost, and a scary ghost. Can you imagine that moment that that young woman had in that courtroom and at Marylyn courtroom this week?
00:05:27
Speaker 1: And it really rose the motive for the killing and the viciousness of this crime. I didn't see much of an explanation for anywhere that made no sense. Just how awful he was to her, the violent spine, this attack.
00:05:50
Speaker 2: It's he lured her to a red lobster, like he's going to take her out to dinner.
00:05:57
Speaker 3: Isn't that horrific?
00:05:58
Speaker 2: Like to even create that expectation that they were going to meet, they were going to have a nice dinner, And the whole time he planned the entire murder, and he murdered her right there in her car. She thinks she's going out for a nice meal. She never sees her babies again because of his viciousness, and he wants leniency from the court after he's taken up with an entirely new family, living in Mexico, feeling totally free to be himself on social media.
00:06:24
Speaker 1: Don't asking for credit for starting a new life after I murdered somebody. That's not how that works.
00:06:36
Speaker 3: No, it is not at all.
00:06:38
Speaker 2: So that is what the judge agreed with. And so I thought it was one of those moments. And we've talked about this often in these types of cases, the victim impact statements don't usually change a judge's decision.
00:06:48
Speaker 3: They usually know what they're going to sentence a criminal to.
00:06:52
Speaker 2: But it is this really cathartic moment, and it was, oh my god, it was so emotional to hear de Jesus. It was a tearful victim impact statement. She talked about the impact of losing her mom at eleven. She talked about the impact of that on her young brother, and she talked about the abuse of Roman Balderas. So, yes, we hear that he viciously attacked and killed her mother, but she told the judge about how he burned her hand on the stove, and just how he abused her dog, just all of these awful things about him She said she had nothing but nightmares when she thought of this man.
00:07:30
Speaker 1: How old is you know?
00:07:32
Speaker 2: I actually do not I did not see his age, but I mean he's been on the lamb since twenty fourteen, so for twelve years, and her mother was twenty eight, so I'm imagining this man's in his forties at this stage in his life. And look, she was able to speak to reporters after court, and she said, I knew that if I didn't get it out, I probably would regret it. So I'm so glad that I did this. I'm glad that he got to hear it my words. It makes me really happy to finally close all of this. That is that is that moment that so many victims' families talk about getting in that courtroom on sentencing day and to know that she's the reason why he was finally brought to justice. I cannot imagine that full circle moment, and it was certainly a powerful moment in court. But when we come back, we're going to tell you what is next for this incredible young woman who found her mother's killer. And she's going to say what the judge herself told this young woman after sentencing. Welcome back, everyone to Amy and TJ Presents. We are talking about a I think you said incredible, remarkable, Put whatever superlative you want in front of it. This case is one of those where you just have to see it to believe that. This young woman spends a decade trying to find her mother's killer, and she does it. She finds him through social media. He murdered his mother. Before he murdered her mother, he bought a one way ticket. He knew what he was going to do to get the heck out of there, to get to Mexico. And he was so comfortable living his life after committing this murder. Twelve years ago, he had a new family and started posting on social media.
00:09:26
Speaker 1: How then that will I don't think you'll ever get me to understand that if you actually know you killed, you know that they at one point identified you as the killer. I don't care how far away you move, Why would you start? I do not understand. Can has he gotten so removed from the murder that he forgot he's a murderer.
00:09:48
Speaker 2: I don't know what goes through the mind of someone like that who can also just lure someone to a romantic dinner. Stabbered twenty seven times in the car already of purchase one way ticket to Mexico and just leave your one year old son and her eleven year old daughter without anyone to take care of them. What kind of a person can do that and then just start living your life like nothing happened.
00:10:14
Speaker 1: And ask for leniency because he's been a good family.
00:10:17
Speaker 3: Man exactly because he came clean and pleaded guilty. No, that is not what happened.
00:10:22
Speaker 2: He will be serving the next thirty years behind bars, and if he's in his forties right now, that may certainly end up being a life sentence for this man. But in terms of what's next for DeJesus, I love this After everything she's gone through to find her mother's killer, to see him sentence, She says she is now considering to be becoming a lawyer or a detective, but she's really into now the criminal justice system and that makes a lot of sense. That is.
00:10:51
Speaker 1: Roabes. There are communities online that do serve a purpose and support each other. This is very cool to see it work like this. She found these people who helped her. Wasn't it that she ultimately just got a call from a woman that said, hey, I I think I known that guy. Yep, and so world it's the story is I guess social media can do good?
00:11:21
Speaker 3: Yes, that And we talk about this all the time.
00:11:23
Speaker 2: There are so many ways in which social media connects us to people we would never otherwise be able to communicate with, learn anything from. And so yes, when you're when it comes to solving a crime, this is a huge tool the police employ all the time.
00:11:36
Speaker 3: Why police didn't do this, Why police didn't follow.
00:11:39
Speaker 2: Through on this, Why this woman's death and brutal murder didn't matter or rise to the level to get any real attention to get the focus of police on it. Why it took this this young mother's child to find her. But thank god that happened. And yes, the crime time tea time. That's so she and she really wanted to give a show out to them that they made they made it happen.
00:12:05
Speaker 1: But why she used the phone, she used an app? How much investigative exactly education? Do you need to do that? Well, I'm why were police not doing a scan? What did she do that they weren't able to do? I guess just have the passion to get it done.
00:12:28
Speaker 2: Yeah, she followed through, She followed up and yes, she had the passion to find her mother's killer.
00:12:33
Speaker 3: And look the judge. She said this, the judge told her that she was really proud of her.
00:12:37
Speaker 2: I thought that was sweet that the judge made a point to talk to this young woman after this.
00:12:41
Speaker 3: And she said, it made me really happy.
00:12:43
Speaker 2: It made me feel like all of the work that I did was, you know, for something good to finally come out of it.
00:12:49
Speaker 3: She said, It's just like taking a really heavy backpack off.
00:12:53
Speaker 2: I feel I can finally start my life instead of worrying about where is he and if my mom is going to get justice? You know what would that be like she was twenty four, she's twenty four years old. She finally sees him sentenced, but all that time knowing that he was out there, knowing that he knew who she was, he knew her who her brother was, and knowing he was living somewhere freely. But he could have been around the corner, he could have been ten minutes away. You would be looking over your shoulder because you could put him away.
00:13:25
Speaker 1: Yeah, he might be specifically coming back for you. Well, so, uh, yeah, we see stuff like this in movies, kind of something scenario like this but this is real life where you were. She's been living in fears since she was eleven years old.
00:13:40
Speaker 3: Yes, and I hadn't thought about that part of it.
00:13:42
Speaker 2: And yes, the weights lifted because she now knows her mother can rest in peace, her mother. She has finally made sure her mother has had justice. But man, that really does have to take a load off of looking over your shoulder and wondering where he is. So I just thought it was such a cool story to know that, yes, some bright, passionate young people sometimes can figure things out better than the rest of us, and certainly better than an entire police department, which you would have hoped would have put at least the same sort of resources into finding this man. Hey, at least her daughter did Keana de jesus, well done.
00:14:21
Speaker 1: She solved a crime. She's literally solved the crime. What was the detail there? How did she go about getting the information to them?
00:14:30
Speaker 3: She just called the police.
00:14:31
Speaker 2: I mean she had a relationship with them along the way trying to figure out what was going on, so she was able to say, hey, guys, found him.
00:14:39
Speaker 3: Found him.
00:14:40
Speaker 1: I mean, I'm sure they appreciate the help.
00:14:42
Speaker 2: But man, it's sad when you do have to take matters into your own hands, but that is what this young woman did. So wanted to share her story with all of you. We always appreciate you listening to us. I'm Amy Robach alongside TJ.
00:14:56
Speaker 3: Holmes. We will talk to you soon.
00:15:01
Speaker 2: Thank