My Friend Daisy

After 19-year-old Daisy De La O was murdered outside her Compton apartment, her friends and family looked to authorities to make an arrest. When that didn’t happen, they took matters into their own hands. Their secret weapon? TikTok. The online videos spawned an international manhunt, rallying amateur detectives to do something radical: Help catch a killer. From London Audio, iHeart Radio, and executive producer Paris Hilton, My Friend Daisy is a ten-part investigative series written and hosted by L.A. journalist Jenn Swann. Each episode dives deep into the murder investigation and its fallout, exposing what went wrong, how it went viral, and why American communities are turning to social media to find justice.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After getting an early morning call about a body at an apartment complex, police officers canvass the area and interview the neighbors for clues. Detectives suspect it’s a so-called “body dump,” especially since nobody at the apartment complex seems to have heard anything the night before, and nobody recognizes the victim. That is, until a 13-year-old boy is called upon to identify the body. That’s when everything changes and the full scale of the tragedy comes into focus.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In February 2021, 19-year-old Daisy De La O had a lot to be excited about: She’d recently started a new job, she’d saved up enough money to buy a car, and was on the verge of earning her associate’s degree. She dreamed of opening a makeup and tattoo business someday. But those dreams were shattered when she got a text message while watching T.V. with her family one night. She told them she’d be right back and stepped outside. It was the last time her family saw her alive.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daisy’s friends remember her as a tough but caring, big-hearted teenager who overcame significant obstacles from a young age. She always put on a smile no matter what, was quick to lend a hand to those in need, and often prioritized her friends and loved ones’ problems before her own. But her life began to change in high school, and before anyone realized the extent of it, she’d found herself in horrible danger.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daisy’s friends, relatives, and neighbors are stunned by her senseless murder. Detectives look for answers, but their investigation stalls when they realize there are no witnesses and no reliable surveillance footage. As the months go by, Daisy’s community grows impatient and decides to take matters into their own hands. If the police won’t identify a suspect, then they’ll do it themselves.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After Daisy’s friends and family make TikToks and Instagram posts revealing the name and photos of her suspected killer, their community bands together to start looking for him — and becomes terrified by potential sightings. Some see the manhunt as a personal mission: a crucial opportunity to avenge Daisy’s killing and bring her murderer to justice. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Once the social media posts go viral, the detectives on the case start feeling the pressure to solve it. They get calls from TikTok tipsters at all hours of the day and night reporting sightings of the suspect all over California and the Western United States. After continuously striking out, the detectives decide to take a cue from Daisy’s community: They post their own fliers on social media, too. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.