Jacksonville mother seeks answers one year after daughter drowns following crash

Jareesha Wilkerson’s family continues to seek answers surrounding her last moments while remembering her kind, fun-loving spirit.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — One year after 27-year-old Jareesha Wilkerson disappeared following a crash on the Mathews Bridge, her family is still grappling with unanswered questions.

Wilkerson went missing after being involved in a multi-vehicle crash on the Mathews Bridge on December 8, 2024. Days later, her body was recovered from the St. Johns River. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office now confirms the case has been completed and closed.

According to a police report after her body was found, the Medical Examiner determined that her death was due to an “accident”, with her cause of death being due to her “drowning.”

Jareesha’s mother, Sequoia McBurnie, says while the investigation may be over, the pain of losing her daughter has not faded.

“It’s just what happened on the bridge that night, one day I’m talking to her and the next day I get a phone call she’s missing,” McBurnie said.

It has been more than a year since McBurnie lost her oldest daughter — a loss she says has reshaped her life.

“It’s painful and I won’t wish it on my worst enemy,” she said.

According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, officers responded to a multi-vehicle crash on the Mathews Bridge that night and located Wilkerson’s vehicle parked at the top of the bridge. However, Wilkerson was not at the scene. Police say her phone was found inside the car, with the keys left in the ignition.

Investigators say officers spoke with drivers involved in the crash, but no one reported seeing Wilkerson walk away. A police report notes that one witness may have seen her go over the edge of the bridge. One week later, Wilkerson’s body was found in the St. Johns River.

For McBurnie, the grief has been constant.

“It’s been a struggle every day because, of course, that’s my oldest daughter that passed. I never expected her to pass, not in one million years, and so by the grace of God, he’s giving me the strength every day to wake up because it’s some days I have my good days and I have my bad days,” she said.

JSO has confirmed the case is closed, and the Medical Examiner’s Office determined she died of an accidental drowning, according to the incident report.

McBurnie says questions still linger.

“We have closure, the case is closed. But I mean, I always wonder in the back of my mind. What really happened up there?” she said.

McBurnie says if anyone has information related to her daughter’s death, she hopes they will come forward.

“As a mother, if someone knows anything related to her case, I encourage them to speak out because it’s hard, I mean, it’s been hard every single day,” she said.

More than anything, McBurnie says she wants her daughter to be remembered for who she was — not just how she died.

“It’s been a hard road and some people may not understand it but so you in my shoes then you will understand but all I ask is for prayers,” she said.