Jocelyn Nungaray: Forever 12, a mother's unyielding quest for justice

HOUSTON - The morning of June 17, 2024, began like any other for Alexis Nungaray, until the unthinkable happened. Her daughter, Jocelyn, was found dead, a victim of a brutal crime that would forever alter the course of Alexis's life.

Alexis Nungaray turns grief into strength as she seeks justice for her daughter, Jocelyn

"I feel like a lot has happened this year. The first couple of months were a blur. It was really just trying to get through the motions of what grief looks like, what it feels like. And, the first few months, a couple of months, were really my hardest just because I've never lost anybody," Nungaray said.

They say time heals all wounds, but this one just cut too deep. While some days are better than others, Alexis never forgets her daughter and is fueled by her spirit to continue to fight for justice.

"She was my first loss. And it being my child, it kind of hit me differently. But I've decided to use my pain and turn it into my power and be her voice and speak highly of who she was and the child and young lady she was turning into," Nungaray said.

‘I was 14 when I was pregnant with her’

The backstory:

Alexis Nungaray was just 14 when she learned she was pregnant with Jocelyn. Despite the challenges of being a teen mom, Alexis was determined to keep her child, writing letters in a scrapbook about the bright future she envisioned for Jocelyn. "I always fought for her," Alexis recalls, reflecting on the difficult choices she faced.

"Being a teen mom wasn't something ideal. No one really wants to have that in the family. So being, I was really 14 when I was pregnant with her, and, it was, it was kind of hard on my family. I had to fight to keep her. You know, my mom would try to give me other options, you know, abortion or adoption," Nungaray said.

Jocelyn was born two days after Christmas, and Alexis quickly adapted to her new role as a mother. Jocelyn was a quiet, self-sufficient child, content with her Barbie dolls and books. As she grew, she developed her own style, transitioning from girly clothes to baggy jeans and Converse sneakers, a testament to her emerging individuality.

‘Right before she hit puberty, is when I started noticing a difference’

"She wasn't wanting to wear super girly things. She had already not wanted me to brush her hair anymore, because she was pretty tender-headed. So I got to the point with her having curly hair. She's like, 'no mommy, you can't do it. It hurts. It hurts when you do it.' So she learned to do her own hair, and doing her own hair would just be brushing it to be poofy and leaving it like that and be on the go."

Alexis was strict with Jocelyn because she wanted better for her. She did not want her daughter to go through what she did. So, when Alexis laid both her children to sleep, as both Jocelyn and her younger brother shared a room, she would never imagine that the next morning her daughter would be missing, and the reports of a dead body near her apartment complex would end up being Jocelyn. 

‘Forever 12’

On that fateful June day, Alexis's worst fears were realized. Jocelyn was sexually assaulted, strangled, and left in a creek near their North Houston apartment. The crime shocked the nation, drawing attention due to its horrific nature and the involvement of two Venezuelan immigrants.

In the aftermath, Alexis found strength in her faith, crediting her son for bringing her back to church. "I thank God every day for allowing me to come closer to Him," she says. Alexis has preserved Jocelyn's room in a storage unit, a tangible reminder of her daughter's presence and the life she lived.

Jocelyn's death made headlines, and Alexis received a voicemail from former President Donald Trump, expressing empathy and acknowledging the tragedy. "He showed me that she mattered," Alexis recalls, grateful for the recognition of her daughter's significance.

‘Her room was her safe space, her room was her’

Alexis recreated Jocelyn's bedroom in a storage unit. The room is identical to how it was. 

"I really didn't want to box her stuff away because I felt like boxing her stuff away was going to be boxing her away. And leaving her in the past and her catching dust. And I just didn't want to do that. I couldn't let go of her. Her room was her safe space, her room was her. And I just couldn't take it upon myself to leave her things in boxes. So, I took pictures of every inch of her room down to the bookshelf of the way she had her books labeled to her little weird shrine she has on top of her bookshelf," Nungaray said.

Mental health struggles

Jocelyn was admitted into a mental health institution twice. The first time she spent seven days and the second time she was there for 10 days.

Alexis reflected on how she didn't know the signs of her daughter needing help; she blamed the subject for being too taboo and not being talked about enough within the hispanic/latino culture. It wasn't until Jocelyn attempted to commit suicide that Alexis sought help for her daughter.

Death penalty

What's next:

Alexis and her family will have to wait until the trial for her daughter's murder to begin. A date has not been set yet, but Alexis says she is speaking now because once it begins, she will not be able to talk about the case with the media due to a gag order.

"They get to sleep, they get to interact with people. They get to talk to their family. They get to be alive. And Jocelyn is not. And it becomes very upsetting to know that they're here and she's not. But I do pray in my heart that they have remorse for what they did. I hope she replays in their head over and over and over, because she was special, and I just want the justice that she deserves, which is why I speak as much as I can right now," Nungaray said. "It's not about the way they took her life. It's about a 12-year-old girl who had dreams bigger than herself. I'm just here to try to make her dreams possible as much as I can."

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