BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA: Madison Brooks's mother, Ashley Baustert, shared the final texts she received from her teenage daughter, 19, before her tragic death. Brooks, an LSU student, died in January after she was allegedly raped.
Baustert reportedly said that she texted Brooks late on Saturday night, January 14, "I'll see you tomorrow." In an interview with Fox News, the grieving mother revealed the two had decided to get together the next morning to finish moving Brooks into her dorm before the start of her second semester at LSU. Brooks texted her mother at 11.38 pm from Reggie's Bar with the words "I love you!!!" and a picture of herself and one of her mother's sorority sister's sons. About three-and-a-half hours later, Brooks was mowed down by a car and found lying lifeless in the center of a busy parkway in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It was raining heavily at that time. Emergency personnel hurried Brooks to a nearby hospital, but it was too late to save her.
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'Justice for Madi will prevail!'
Many people reacted to Baustert's revelations on Facebook. One person wrote, "Many prayers for Madi, you, your family and our sweet Mandy. You are the epitome of strength, courage and grace during this excruciatingly difficult time in your life. What a beautiful tribute to your beautiful girl."
Another person wrote, "Love you Ashley! Justice for Madi will prevail! Continued prayers!" A third person wrote, "Madi was so incredibly loved... i think about her contagious smile, all of her stories and times we've spent together, and hear her laughter everyday, in everything, everywhere i go."
Another individual wrote, "My gosh Ashley. My heart breaks for you and your family. You are such an inspiration and your strength throughout this all can only come from our good Lord. I will continue to pray for you and your family. I am amazed by you."
Updates in the Madison Brooks case
Police reported that Brooks was allegedly raped by four men she met at the pub sometime between her 11.38 pm text to her mother and the 3 am car crash that claimed her life. In connection with the alleged rape, Kaivon Washington, 18, Desmond Carter, 17, Casen Carver, 18, and Everett Lee, 28 have been arrested.
Grand juries have currently indicted Carter and Carver on charges of first and third-degree rape. Carter, who is 17, will face an adult trial. Washington and Lee, who have been arrested on suspicion of third-degree rape and principal to third-degree rape respectively, currently await indictment.
Washington had also been arrested in relation to two earlier rapes. The closure of Reggie's Bar and the indictments of two of the accused on more serious charges were only two of the small steps toward justice that Baustert called "moments to be thankful for," according to the Daily Mail.
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