And she did—with the help of her young niece, Belinda, 63, created two fake MySpace accounts, which she used to connect with (and really, fake-flirt with) members of the local gang 5150. Then, she planned to kill them. Though the doc doesn’t leave much unanswered (although we still want to better understand the extent of William “Jokes” Sotelo’s role in Crystal’s murder), there’s still so much to unpack about Crystal’s mother (and the rest of the Theobald family) even after the film ends. Belinda drove to their houses, wrote down their addresses, took pictures of their license plates, and left voodoo dolls and Santeria curses in their yards. She called ICE and tried to get them deported and even riled up the feathers of other local gangs in an attempt to incite fights between the two. “Belinda was just kind of psycho, you know?” her friend says in the doc. “In her own little world and [I] loved her to death, you know, but she can be crazy.” We also know that Belinda had a decorated history of substance abuse and even admitted that the last time she used meth was on the day of her daughter’s murder. But now that she’s sober and the culprits behind Crystal’s attack are behind bars, where is Belinda today? Here’s everything we know about Belinda Lane, from what she’s doing now in 2021 to her history of drug abuse, violence and jail time.
Where is Crystal Theobald’s mom Belinda Lane now?
Perhaps one of the most striking moments of the documentary is when Belinda admits that she made and almost carried out a plan to kill certain members of 5150—Jokes included. It wasn’t until the day before her plan was to happen that she changed her mind and confronted Jokes on MySpace, writing, “Why did you kill me? This is Crystal Theobald. I’m the girl you murdered.” After more than a decade of seeking justice on behalf of her daughter, Belinda’s investigative work on social media ultimately led to two big arrests in Crystal’s case. Julio “Lil Huero” Heredia—the gunman who shot and killed Crystal—was convicted of first-degree murder in 2011 and sentenced to life, plus 138 years on related charges. Heredia is serving time at the California State Prison Sacramento in Represa, California. After hiding out in Mexico for 10 years, “Jokes” Sotelo, the driver of Heredia’s vehicle, was apprehended and charged with voluntary manslaughter as well as gang and firearms charges. Authorities have given Belinda credit for solving this murder. “She was very instrumental, working on social media to help us identify where he might be,” Riverside Police Lt. Christian Dinco told The Washington Post in 2016, after Jokes’ arrest. “She provided important information that helped lead us to the capture of Sotelo…Without her help, he would likely still be outstanding right now.” As recently as January 2020, Belinda was still carrying out her final promise to her daughter, her vow that she wouldn’t rest until the men responsible were caught. On January 23, 2020 Jokes was charged with voluntary manslaughter, and gang and firearms-related charges as the result of a plea deal. At his sentencing, Belinda was present and even made an impact statement in which she addressed Jokes as “a coward,” “monster,” and “punk” and criticized his family members for helping to conceal him, according to reports.
Is Belinda Lane still on MySpace?
The two fake MySpace accounts that Belinda and her niece Jaimie made were instrumental in gathering information that ultimately helped solve Crystal’s murder and put her killers behind bars. But is Belinda still on MySpace today? It’s not likely, though we can’t say for sure. However, since it seems she did what she set out to do on the platform, there would be no reason for her to stay on MySpace. The social media platform is pretty much defunct (it still exists, but is mostly used for music now) and many users have moved onto more contemporary platforms like Instagram, TikTok and Facebook. Speaking of Facebook, Belinda is on there; her account is totally private, with not much public information shown at all besides a Photoshopped picture of Crystal superimposed against the sky like an angel. Belinda also appears to be very active on a Facebook Group that she created “Unsolved Murders in Riverside (sic).” The bio of the group reads, “In loving Memory of Crystal Theobald” and says it seeks to bring “awareness to Riverside Ca. for homicide victims seeking justice.” Belinda and other families affected by unsolved murders in the Riverside area of California use the FB Group as a resource to share information and spread the word. Belinda often shares articles about her daughter’s case and most recently, shared information about the documentary. She also shared in the FB Group that her brother, Kendall Lane, died of homicide in 2008. She wrote, “Kendall Lane is another unsolved murder from San Bernardino, he is my brother, a good man loved and cherished his children to the fullest.” She suggests it was a gang-related murder and that her brother was an “innocent bystander.” “This happened October 9, 2008, he died October 10, 2008. If anyone knows about this…I pray justice one day happens for Kendall Lane,” Belinda added. In another post, she revealed she believes his wife had something to do with it.
What about Crystal Theobald’s brothers?
Crystal’s other family members also appear to be on Facebook as well. Justin Theobald, Crystal’s brother who was driving the vehicle the night Crystal was shot, can be found on Facebook where he sometimes professes his love for his late sister.
What happened to Crystal Theobald’s cousin Jaimie?
Again, it’s hard to tell if Crystal’s cousin Jaimie is still catfishing people on MySpace (though we doubt it). However, we can say for certain that, like her other family members, Jaimie is definitely on Facebook, and according to her bio, she is a full-time mother and student. She has an Instagram account, too (which is also private).
Why was Belinda Lane arrested?
It’s no secret that before Belinda went on a decade-long mission to seek justice (and arguably at points, revenge) for her daughter’s murder, the mom of four had a bit of a shady past. Belinda admits in the documentary that not only was she high on meth when she witnessed her daughter’s murder, but that she had struggled with drug addiction for years and also sold drugs. So, was she ever arrested? In the doc, Belinda Lane admits that she went to prison for selling drugs. “I sold a lot. I did a lot of damage out there, all of Riverside,” she says. “I did. I put a lot of drugs on the street. A lot.” According to the arrest records shown in the doc, she was charged multiple times for possession of a controlled substance between 1998 and 2000. Belinda Lane also had several other charges in 2000 relating to stolen property, vehicle theft/taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent, and lack of registration and no proof of financial responsibility. Belinda isn’t the only Theobald family member with a record. Her sons Robert “Robbie” Lane and Justin Theobald also had multiple run-ins with the law over the years. According to what’s shown in the documentary, Robert was charged with purchase or receipt of a stolen vehicle, false ID to a peace officer, taking a vehicle without an owner’s consent, and unlicensed operator in 2000 as well as some robbery, stolen property and assault charges; Justin was charged with possession of controlled substances, burglary, carrying a concealed firearm, theft and more. Craving more true crime? Read up on the mysterious death of Elisa Lam.
