In 1997 social media was born. It’s a tool that enabled users to upload a profile and become friends with other users. The sites evolved to blogging, and then they put the ‘P’, in the word ‘Popularity.’ The most well-received people started building their platforms consisting of millions of social media friends. Not including celebrities, people known as Instagram models, and social media influencers amassed millions of followers. They quickly acquired the knowledge in regards to monetizing their popularity. The influencers and models learned how to reap the benefits of being well known in the world of social media. Much like a coin, being popular on social media has two sides. It has the good side due to the potential earning power, and it has a bad side in regards to the fact you have to interact with a lot of people that you don’t know personally, a lack of privacy, criticism from those who follow you, and the possibility of receiving unwanted attention from admirers.
Jenae Gagnier was a well-known Instagram model. She identified to the IG handle Miss Mercedes Morr. Her beauty and business savvy helped her transition to a social media star.
At approximately 4:30 pm on August 29th, the 33-year-old model was found dead in her Texas apartment. According to the Fort Bend County Medical Examiner’s Office, Gagnier died of strangulation and traumatic concussion. A man’s body was also on the scene. The male would later be identified as 34-year-old Kevin Alexander Accorto. He died from multiple blunt force trauma with a pointed object. Police are considering this to be a case of murder-suicide. Members of Gagnier’s family have confirmed the fact that she didn’t know Accorto. As the story unfolds it appears that Accorto was a stalker or an obsessed fan.
Mark Gagnier knew something was wrong when his daughter wasn’t answering his calls. As he entered his daughter’s apartment on Sunday he saw Jenae Gagnier’s dead body at the bottom of the staircase. He admitted to feeling sad, but emotions switched as anger took over when he noticed Accorto upstairs. Accorto stabbed himself in the neck with a knife. “He was twitching, he was gurgling, I could look in the room and there were writings all over the wall,” Mark Gagnier stated.
The rambling notes on the wall were confessions, professed love, and apologies. Penned on the wall were notes such as ‘I was used,’ ‘I should have stayed in Florida,’ and ‘Sorry to the landlord.’
The parents of Jenae Gagnier decided to come forth and give an accurate account of the tragic events due to the rumors swirling around social media. They wanted to shut down the rumors of their daughter dying from COVID or HIV. They courageously came out to defend and to give proper representation to their daughter’s memory. “That was our baby. As many people in Houston knew her and loved her she was as sweet with them as she was with us. She took care of people. She was just a sweetheart. And my baby is gone from a tragic event that didn’t have to happen,” Jenae’s mother Jeaneta Grover stated.
Since Jenae Gagnier’s passing celebrity peers such as Cardi B, Jhonni Blaze, Tory Lanez, Bow Wow, and Soulja Boy continue to post their condolences.
Social media could be analyzed as being a gift and a curse. It’s not definite, but it could be the link to the development of this tragic situation. Jenae Gagnier was beautiful, had a great sense of humor, and was a kind-hearted person. As of now the evidence, in this case, is pointing to murder-suicide. Since they didn’t personally know each other it’s very possible that social media is the connector to this heartbreaking loss.
