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A 24-year-old cheerleading coach from Jasper, Texas, Rosalin Lewis was found dead in her apartment by the police on November 18, 2023. The New York Post reported that the cause of Rosalin's death was ruled a blunt force trauma and her 23-year-old boyfriend William Christian Thomas was arrested for her death.
Rosalin Lewis was a beloved cheerleading coach who had three children aged five, three, and two. People Magazine reported that she and her mother Schwanda Scott had founded a local dance group called the Stunning Stars Cheer and Dance when Rosalin was in her senior year of high school.
William Christian remains in custody at the Jasper County Jail, with his bond set at $1 million.
Texas cheerleading coach died of blunt-force trauma
According to KETK, on November 18, 2023, at around 4 am local time, the Jasper Police Department responded to the Myrtis Village apartments in Jasper where they found the body of Rosalin Lewis. As mentioned earlier, the Jasper Police said that the cause of the 24-year-old's death was blunt force trauma.
An obituary on KJAS mentioned that Rosalin Lewis was a native and resident of Jasper, Texas. It also mentioned the names and ages of her three children and noted that her family had started a GoFundMe campaign to take care of her funeral costs.
A funeral service was held on November 25, 2023, at 2 pm at the Faith Temple Church in Jasper, Texas. This was followed by the interment at the Greenwood Cemetery in the Oakhill community of Jasper under the direction of Coleman's Mortuary.
The incident reportedly took place only weeks after Rosalin Lewis and her boyfriend William Christian Thomas celebrated their one-year anniversary. At the time, Thomas had shared a celebratory video of the two of them embracing, with the caption "my world."
According to the International Business Times, a few days prior to her death, Rosalin promoted a fundraising event on social media for Stunning Stars Cheer & Dance.
GoFundMe fundraiser launched for Texas cheerleading coach
As mentioned earlier, a GoFundMe has been set up by Rosalin Lewis' mother for her funeral costs and to take care of her children. In the post for the fundraiser, Rosalin's mother said that her life was "taken away from her family" by the "malicious act of someone she trusted and once loved."
The post mentioned that Rosalin's lifelong dream was to become a Veterinary Tech while continuing to lead and coach Stunning Stars to the State Championship.
Rosalin Lewis, who was affectionately called "RoRo" or "Coach Ro" was the coach for Jasper Youth Cheer and offered private cheer lessons. The GoFundMe post added that her impact was incredible on the community and every girl she had coached became a cheerleader for Jasper High School.
"Rosalin will truly be missed and her legacy will live on forever with the love and memories from her children, family, team, friends and the Jasper community," the post noted.
The fundraiser campaign has a goal of $25,000 and has raised about $2,800 so far with more than 35 donations. The investigation into the case remains active and ongoing.
