JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It’s been a year since 27-year-old Jareesha Wilkerson vanished after a collision on the Mathews Bridge, leaving her family with lingering questions and heartache.

Wilkerson was reported missing following her involvement in a multi-car accident on the Mathews Bridge on December 8, 2024. Tragically, her body was discovered in the St. Johns River days later. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has since announced that the investigation is now concluded and the case is closed.

Following the discovery of her body, a police report indicated that the Medical Examiner ruled her death as an “accident,” citing “drowning” as the cause.

Sequoia McBurnie, Jareesha’s mother, expresses that despite the investigation reaching its conclusion, the heartache from her daughter’s loss remains as intense as ever.

“It’s just what happened on the bridge that night, one day I’m talking to her and the next day I get a phone call she’s missing,” McBurnie said.

It has been more than a year since McBurnie lost her oldest daughter — a loss she says has reshaped her life.

“It’s painful and I won’t wish it on my worst enemy,” she said.

According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, officers responded to a multi-vehicle crash on the Mathews Bridge that night and located Wilkerson’s vehicle parked at the top of the bridge. However, Wilkerson was not at the scene. Police say her phone was found inside the car, with the keys left in the ignition.

Investigators say officers spoke with drivers involved in the crash, but no one reported seeing Wilkerson walk away. A police report notes that one witness may have seen her go over the edge of the bridge. One week later, Wilkerson’s body was found in the St. Johns River.

For McBurnie, the grief has been constant.

“It’s been a struggle every day because, of course, that’s my oldest daughter that passed. I never expected her to pass, not in one million years, and so by the grace of God, he’s giving me the strength every day to wake up because it’s some days I have my good days and I have my bad days,” she said.

JSO has confirmed the case is closed, and the Medical Examiner’s Office determined she died of an accidental drowning, according to the incident report.

McBurnie says questions still linger.

“We have closure, the case is closed. But I mean, I always wonder in the back of my mind. What really happened up there?” she said.

McBurnie says if anyone has information related to her daughter’s death, she hopes they will come forward.

“As a mother, if someone knows anything related to her case, I encourage them to speak out because it’s hard, I mean, it’s been hard every single day,” she said.

More than anything, McBurnie says she wants her daughter to be remembered for who she was — not just how she died.

“It’s been a hard road and some people may not understand it but so you in my shoes then you will understand but all I ask is for prayers,” she said.