Inside Tito Jackson’s life… brave battle to snare killer after ‘horrifying’ murder of wife & role Kim Kardashian played

HE was the silent member of the Jackson 5, who was often the butt of jokes about being forgettable.

However, for many insiders, Tito Jackson was the glue that kept the brothers together.

The 70-year-old icon died this weekend after suffering a severe heart attack while driving, according to reports.

Although he had huge success as part of the legendary group, Tito’s life was far from rosy.

He spent much of his life in the huge shadows of his younger siblings, Michael and Janet, and suffered several tragedies, including the devastating murder of his ex-wife at the hands of her new boyfriend, in 1994.

Tito and his kids refused to believe Dee Dee Martes’ death was not accidental and pushed for cops to launch a murder investigation in a case that saw a 14-year-old Kim Kardashian called to testify.

He was also heartbroken by the death of younger brother Michael, in 2009, and said he would “never get used” to performing without him.

Here, we look at how Tito overcame his childhood struggles and family tragedy to finally realise his solo dreams.

Brutal childhood

As a member of the Jackson 5, Tito was often relegated to the back while his brother Michael took centre stage to belt out hits such as I Want You Back and ABC.

Born in Gary, Indiana, Tito was the third child of Joe and Katherine Jackson. He started playing guitar at the age of 10. After his father caught him horsing around with one of his guitars, he decided to buy Tito his very own.

But life in the Jackson household was not always a happy one. Joe was a feared figure in the household who beat his kids and rarely showed any form of affection to his kids.

In an interview, Jermaine said: “None of us can remember him holding us or cuddling us or telling us ‘I love you'”.

Instead, Joe whipped them whenever they disobeyed his orders or put a foot wrong and it has also been claimed he made the young Michael Jackson stand on a hot stove with bare feet, to improve his dancing.

In the latter stages of his life, the patriarch admitted whipping his kids with belts and switches but insisted he never did so randomly.

He also said he never hit them with any hard objects and took umbrage with the word “beating”.

In a 2013 interview with Piers Morgan on CNN, Joe explained why he took such a hard stance with his kids.

“I had to be like that way because during those times, it was hard, and you have a lot of gangs there, you know, in the area where we were living,” he said.

“This was Gary, Indiana, and I had to make sure that they didn’t get in any type of trouble, and things of that sort.”

He added: “I’m glad I was tough, because look what I came out with. I came out with some kids that everybody loved all over the world. And they treated everybody right.”

When Joe, a failed blues artist, realised his kids had talent, he put them in a group and took them around Indiana to perform in talent shows.

Tito was the guitarist of the group and often contributed background vocals to their songs. He also danced alongside Michael, Jermaine, Jackie, and Marlon.

Initially, he was only played during live shows as they were not allowed to write or play instruments on their actual records.

Their big break came in 1968 when they signed with Motown Records and released a string of number-one hits. They became the first group in Billboard history to debut with four chart-toppers.

Michael’s star power

But as their success and popularity grew, it was clear who was the undeniable star – Michael.

He soon became the focal point of the group. The cameras lingered on him during performances while hoards of adoring fans screamed his name during their live shows and performances.

While Tito always maintained he was comfortable with his role in the group, it wasn’t long before he and his brothers became the brunt of jokes about being irrelevant.

In a 2018 interview, Tito sadly said: “One of my favourite basketball players, Charles Barkley, said, ‘If Tito wasn’t in the Jackson 5, would we miss him?’ That hit me in the heart. It crushed me.”

While the group became a global sensation, they were able to stay away from the sex, drugs, and rock and roll mantra that personified many of their contemporaries.

Tito credits their father, Joe, for this. In a 2021 he said: ” My father really was a tough man but he raised us in a way that we knew right from wrong, which kept us grounded.

“We like what we do and the show business part of it. But he always told us to remember it is a business and not a party.

“All the after parties stuff after the shows is where you can get in trouble by meeting the wrong girls, get around people that like to fight or mess with drugs.

“He understood all those things and reminded us; he had control over us as we were under age.”

One of my favourite basketball players, Charles Barkley, said, ‘If Tito wasn’t in the Jackson 5, would we miss him?’ That hit me in the heart. It crushed me.”

Tito Jackson

After millions sold as part of the group, Michael eventually went solo in 1971 and became one of the biggest superstars on the planet, leaving Tito and his brothers unsure about the group’s future.

While Jermaine also released a solo album, Tito was hesitant about launching a career on his own.

‘Coldest day’

The same year Michael started his solo career, Tito became the first of the brothers to marry when he tied the knot with Delores Martes, also known as Dee Dee. He was 18 at the time, while she was 17.

They met at Fairfax High School in Los Angeles. While he was shy and reserved, Dee Dee was outgoing and extroverted. Describing their first encounter, Tito said: “She had ran up to me and said ‘Happy birthday’ and gave me a kiss on the cheek.”

The couple eventually had three sons, TJ, Taryll, and Taj, who looked to replicate their family’s musical success by forming the R&B group 3T.

Tito later explained that having three young children was one of the biggest reasons he put off his dreams of releasing a solo project.

Although the rest of the Jacksons treated Dee Dee like a sister, their marriage did not last. They divorced in 1993. Months later, Dee Dee had a new boyfriend – businessman Donald Bohana. She was 39, while he was 59.

But on August 27 that year, Tito and his kids’ lives were turned upside down when they received the shocking news that Dee Dee had drowned in Bohana’s swimming pool.

Although their kids rushed to be at Dee Dee’s side, they could not say goodbye to her as she was pronounced dead before they reached the hospital.

In a 20/20 interview, TJ said: “I just had a sixth sense in my head, as if I knew already terrible and I knew already that my mother wasn’t with us. It was just a nightmare. It’s like a kid’s worst memory.”

Describing the moment he was informed, Tito said: “They [his sons] said, ‘Mom is dead’. It was just a sad moment, you know. It was just horrifying.”

Although cops ruled the death as accidental, Tito and his kids immediately sensed that something was off.

Explaining his rationale, Tito said: “My first question was, ‘Drown?’ What was she doing in the water? You know, ’cause Dee Dee and I, neither of us swam.”

He also pointed to further clues, such as “the bruises and the damage” on Dee Dee’s body, which indicated that there had been a struggle. Tito chillingly said: “It points to a murder to me, in the first degree.”

Taj was also baffled by the cause of death as he always knew about his mother’s life-long fear of swimming pools. He said: “That didn’t line up with anything that we believed in knowing our mum and knowing how much she feared the pool.”

My first question was, ‘Drown?’ What was she doing in the water? You know, ’cause Dee Dee and I, neither of us swam.”

Tito Jackson

Bohana, however, made his case to the press by saying Dee Dee was comfortable swimming in his pool. In an attempt to explain why she had bruises, he claimed it was due to his efforts to pull her out.

Tito and his kids never accepted the initial cause of death and campaigned tirelessly for cops to investigate the case further.

After it was reopened, Bohana was finally charged with second-degree murder in 1998 – five years after Dee Dee’s death.

Tito believed that Bohana killed her after she refused to help him financially. He said: “She was a Jackson and that’s what he knew.”

But there was no substantial proof to support his claim about that motive.

During the trial, prosecutors called 14-year-old Kim Kardashian a witness. At the time, she was dating Tito’s son TJ and was close to Dee Dee. Kim later spoke about how the trial impacted her.

She told Vogue Italia: “My boyfriend’s mother, whom I was really close with, was murdered in 1994, and I had to be part of that trial. I had to testify and was there every day with my boyfriend. I was just 14, you know. To have that experience at such a young age was insane.”

Eventually, Bohana was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 15 years to life in prison. After serving decades behind bars, Bohana still maintained his innocence.

He was denied parole on four occasions. At each hearing, Tito’s sons opposed his release, but they later changed their stance. They told authorities, “If you feel it’s time for him to get out, then let him out.”

Brother’s devastating death

Almost 16 years after Dee Dee’s death, Tito and the rest of his family were dealt a another tragic blow when his brother, Michael, died of cardiac arrest in Los Angeles at age 50.

The King of Pop died on June 25, 2009, just days before he was set to take to London’s O2 Arena for his comeback concert residency, This Is It.

In an interview with CNN, he recalled the moment he heard from his son that Michael had been rushed to the hospital and “was not breathing.”

He then got into his car and rushed to the hospital. He explained: “My sister Janet called me and she asked me if I was driving and I said I’m getting ready to get on the freeway.

“And she says, ‘No, pull over. Don’t get on the freeway.’ And right then I knew something was terribly wrong. I said, ‘Janet is he dead?’ She said, ‘He’s gone’.

“And I just melted right there and I didn’t know what to do. I pulled over in this parking lot and just cried for 15 minutes.”

He also recalled how Michael happily rehearsed for his comeback performances in Los Angeles’ Staple Centre.

In various interviews since Michael’s death, Tito has talked about his incredible legacy while defending him against claims of sexual abuse.

And right then I knew something was terribly wrong. I said, ‘Janet is he dead?’ She said, ‘He’s gone’. I pulled over in this parking lot and just cried for 15 minutes.”

Tito Jackson

In 2014, Tito, who still performed with some of his brothers, spoke about how Michael’s absence was still felt during their shows.

He said: ” I don’t think we will ever get used to performing without him. He’s dearly missed.”

He also mentioned that his spirit “is with us when we are performing. It gives us a lot of positive energy and puts a lot of smiles on our faces.”

Three days before Tito’s death, he posted a touching tribute to Michael from Munich, Germany, where he and his brothers had visited a memorial dedicated to him.

UK hopes

In 2017, Tito spoke about his love for the UK, particularly Wolverhampton. He even spoke about plans to move and looked up properties in Bridgnorth and Compton.

He also became a big fan of the city’s football team and was a special guest at one of their games. He was so keen on their matches that he kept their fixtures on a card in his wallet so he could keep up.

In an interview at the time, he said: “I’m planning to come to the UK for a while next year and spend some real time here. Wolverhampton is one of the places I really like.

“London is beautiful and has all of the elements I would like but it’s a little too busy. When I’m not working I need a place where I can settle down.”

He added: “The people here are so kind as well and that’s more important than anything. In my hometown on the outskirts of LA, a town called Calabasas, it can also be stressful like it is in London.

“And the people there are not quite as generous as here. I’m a quiet person and barely go out that much when I’m at home in LA or Las Vegas.”

Although the move to Wolverhampton did not quite pan out, Tito never forgot his love for the city. In 2022, he made a flying visit to visit his favourite curry restaurant Zooma and went on a shopping spree.

Gushing about his trip on Instagram, he wrote: “I just had to nip back to Wolverhampton on my day off, to see my friends at Zooma and The Mount and the England soccer game at Molineux. I’ll be there!”

While that last sentence may or may not have referenced the Jackson 5’s 1970 hit of the same name, it indeed characterises Tito’s legendary career – he was here, and he certainly made his mark.

In 2016, he became the last of his siblings to release a solo album, Tito Time. It featured songs with legendary rapper Big Daddy Kane and his son’s group 3T.

While the world remembers Tito for his immense contributions to pop music, the forgotten Jackson 5 member is finally getting the recognition that evaded him for decades.