The Donna Gentile Story

The Life and Murder of an Innocent Runaway

By: Anita DeFrancesco

Narrated by: Anita DeFrancesco

When Donna Marie Gentile escaped from a home for delinquent girls and made her way to San Diego she had big dreams.

She worked in security for a while and even dreamed of joining the police department. But things didn’t work out as she planned, and she found that the only way to survive was by turning to prostitution.

Donna allowed herself to be befriended by several police officers thinking that this would afford her some protection in her dangerous life on the streets. Instead she was harassed and ultimately victimized by some of the same police to whom she had turned for help. But Donna was a fighter.

Rather than taking the abuse, which included sexual harassment, she reported it to the San Diego Police Department.

She testified against two officers, one of whom lost his job on account of her testimony.

Her life became further complicated when the Internal Affairs Division exploited and coerced her into becoming a police corruption informant.

Donna was scared. She left a voice recording with her attorney beginning with the words, “In case I disappear,” and going on to state that “someone wearing a badge may turn out to be a serious criminal.”

This high profile story exploded in the media and was nationally televised. Artists unveiled a billboard with the logo NHI, “No Humans Involved,” bearing Donna’s picture and facing toward the SDPD headquarters. We believe her murder was a “cover-up,” perhaps of police incompetence, or perhaps of something much more sinister.

No one should be both a criminal and a victim!

Listen to the story behind Donna Marie Gentile’s murder as told by her first cousin, author, love relationship counselor, teacher and activist Anita DeFrancesco.

©2018 Anita DeFrancesco (P)2024 Anita DeFrancesco