Bob Marley never lost a son. He lost a grandson. Joseph “Jo Mersa” Marley — the eldest son of Stephen Marley and a reggae artist building his own name — was found unresponsive inside his car in a Miami-Dade parking lot on the night of December 26, 2022. He was 31 years old.
Bob Marley’s seven sons — Ziggy, Stephen, Rohan, Ky-mani, Julian, Damian, and Robbie — are all alive. The widespread confusion stems from how Jo Mersa’s death was reported across social media, where “Bob Marley’s son” circulated faster than the correction ever did. The man who died was his grandson, and this is what actually happened.
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Found Unresponsive in a Miami Parking Lot
On Christmas Day 2022, Jo Mersa called his mother, Kerry-Ann Smith, and told her he was feeling unwell. She later confirmed to the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office that his complaint appeared linked to his asthma. That call was the last conversation she had with her son.
The following evening, at around 10 PM on December 26, officers from the Pinecrest Police Department responded to a call at a shopping center on 11825 South Dixie Highway in Miami-Dade County. Jo Mersa was found unconscious inside his parked vehicle. Paramedics performed CPR at the scene. He was officially pronounced dead on December 27, 2022.
Police found no signs of foul play and the Miami-Dade coroner opened an examination to determine the cause of death.
The Official Cause: An Asthma Attack, and Medications He Had Stopped Taking
For months, the exact cause remained unconfirmed. In July 2023, nearly seven months after his death, the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office released its findings through official documents obtained by E! News.
| Finding | Detail |
|---|---|
| Primary Cause of Death | Acute asthma exacerbation |
| Contributing Factor | Rhinovirus / enterovirus infection |
| Manner of Death | Natural |
The report revealed a fuller picture:
- Jo Mersa had a documented medical history of asthma, bronchitis, and pneumonia
- He had not been taking his asthma medications at the time of his death
- His lungs showed congestion, hyperexpansion, and increased mucus in the airways
- There were no signs of physical injury on his body
The examiner’s report also noted that Jo Mersa had told his mother on Christmas Day that he felt ill — the same complaint consistent with his asthma condition. That detail appeared in the official documentation, adding weight to what his family already knew.
Who Was Jo Mersa Marley
Joseph “Jo Mersa” Marley was born on March 12, 1991, in Kingston, Jamaica — the first child of Stephen Marley and Kerry-Ann Smith. His mother is the younger sister of Dancehall Queen Carlene Smith, so the musical lineage on both sides ran deep.
His nickname came from Jamaican football legend Alan “Skill” Cole, a close friend of Bob Marley. Cole watched young Joseph play and said his determined, relentless style reminded him of British boxer Joe Mercer. The name became Jo Mersa and stayed with him for the rest of his life.
He was on stage with his father and the Melody Makers by the time he was four years old, chanting the group’s biggest songs to sold-out audiences. At 11, he moved to Miami, attended Miami Palmetto Senior High School, and later studied studio engineering at Miami Dade College. He wrote his first song at 14. At 19, it became his debut single.
Key points in his musical career:
- 2010 — Released debut single “My Girl”, written at 14, featuring his cousin Daniel Bambaata Marley
- 2014 — Debut EP “Comfortable” on Ghetto Youths International topped the Billboard Reggae Album chart
- 2015 — Contributed to Morgan Heritage’s Strictly Roots, which won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album
- 2021 — Sophomore EP “Eternal” released, featuring Busy Signal, Kabaka Pyramid, and Black-Am-I; named one of Dancehall Magazine’s top 21 albums of the year
He was not riding a famous surname. Dancehall Magazine said Eternal revealed him as “a lyric spitting melody-making contender in reggae music.” In his own words to Rolling Stone: “I am one of the new generation of Marleys, but I am still experimenting at the same time. My plan is to do something new with my roots.”
He never got to finish that plan.
Family Statements and a Father’s Silence
Ghetto Youths International, the label co-founded by Stephen and Ziggy Marley, spoke first:
“Joseph ‘Jo Mersa’ Marley was a strong, humble, talented, beautiful human being. A son, husband, father, brother, nephew and cousin and a well loved Young Lion… Jo’s memory, spirit and his music will live on as a testament to his great impact in his short 31 years.”
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness wrote on social media: “This is truly sad news; sending strength to the Marley family at this time.”
Collaborator and close friend Kabaka Pyramid said Jo Mersa’s death left him unable to comprehend the loss: “My brother, your duties will continue in the higher realms.”
Stephen Marley issued no public statement in the days that followed. Two months later, performing in Ashland, Oregon on his Old Soul Tour, he broke down on stage mid-set while a video tribute of his son’s life played on screen behind him. People in the audience were brought to tears.
Jo Mersa left behind his wife Qiara, their daughter Sunshine Marley — who was six years old when her father died — and 12 siblings from Stephen Marley’s extended family.
Buried Beside Bob Marley
The thanksgiving service was held at the Bob Marley Museum on Hope Road, Kingston. The funeral procession made a deliberate stop in Trench Town — the Kingston community where Bob Marley was raised and where reggae music first took shape — before heading east to Nine Mile, St. Ann.
Jo Mersa was buried there, in the same ground as his grandfather.
Three Years On: A Legacy Fund and a Daughter on Stage
The Marley family has held annual birthday tribute concerts at the Bob Marley Museum since his death. Each one draws larger crowds.
On March 12, 2026 — what would have been his 35th birthday — Stephen Marley officially launched the Jo Mersa Marley Legacy Fund through the Ghetto Youths Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit founded in 2007 by Stephen, Damian, and Julian Marley. The fund is dedicated to giving young people access to music, culture, wellness, and education.
Three days later, on March 15, the family gathered at the Bob Marley Museum for a two-and-a-half-hour tribute concert. More than half the crowd came from overseas.
Kerry-Ann Smith, Jo Mersa’s mother, addressed the audience that night:
“Jo was our first son. He was an amazing son. I loved him so much. It was an honour for me to be his mother, and as a mother, you have no idea the pain of the loss of a child, especially someone so honourable.”
His brothers Yohan, Hymn, and Mystic performed. Damian’s son Elijah joined the stage. Jesse Royal, Queen Ifrica, Richie Spice, and Romain Virgo all came out. Then Jo Mersa’s daughter Sunshine — now ten years old — walked on stage and performed “Sunshine”, the song her father wrote in 2014, before she was born.
Stephen Marley watched from the side of the stage. When he stepped back to the microphone, he told the crowd: “Music heals.”
Jo Mersa Marley died at 31 from an asthma attack he might have survived if he had stayed on his medication. Bob Marley’s sons are alive. It was the grandson who was gone too soon — buried beside the legend whose name he carried, while his own daughter grows up learning the words to songs he left behind.
Sources: Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office (via E! News), Rolling Stone, CNN, Associated Press, Jamaica Gleaner, Jamaica Observer, Jamaica Star, DancehallMag, Reggaeville, Rootfire
