A Florida teenager was arrested and charged with murder after police said they literally found his name on evidence left with gruesome remains of the victim.
The Palm Bay Police Department said it responded on Saturday to a report of vultures surrounding a closed, abandoned suitcase in Palm Bay.
Jones allegedly confessed to the killing to his girlfriend and told her he wanted to kill sex offenders. He allegedly printed out a list of registered sex offenders nearby.
When police arrived at the location, they found a black suitcase in tall grass emitting a strong odor and containing human remains.
A second suitcase was found with additional remains, according to an affidavit.
Police said they immediately suspected a 19-year-old named Lucas Sander Jones of Indialantic because they found an Amazon package addressed to him in one of the suitcases. They also found other personal belongings.
Detectives said they learned Jones was associated with 28-year-old Colie Lee Daniel, who had been reported missing six days earlier by his mother.
Police obtained a search warrant and found Jones at his residence with his girlfriend. They observed that Jones had several injuries, including visibly healed wounds and bruises. He chose not to speak to police.
His girlfriend, however, told police she saw Jones trying to wake up Daniel as he was lying on Jones’ bed on Friday, March 20. She also said that Jones had her drive him out to locations in Palm Bay to discard of two gray totes from her Honda Accord.
Police said they found blood and a knife at the residence.
Jones was charged with several crimes and released on bond, but as the investigation progressed, police determined the evidence justified a murder charge, and he was arrested again. He was charged with second-degree murder, dangerous and depraved without premeditation.
Another affidavit said that Jones allegedly confessed to the killing to his girlfriend and told her he wanted to kill sex offenders. He allegedly printed out a list of registered sex offenders nearby.
RELATED: 14-year-old stabbed and murdered after going on a bike ride in Florida. Police arrest a ‘homeless drifter’ for the crime.
Booking records indicate he was initially arrested for felony abuse of a dead human body and tampering with evidence.
While officials are still trying to determine what his alleged motivation might have been, they said that they believe he had some of the victim’s blood on slides of a microscope. WKMG-TV theorized that he might have been inspired by the serial killer show “Dexter.”
A local official said they are trying to develop the rural area, and if they do, he expects more bodies will be found in the area.
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