Two homicide victims on way to work ‘crossed paths with evil,’ Florida sheriff says
A person of interest described as “evil” has been linked to two homicide victims left on a rural Florida road, and the motive appears to be “anger,” according to the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office.
The identity of the person of interest has not been released, and the sheriff’s office has not made an arrest, according to a Friday, Aug. 12, news release.
Investigators say the victims, a man and woman, who were found shot to death around 6:30 a.m. on July 9 in the Live Oak area, 85 miles west of Jacksonville. Their identities have not been released.
“The motive so far appears to be fueled by anger, and the victims were specifically targeted,” the sheriff’s office reports.
“Contrary to rumor and speculation on several online forums, the victims were not drug dealers or users; they were simply two hard-working professionals heading to work who crossed paths with evil.”
The crime scene was a car found near the intersection of 40th Path and 167th Road, officials say. The intersection is in a rural area largely surrounded by farms, maps show.
Deputies responding to a 911 call found a male with a gunshot wound “on the ground outside of the open driver’s door.”
“In the front passenger seat, a female was also found shot and deceased,” the sheriff’s office says.
Multiple agencies are working to “identify, apprehend, and prosecute anyone involved in this horrific crime, whether they participated in the planning, execution, or cover-up,” the sheriff’s office said.
“Physical evidence has been collected and is being forensically processed by the (Florida Department of Law Enforcement) Crime Labs in Tallahassee and Jacksonville,” officials said.
“Electronic evidence, including GPS data, phone, and internet records, is still being collected, sorted, and analyzed. ... Processes take time to be done correctly and, most importantly, legally.”
This story was originally published August 12, 2022 at 1:03 PM with the headline "Two homicide victims on way to work ‘crossed paths with evil,’ Florida sheriff says."