Man allegedly choked 81-year-old to death, drove from Florida to Georgia to bury him
03/17/2022 11:32 am PDT
POLK COUNTY, Fla. (TCD) -- A 30-year-old man was arrested last week after allegedly choking a missing 81-year-old man to death in Florida and driving to Georgia to bury him.
According to a press release from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, on Wednesday, March 9, the elderly victim was reported missing to the Auburndale Police Department. He had not been heard from since March 3. The person who filed the report allegedly said the suspect, David Jesse Williams, had been violent in the past.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, Williams was located by Georgia law enforcement at a residence in Hinesville, Georgia. When located, Williams was reportedly cleaning the inside of the victim’s truck. Authorities found blood inside the truck and on a shovel within the bed of the vehicle, the Sheriff’s Office says.
Williams was reportedly questioned and told authorities he "used a black rope to choke the victim to death in rural Polk County in the Polk City area."
According to the Sheriff’s Office, Williams placed the victim’s body in his truck and drove to Georgia to bury him. The victim’s body was recovered with a black rope around his neck from a shallow grave matching Williams’ description, the Sheriff’s Office says.
On Friday, March 11, Williams was reportedly arrested and charged with first-degree murder. He was taken into custody in Georgia.
In a statement, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said, "Partnerships with our fellow law enforcement agencies are vital to the safety of our communities. Auburndale police department officers did an outstanding job investigating the missing person case — their work led directly to the discovery of Williams as the man who killed our victim."
Judd added, "Georgia law enforcement did an outstanding job monitoring the suspect’s movements and finding key evidence in the case, including the location of our victim’s body. By combining our resources, we were able to take a violent criminal off the streets."
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