Florida Sex Offender’s Body Found Stuffed In A Suitcase And Now A Teen Has Been Charged With Murder

A 19-year-old Florida man has been arrested aft authorities opportunity he killed, dismembered, and stuffed nan assemblage of a registered sex offender successful a suitcase and near it successful a distant area of Palm Bay.

Lucas Sander Jones, of Indialantic, is charged pinch nan execution of 28-year-old Colie Lee Daniel, who was reported missing connected March 22, according to an apprehension affidavit obtained by Fox13.

Daniel’s remains were discovered wrong nan suitcase that was abandoned successful an undeveloped 2,784-acre area known locally arsenic “The Compound.”

Authorities were initially drawn to nan area connected March 28 aft reports of vultures circling overhead. Officers spotted a partially unfastened suitcase and detected a beardown odor earlier discovering nan remains inside.

A 2nd suitcase recovered adjacent besides contained remains, on pinch individual belongings and an Amazon package addressed to Jones. Jones was arrested that aforesaid day.

An investigation revealed that surveillance footage captured Daniel arriving astatine Jones’ location astir 5:32 p.m. connected March 20. Daniel, who lived astir a mile away, was ne'er seen leaving Jones’ house.

Later that evening, Daniel’s parents arrived astatine nan location searching for him. Jones answered nan doorway but refused to fto them in.

When officers from nan Indialantic Police Department conducted a use check, Daniel was obscurity to beryllium found. Investigators noted Jones appeared disheveled, pinch reddish markings connected his arms and chest, puffiness nether his eyes, and visible bruising connected his enarthrosis and neck, according to nan apprehension affidavit.

According to nan affidavit, Jones’ woman told investigators that connected March 20, aft speaking pinch him by phone, she “sensed thing was wrong” and went to his location astatine his request, bringing cleaning supplies.

Jones’ woman besides told investigators that erstwhile she arrived, she was instructed “just to spell successful and not opportunity anything,” nan affidavit said. She described seeing achromatic spray overgarment connected nan walls and humor connected nan floor.

Shortly aft constabulary left, Jones was seen loading his girlfriend’s car pinch 2 ample retention totes and astatine slightest 1 achromatic suitcase. Surveillance footage showed nan aforesaid car leaving nan location astir 2:29 a.m. connected March 21. The conveyance was later tracked making 2 trips to and from The Compound, authorities said.

Detectives later wished Jones, who does not ain a car, had near during nan nighttime to dispose of an grounds container pinch chartless contents on adjacent train tracks, leaving his woman dormant inside.

During a travel to The Compound, Jones, who reportedly had Daniel’s phone, allegedly instructed his woman to move disconnected its location.

Jones reportedly confessed to her, saying, “I killed personification and trim him up,” earlier explaining he placed nan remains into 2 suitcases and 2 retention totes. She told constabulary Jones said he killed Daniel pinch a shot bat and dismembered nan assemblage utilizing a cleaver, saw, and knife.

He reportedly admitted to her that he killed Daniel because Daniel was a activity offender. She told investigators she did not cognize really nan 2 met, but said Jones had printed a database of activity offenders.

A week aft nan killing, she said Jones coached her connected what to show rule enforcement.

On March 31, a aesculapian examiner confirmed nan remains recovered successful nan suitcase belonged to Daniel.

His decease was ruled a homicide. However, nan nonstop origin remains undetermined owed to nan incomplete betterment of his body. Investigators noted he suffered aggregate blunt unit injuries to nan caput and extremities anterior to death.

Jones was taken into custody and now faces aggregate charges, including tampering pinch evidence, maltreatment of a dormant body, transporting quality remains successful an unauthorized container, and murder, vulnerable and depraved without premeditation.

He is presently being held astatine nan Brevard County Jail connected nary bail.