JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Residents in Northwest Jacksonville are concerned after the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office announced that the disappearance of a 58-year-old man is being investigated as a possible murder.
On Monday, several crime units were still at Jerome Johnson's home on West 22nd Street in Northwest Jacksonville after his landlord called police Saturday morning.
The landlord said she was attempting to collect rent from Johnson and made several attempts to contact him before going inside his home.
Once inside, she went into his room and told police she noticed some things that made her uneasy. After contacting the Sheriff's Office, police made discoveries that lead them to believe something bad happened inside that home.
"There's some blood inside (the home)," said Homicide Sgt. Jay Farhat. "It's enough to where homicide responded and were conducting an investigation as if it were a murder. We're not saying that it is (a murder). We just don't know."
Neighbors told News4Jax they are worried about Johnson's safety.
"For it to happen right across the street from me, you know," said Rene Kelsey, who lives right across the street from Johnson. "I don't see much of the neighbors most of the time I'm in the house."
Kelsey said she didn't know Johnson because she keeps to herself, but has burglar bars up on her home for security.
Farhat and his investigative team have been at Johnson's home collecting evidence and looking for clues to where he is and what happened to him.
He told News4Jax there have been no leads in the case. He also said there was no forced entry and nothing was taken from the home.
One of Johnson's neighbors, who asked to remain anonymous, told News4Jax that the neighborhood has been a problem for a while.
"I'm not really surprised. There's too much going on in this neighborhood. I've been out here for six years now. There's a lot of drugs, walkers at night and it's terrible," she said.
The woman said she gets scared living in this neighborhood sometimes so she's made sure to secure her home.
"I have burglary bars and alarm system and cameras."
Johnson is described as 6 feet 2 inches tall weighing about 215 pounds. He's believed to have last been wearing jeans and a light colored striped blue shirt.
Anyone who has seen or heard from Johnson is asked to call police at 904-630-0500.