JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 21-year-old Jacksonville man has been arrested in the killing of a 38-year-old Fernandina Beach woman in May.
Joshua Whitfield is charged with murder in the death of Kimberly Davis. Davis' body was found May 8 in a detached garage at a home in the 1500 block of West 7th Street in the Durkeeville area.
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Davis died by asphyxiation, according to a police report.
Police said the day after Davis' death, they were called to a home on Grothe Street, where Davis' purse and cellphone were. Witnesses told police that Whitfield went to the home with the items and was on the street trying to sell the phone but left the purse at the home.
Two acquaintances of Whitfield's said he confessed to strangling Davis and gave details about how he killed her, according to the police report. Acquaintances also told police it seemed suspicious that Whitfield shaved his head after Davis' body was found, according to the report. They had always known him to have dreadlocks.
Whitfield was reported as missing in June by his family.
In July, police received information from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement that DNA recovered from Davis' body matched DNA recovered from clothing collected during a search warrant at the Grothe Street home.
On Monday, Whitfield was found and arrested in St. Johns County by U.S. Marshals. Investigators said he denied touching or having sexual contact with Davis.
Whitfield was booked into the St. Johns County jail and on Wednesday was transported to Duval County.