JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A jealous boyfriend shot a man in the head last November on the same day the victim was released from jail, Jacksonville Sheriff's Office investigators said.
Justin Sowers, 31, is accused of shooting his girlfriend's ex-boyfriend in November because he did not like their relationship, police announced Tuesday.
Officers said Christopher Vandewater, 28 of Ponte Vedra Beach, was with a friend stopped at the intersection of San Pablo Road and William Davis Parkway just before 11 p.m. Nov. 15 when a car pulled up alongside their truck and someone in that car fired several shots.
Vandewater's friend drove him to Mayo Clinic, where he died of a gunshot wound to the head.
Police later charged Sowers with murder and attempted murder. They said Sowers, who was in jail on unrelated charges, bragged to other inmates about killing Vandewater.
News4Jax crime and safety analyst Gil Smith said that's not unusual.
“Sometimes you can have an inmate in there just talking about a crime they committed, and another inmate may call JSO and say, 'Hey, another person just told me this,' and they may work out some type of deal in return for providing that type of information,” Smith said.
Detectives would not confirm if such a deal was reached with the informant.
Sowers and Michelle Massey, the mother of Vandewater's 5-year-old daughter, were arrested April 4 on drug charges after SWAT members and narcotics detectives served a search warrant at their home and found a large amount of cocaine, heroin and pills, police said. A 9mm Beretta handgun was also found, along with cash, police said.
"While incarcerated, Sowers was bragging to other inmates that he killed Vandewater," Lt. Steve Gallaher said. "Detectives learned this information and last night obtained a sworn statement and charged Justin Sowers with murder and one count of attempted murder."
Vandewater was killed the same day he was released from jail after serving nearly eight months for a 2012 conviction for conspiracy to traffic in marijuana, official records show.
After his release, Vandewater called Massey and asked to see his daughter, police said.
They agreed to meet at the home of Massey's mother and after spending the day with his family, Vandewater and a 28-year-old friend returned the girl to her grandmother's home, police said.
As Vandewater and the friend were driving home headed south on San Pablo Road, a car pulled up along the driver's side of their truck and someone fired two shots. The shot aimed at the driver was stopped by the driver's door, police said.
Vandewater was hit in the head by the other shot, killing him, police said.
"After we had left, we had gone about a half mile, we got to the light and a car pulled up right next to us and started opening fire into my vehicle," said the friend, who News4Jax is not naming because he is a witness.
Sowers was quickly identified as a person of interest in the shooting. Police said Sowers, who was living with Massey, had made it known that he did not approve of the relationship Massey had with Vandewater.
The person driving Sowers that night has not been found, police said.
After the shooting in November, Vandewater's friend who was driving the truck was charged with possession of marijuana and carrying a concealed handgun without a permit.