2 charged in St. Johns County homicide

54-year-old's body found in burning truck last month

Booking photos of Justin Boyles and Charles Massey

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Arrests warrants were obtained on two Palm Coast men Wednesday night on charges of first-degree murder and kidnapping of another man last month.

Justin Boyles, 24, and Charles Massey, 38, were being held on other charges stemming from information obtained during this investigation.

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St. Johns County deputies said they killed 54-year-old Edward Mullener (pictured, below), of Palm Coast on June 13.

Mullener's remains were found in the trunk of his older model Cadillac that was discovered on a logging road in the early morning hours in Flagler Estates on June 14. The vehicle and body were destroyed by fire.

Edward Mullener

Based on the examination of the remains by the Medical Examiner, the cause of death was "homicidal violence by undetermined means" and the manner of death was "homicide."

Reid Massucci is holding onto memories of his friend Mullener.

"Me and Scott were best friends. We used to drink together every night, party every night," Massucci said. "Every night he'd get off work he'd come over here or we'd go down to his house and drink."

Deputies said this story of torture and killing started at the home Massucci shared with Antionette Heart, the woman investigators say was involved in a love triangle with Mullener and Boyles.

"She would ask Scott for anything and he would go out of his way to buy it from her," Massucci said. "And to me, that's using people."

Deputies said that on June 13, Mullener went to their home and he and Heart got into an argument. Heart told investigators Mullener wouldn't leave when she asked, so she called Boyles.

"She was playing one against the other, and one couldn't take the other one," Massucci said.

Boyles arrived just minutes later with his friend and roommate Massey. Investigators said they began brutally beating Mullener, even burning his skin with cigarettes and pouring beer in his mouth. From there, deputies say Mulliner was put in his own car, where Boyles drove it to an area near Flagler Estates and set it on fire.

"Right now we believe he was probably still alive when he was transported in that vehicle back to St. Johns County and was either burned while he still alive or he may have died on the way," St. Johns County Sheriff David Shoar said.

He said with information from witnesses and help from the Flagler County Sheriff's Office, investigators were able to focus in on Boyles and Massey, who were already in jail in connection with other crimes, which gave them time to build their case.

"There's a lot of very, very happy people in the Hammock," Shoar said. "Apparently these people, all of which have extensive criminal histories, violent histories, apparently they have in some form or fashion have literally terrorized this community over the past several years."

The suspects remain in jail without bail.

Deputies said the investigation continues into other people who may have been connected to this killing.

Boyles and Massey both have lengthy arrest records, including for violent crimes.

Mullener had numerous traffic citations, which, in fact, are what sent him to prison. A 2004 citation in Hillsborough County got him placed on probation, and he violated probation and was sentenced to six months in prison.

He was arrested three times in Flagler County, including a 1994 misdemeanor arrest for obstructing an officer, a 1997 arrest for resisting an officer and refusing to sign a ticket, and a 2009 arrest for domestic battery, which was dropped.