St. Augustine homicide shares connection with violent crash

Owner of home where body found killed in crash around corner Monday

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – A violent St. Augustine crash Monday night and a homicide discovered Tuesday at a nearby St. Johns County home share a connection, according to investigators.

A 55-year-old man killed Monday when a speeding motorcycle T-boned his car on State Road 207 owned a home around the corner from the crash where a man's body was found hours later, according to deputies.

Investigators with the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office initially said they suspect foul play in the shooting death of James Henry Weaver, 56, and confirmed Wednesday that his death had been ruled a homicide by the medical examiner. Deputies said he was shot in the chest.

Investigators said Weaver moved into the home a short time ago with 55-year-old Steven Canard and that Canard is the same man who was killed in a double fatality crash Monday night on State Road 207 at Hastings Road, around the corner from the home where Weaver's body was found.

Deputies were called to the home on Los Robles Avenue to conduct a welfare check after a friend of Weaver said she was unable to reach him and he wouldn't come to the door at the home he shared with an acquaintance.

They found Weaver dead from a gunshot wound but said no gun was found at the home.

“It's tragic. You're scared to leave your own home,” said a neighbor who asked to be identified only as Tina. “Feeling like you're trapped in your house is not a good thing. It's scary.”

Authorities have not said whether Canard is connected to his roommate's homicide, but they confirmed they will be checking Canard's car for possible evidence.

“We now have an interest in at least one of those vehicles with Mr. Canard to see if there is any connection between the two cases,” Cmdr. Chuck Mulligan said. “We don't have those connections yet, but there are some likelihoods that we want to explore.”

Canard had been charged with grand theft for passing bad checks in 2016. The charges were changed to schemes to defraud but the case was dismissed Wednesday because of his death.

Canard's aunt told News4Jax on Tuesday that he was a kind man and let a man live with him because he needed help. She said Canard had never mentioned anything about violence or crimes at the home.


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