JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The husband of a woman found dead early Thursday morning in their Westside home said he was at work when she was killed.
Jacksonville police said a woman was killed around midnight in her home on Beaverbrook Place, off McDuff Avenue. Michael Blakely identified the woman as his wife, 54-year-old Shirley Blakely.
“One minute you go to work, see your wife, kiss her goodbye, and...” Michael Blakely said.
He said Shirley Blakely leaves behind a son and daughter, four grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
The couple had been together 30 years and were married for 20, Michael Blakely said. He said his beloved wife, who he'd known since she was 18 years old, was a “loving, church-going lady who stayed to herself and didn’t bother anybody.”
Neighbors had similar descriptions of the victim, saying she would pray with family members and neighbors.
"My heart reaches out to them. I'm sorry for their loss," Richard Jones said. "What’s on my mind now Is, who did it? Is the person that did, is he still on the loose? I never heard of any problem with the people down there."
A homicide detective said that officers found Shirley Blakely with multiple injuries to her body. They would not say if she had been shot.
Investigators are still trying to figure out what led up to the incident, but News4Jax has learned police were called to the house Sunday after shots were fired into the home.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office at 904-630-0500. Call Crimestoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS if you would like to remain anonymous.