JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The 40-year-old son of a woman who was killed Tuesday morning at her home on Heckscher Drive has been charged with murder.
Jason Wood appeared before a judge Wednesday morning on charges of aggravated domestic battery with a deadly weapon. After a coroner’s report, a new charge of second-degree murder was added.
Police have not identified the victim in the case, but property records show 71-year-old Barbara Wood owned the Heckscher Drive home and her son, Jason Wood, lived with her.
Wednesday morning, a family friend confirmed to News4Jax that Barbara Wood was killed. She said the mother and grandmother was kind, fun-loving and sweet.
The attack
Homicide Sgt. Doug Molina said police responded at 9:41 a.m. Tuesday to a report of an attack in progress at the riverfront home east of Interstate 295, across from Blount Island. Someone involved in the fight called 911.
According to a police report, another resident of the home overheard Jason and Barbara Wood in the living room arguing about money before the argument turned violent.
Molina said one man detained at the home after the attack was considered a person of interest but wouldn’t say more. Court records show Jason Wood was booked into the Duval County jail at 7:17 p.m. Tuesday.
He was ordered held on $500,000 bond at his Wednesday court appearance, and he’s expected to be back in court Thursday morning to face the added murder charge.
Wood’s arrest report shows he has a history of mental health issues, including schizophrenia. Neighbors said Jason Wood would sometimes not take his medication.
A second woman who police said was injured in Tuesday’s attack at the riverfront home was hospitalized. A family friend said the woman, who was treated and released from the hospital, was Barbara Wood’s granddaughter, who was in her early 20s.
Molina said a weapon was used in the attack on the two women but couldn’t say what it was. The family friend told News4Jax that Jason Wood beat his niece with a baseball bat until she ran to a nearby fish camp for help.
Jason Wood’s arrest warrant stated it was a metal bat that was used in the attack on Barbara Wood, as well as the 71-year-old’s wooden walking cane. According to the warrant, a bloody bat was found in the pantry, and a broken cane was found on the floor next to Barbara Wood’s body.
Neighbors said someone spotted Jason Wood walking along the road with a gun before the attack.
Police records show officers were called to the house two other times in the last five years. News4Jax could find no previous arrest history for Wood.
Neighbors mourn
When Art Jennette drove by his friends’ home on Heckscher Drive and saw police tape, he knew something horrible had happened.
“I’m so sad to see any of this. They’ve been dear, dear friends," Jennette said.
Property records show Barbara Wood has owned the home since 1979. The neighborhood knew her well.
“The first thing I’m going to do is put the family on our prayer list,” Jennette said. “How does something like this happen to such a good family?”
Neighbors and friends said Barbara Wood’s husband died in 2018 on the same property. They said it was believed he fell and hit his head on a rock. There did not appear to be a homicide investigation conducted after his death. Some said the death raised concerns considering the circumstances of Barbara Wood’s death two years later.
On Wednesday afternoon, family members said they were planning Wood’s funeral. They said relatives were coming in from out of state to grieve her death.