Man accused of fatally stabbing wife in St. Johns County charged with first-degree murder

Victim stabbed on front porch in what deputies say was domestic incident

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – A 41-year-old man accused of fatally stabbing a woman Tuesday night in a domestic incident has been charged with murder, according to a St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office arrest report.

The report indicated the victim recently got an injunction against Derrek Perkins on Monday, but Perkins had not yet been served the injunction.

The victim’s gender and exact relationship to Perkins were redacted from the murder arrest report, but according to the State Attorney’s Office, the victim was his wife. A family member identified the woman as Brandi Brooker, 35, saying she recently left the man.

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The report said according to two witnesses, Perkins attacked his wife on the porch of a home where she was staying around 10 p.m. on Tuesday.

She had just been picked up from work by one of the witnesses, who told detectives they drove around the block looking for Perkins' vehicle before going up to the house because of recent incidents that left the victim in fear of Perkins.

According to the report, Perkins is also accused of attempting to run her over with a car on Friday and then stealing her wallet, which contained $500, from a closet at a restaurant where she worked on Tuesday.

The witness who picked the victim up from work said they thought it was safe when they didn’t spot Perkins' car but when the witness turned to close a pet gate as they were walking up to the house, Perkins pushed past the witness, who ran for safety and heard the woman yelling “Help me!”

“We heard screaming and so we opened up the window to hear what was going on," said Korby Burdick, a neighbor. "We heard, ‘Cover the wound. Is she breathing? Help. Help.’”

Another witness in the home also heard the screams and came out to the porch to find the woman lying on the porch wounded and bleeding, the report said. The second witness said Perkins was on the porch and ran down the stairs and away from the house.

Deputies said Perkins was arrested in the area of State Road 207 and Morrison Road minutes after the attack with blood on his legs.

Perkins was indicted by a new grand jury Wednesday for one count of first-degree murder, one count of burglary of a dwelling with assault/battery while armed, and aggravated stalking with a weapon.

If you or someone you know is or has been a victim of domestic violence or abuse, there are resources available:

  • The Florida Domestic Violence Hotline, which will direct you to the nearest shelter, is 1-800-500-1119
  • The National Domestic Violence Hotline is open 24 hours a day. The number is 1-800-799-SAFE
  • The Micah’s Place (Nassau County) Domestic Violence Help Hotline is 904-225-9979
  • The Hubbard House in Jacksonville can be reached by dialing 904-354-3114
  • The hotline number of Quigley House in Clay County is 904-284-0340
  • The Betty Griffin Center in St. Johns County can be reached at 904-824-1555

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