JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Months after a woman was found dead in a Westside neighborhood, Jacksonville police have charged a teenager with murder.
Police began investigating June 20 after the victim’s husband, who told police he had been kidnapped, robbed and then released, reported her missing when he returned to their home on Kingsbury Street off Lake Shore Boulevard.
The woman, who was identified by family and friends as 30-year-old Amber Gaddis, was found dead in front of a neighbor’s home.
Neighbors said they heard three gunshots.
Three days later, police arrested Taiden Kyree Gee, 17, on a charge of armed robbery. On Thursday, charges of second-degree murder and armed burglary were filed against Gee.
Barbara Oakley, Gaddis' mother, told News4Jax the arrest came as a shock. She said Gee is someone her daughter knew “very well” but wouldn’t go into details.
Oakley will never forget the last time she spoke with her daughter.
“I saw her the afternoon before she was killed, and the last thing we said to each other was: I love you," she said.
Oakley said her daughter had with an opioid addiction. Despite her struggle, Oakley said Gaddis had a heart of gold and loved her children.
“She loved her kids above anything else," Oakley said. "If you knew Amber, her whole world was her four children.”
Oakley now has custody of Gaddis' children. She says they too were shocked to hear about Gee’s arrest.
“They’re very upset because it’s somebody that they know," she said. “They’re in disbelief.”
Police said they continue to seek information about the incident and ask anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at 904-630-0500 or Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS (8477).