5 weeks after man's murder, daughter still waiting for answers

Curtis Worth gunned down in Jacksonville day before his 58th birthday

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The daughter of one of the 66 people murdered in Jacksonville so far this year is remembering her dad and asking for justice.

Curtis Worth, 57, was shot several times on Franklin Street on the Eastside about 3 a.m. on June 1.

According to his daughter, Curtisena Williams, whoever shot Worth stole money off his body.

Williams said her father received several phone calls, then someone then knocked on his door in the hours before he was shot. Williams told his wife that he was going to the bar and would be right back. He never returned.

More than a month later, Worth's slaying remains unsolved and his family is looking for answers.

“I was asleep and I got a call about 4 o’clock in the morning. My brother called my phone and was, like, ‘They just killed our daddy,’ And I was, like, 'There’s no way. Ain’t no way,'" Williams said. "I was devastated -- devastated to hear that my dad was gone. I couldn’t believe it. Still can’t believe, right on to this day. I don’t know why. My dad was a good guy.”

Williams and the rest of her family, including her brother Curtis Worth Jr., are still searching for answers.

“He don’t have enemies. … I don’t have a clue. I want to get justice for my dad. I feel like he should still be here, he shouldn’t be gone away from us right now," Williams said.

Williams said she remembers the last time she saw her father.

“He had to come to my house. I had cooked a Sunday dinner and he comes and got a plate," she said.

Less than a week later, Worth was killed -- one day before the father of two and grandfather of nine would have turned 58. Instead of attending a party that weekend, they were planning a funeral. 

“His love he had for me and my brother… and making me laugh every time I see him," she said. "I was just laughing the whole time."

Worth’s family plans to hold a vigil honoring him at the scene where he was killed. It will be at 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 20, and open to the public. 

Williams also said the shooting death of her father, puts Jacksonville crime into perspective. 

“Just so much going on," she said. "Everybody is just killing people.”

The ZIP code where Worth was shot and killed -- 32206 -- is one of the areas where Jacksonville's new Cure Violence program is focused on. The program uses the methods and strategies associated with disease control -- detecting and interrupting conflicts, identifying and treating the highest risk individuals, and changing social norms -- to fight violence.

Anyone with information about Worth's death is asked to Call Crime Stoppers at 866-845-TIPS or the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office at 904-630-0500. 


About the Author:

Zachery “Zach” Lashway anchors KPRC 2+ Now. He began at KPRC 2 as a reporter in October 2021.