Man charged with murder, arson in November house fire

Police say 59-year-old killed before trailer set on fire; 2nd suspect sought

Booking photo of Jason Morgan

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 22-year-old Jacksonville man was arrested and charged with murder and arson in connection with a Westside trailer fire last November, after a witness contacted police with a tip in the case, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office announced Tuesday.

Jason Morgan is also charged with robbery and tampering with evidence in the death of 59-year-old Michael Cook.

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Cook was found dead Nov. 30 in a bathtub in a trailer on Coach Park Drive, west of Firestone Road, that investigators said had been set on fire.

JSO Lt. Steve Gallaher said Tuesday that an autopsy revealed injuries to Cook's body and a lack of smoke inhalation damage that indicated Cook had been killed before the fire was set. He declined to provide more information about Cook's cause of death.

But during Morgan's first appearance in court Tuesday, the assistant state attorney handling the case said the witness told police that Morgan admitted to strangling Cook and stabbing him with a machete.

Gallaher said the case had gone cold after investigators exhausted all their leads, until the witness came forward to provide the information that pointed to Morgan as the killer and arsonist.

Gallaher said police believe Morgan lived with his parents in the neighborhood where Cook was killed and that the two were acquaintances. Police have not released information about the motive for Cook's murder.

Detectives were able to corroborate the witness' account with physical evidence from the scene, and Morgan was found Monday night and charged, after he confessed to his role in Cook's death, Gallaher said.

“This case is a perfect example of citizens coming forward and providing information to assist us in bringing justice to a family,” Gallaher said.

Gallaher said police believe Morgan did not act alone and they are working toward making at least one other arrest, but they could not provide any other details without compromising the case.

According to the arrest warrant affidavit obtained by News4Jax on Wednesday, Morgan provided a taped confession to JSO, saying he and another man on probation planned to rob Cook. 

The report said they first strangled Cook manually, tried to drown him in a bathtub, stabbed and beat him with a machete and strangled him with a cord around his neck. They took money, jewelry and a gun, the report shows.

According to the affidavit, the other man, Matthew Syverson, was wearing a GPS monitor, and the Department of Corrections checked the tracker, which showed he had been at Cook's home the night in question. 

Syverson, 22, is in jail for violating probation. He has not been charged with murder. 

One of Cook's neighbors who had lived near him for years told News4Jax last November that Cook was disabled and didn't get out much. 

Morgan is due in court for arraignment Aug. 16. He is being held without bond.