Skip to main content
Rain icon
75Âş
WJXT logo

Go to the WJXT homepage

Join Insider
    • News
    • Watch Live
    • Local News
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • National
    • Politics & Power
    • Politics
    • I-Team
    • Trust Index
    • Community
    • Health
    • Money
    • Education
    • Consumer
    • Entertainment
    • Weird News
    • Weather
    • Weather News
    • Traffic
    • SnapJAX
    • Skycams
    • Alerts
    • Hurricanes
    • Plan and Prepare
    • Georgia
    • St. Augustine
    • Environment
    • Forecasting Change
    • News4JAX+
    • Watch Live
    • News4JAX Insider
    • How To Watch News4JAX+
    • Download News4JAX Apps
    • The Morning Show
    • River City Live
    • Podcasts
    • This Week In Jacksonville
    • Business Edition
    • Solutionaries
    • NEXTGEN TV
    • TV Listings
    • Florida Justice
    • Sports
    • Sports Videos
    • Jaguars
    • Jaguars Stats
    • News4JAGS Podcast
    • Gators Breakdown
    • Gators Stats
    • High School Sports
    • Varsity 4
    • Going Ringside Podcast
    • V4rsity Podcast
    • All Star Athlete
    • Olympics
    • Features
    • News4JAX Insider
    • Florida Justice
    • 4 Your Neighborhood
    • Events Calendar
    • Positively JAX
    • River City Live
    • Deals4JAX
    • News4JAX+
    • Women’s History Month
    • Look Local
    • Travel
    • Jacksonville Image Awards
    • Food & Recipes
    • Live Healthy
    • Contests & Rules
    • Talking Health
    • Pets
    • uSay Voting
    • River City Live
    • Watch River City Live
    • River City+
    • Eats & Treats
    • Beats
    • Wellness
    • Local Spotlight
    • Pets
    • Shopping
    • SnapJAX
    • SnapJAX Stories
    • Breaking News Photos
    • Newsletters
    • Sign Up For Newsletters
    • WJXT
    • Contact Us
    • Help Center
    • Careers at WJXT/WCWJ
    • SnapJAX
    • Meet the Team
    • Advertise with us
    • CW17
    • CW Program Guide
    • Bounce
  • News
  • Weather
  • News4JAX+
  • Sports
  • Features
  • River City Live
  • SnapJAX
  • Newsletters
  • WJXT
  • CW17
News4JAX.com
  • News
  • Weather
  • News4JAX+
  • Sports
  • Features
  • River City Live
  • SnapJAX
  • Newsletters
  • WJXT
  • CW17
  • BREAKING NEWS

BREAKING NEWS

LIVE RADAR: Summer heat, humidity and thunderstorms

RUSSELL TILLIS


No description available

An attorney told a Nassau triple murder suspect not to talk to other inmates. Past cases show why

Read full article: An attorney told a Nassau triple murder suspect not to talk to other inmates. Past cases show why

Watch what you say on the phone and to your cellmates.

No description available

Convicted killer Russell Tillis gets 2 life sentences plus 30 extra years

Read full article: Convicted killer Russell Tillis gets 2 life sentences plus 30 extra years

A judge on Tuesday sentenced convicted killer Russell Tillis to two life sentences plus 30 extra years.

No description available

Russell Tillis to be sentenced June 1 in Joni Gunter’s murder

Read full article: Russell Tillis to be sentenced June 1 in Joni Gunter’s murder

Russell Tillis, the Jacksonville man convicted in the murder and dismemberment of 30-year-old Joni Gunter, will be sentenced June 1.

No description available

Russell Tillis avoids death penalty for Joni Gunter’s murder

Read full article: Russell Tillis avoids death penalty for Joni Gunter’s murder

A jury of 12 men and women on Thursday recommended a sentence of life in prison for Russell Tillis, the man convicted in the murder and dismemberment of Joni Gunter.

No description available

Disturbing testimony as state seeks death penalty for Russell Tillis

Read full article: Disturbing testimony as state seeks death penalty for Russell Tillis

The same jury that convicted Russell Tillis of first-degree murder, kidnapping and dismemberment in the death of Joni Gunter was back in the courtroom Wednesday as the sentencing phase began.

No description available

Defense for Tillis seeks to block state from seeking death penalty

Read full article: Defense for Tillis seeks to block state from seeking death penalty

Defense attorneys for Russell Tillis have filed a last-minute motion to block the state from seeking the death penalty for their client when the penalty phase of his murder trial begins on Wednesday.

No description available

Family, records give glimpse of Joni Gunter’s life

Read full article: Family, records give glimpse of Joni Gunter’s life

Before Joni Gunter was killed, she was struggling and homeless. Her family was trying to find her.

No description available

Russell Tillis guilty of 1st-degree murder, faces minimum life sentence

Read full article: Russell Tillis guilty of 1st-degree murder, faces minimum life sentence

Russell Tillis on Friday was found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Joni Gunter, whose dismembered remains were found buried in the yard of Tillis’ Southside home nearly five years ago.

No description available

Russell Tillis testifies in his murder trial, denies killing woman

Read full article: Russell Tillis testifies in his murder trial, denies killing woman

Russell Tillis took the stand in his own defense on the second day of his trial in the murder of Joni Gunter, whose dismembered remains were found on his Southside property in 2016.

No description available

Grim evidence, jailhouse confession in Russell Tillis’ trial

Read full article: Grim evidence, jailhouse confession in Russell Tillis’ trial

The long-delayed trial of Russell Tillis on charges that he killed and dismembered Joni Gunter and then buried her in the yard of his Southside Jacksonville home began with grim details of her death.

No description available

Juror dismissed in Russell Tillis murder trial after writing letter to judge

Read full article: Juror dismissed in Russell Tillis murder trial after writing letter to judge

One of the first 10 jurors selected to serve in the murder trial of Russell Tillis was excused Tuesday after writing a letter to the judge.

No description available

Years after body found, Russell Tillis goes on trial for murder

Read full article: Years after body found, Russell Tillis goes on trial for murder

Nearly five years after the remains of a 30-year-old woman were found in the backyard of his home, jury selection began Monday in the trial of Russell Tillis.

No description available

Russell Tillis ruled competent for trial

Read full article: Russell Tillis ruled competent for trial

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Russell Tillis has been ruled competent for prosecution following a two-day mental evaluation hearing. The ruling was made after Judge Mark Borello heard four psychologists who examined Tillis. Police said the womans remains were found in the yard of his Southside home in 2016 while Tillis was in jail on unrelated charges. RELATED: Russell Tillis admits killing, dismembering captive women in jailhouse confessionThe case has dragged on for years as Tillis has fought with his lawyers. Hes now on his 11th and 12th attorneys, and hes trying to get rid of one of them.

No description available

Russell Tillis' 12th lawyer is on the case

Read full article: Russell Tillis' 12th lawyer is on the case

Attorney Donald Mairs (pictured left), attorney Chuck Fletcher (center) and Russell Tillis (right) appear in court Thursday morning. A judge appointed Donald Mairs as the 12th lawyer for Russell Tillis, who is accused in the murder of Joni Gunter, whose remains were found in his yard in 2016. John Rockwell, a former assistant state attorney who prosecuted Tillis in 2007 on a prostitution charge, was appointed as Tillis' 11th defense lawyer on April 1. Tillis filed a Nelson motion, saying he wanted Fletcher removed from the case. When Tillis appeared in court Thursday morning with Mairs, Borello denied Tillis' motion to have Fletcher removed.

No description available

Another lawyer allowed to withdraw from Russell Tillis case

Read full article: Another lawyer allowed to withdraw from Russell Tillis case

John Rockwell, a former assistant state attorney who prosecuted Tillis in 2007 on a prostitution charge, was appointed as Tillis' 11th defense lawyer on April 1. Judge Mark Borello granted a motion Friday for Rockwell, who was the second chair, to withdraw in the case. Tillis filed a Nelson motion, saying he wanted Fletcher removed from the case. Prosecutors also interviewed Janis Eldridge, a private investigator who was subpoenaed and brought in for a sworn statement in the case. Eldridge stood before Borello on Friday morning under oath, saying she has been a private investigator for Tillis since 2015.

BACK TO TOP
  • TV Listings

  • Email Newsletters

  • RSS Feeds

  • Contests and Rules

  • Contact Us

  • Careers at WJXT / WCWJ

  • Closed Captioning / Audio Description

  • WJXT Public File

  • WJXT EEO Report

  • WCWJ Public File

  • WCWJ EEO Report

  • Terms of Use

  • Privacy Policy

  • Do Not Sell My Info

  • FCC Applications

Follow Us
Visit our YouTube page (opens in a new tab)
Visit our Facebook page (opens in a new tab)
Visit our Instagram page (opens in a new tab)
Visit our X page (opens in a new tab)
Visit our RSS Feed page (opens in a new tab)
Get Results With OmneOmne Results Logo

If you need help with the Public File, call (904) 393-9801

At WJXT, we are committed to informing and delighting our audience. In our commitment to covering our communities with innovation and excellence, we incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies to enhance our news gathering, reporting, and presentation processes. Read our article to see how we are using Artificial Intelligence.


Graham Media Group LogoGraham Digital Logo

Copyright © 2025 News4JAX.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings.

search by queryly Advanced Search