Jacksonville homicides in July

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – July was the first month of the year to see a significant decrease in the number of homicides from the same month last year.

Despite that drop, the number of July homicides in Jacksonville still reached double digits with 13. In July 2016, there were 17 homicides -- the bloodiest month of that year.

The oldest July homicide victim this year was 86 years old. The youngest was 17.

So far this year, there have been more than 80 homicides in Jacksonville with 27 in the first two months of the year, another 18 in March and April, 13 in May and 10 in June.

JACKSONVILLE HOMICIDES: January | February | March, April | May | June

Below, we have listed the names and ages of the July homicide victims and the information surrounding their deaths. We have also included a photo of each victim, where available. 

Many of the cases remain unsolved. If you have information about any of these crimes, call the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office at 904-630-0500 or CrimeStoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.

Sunday, July 2

Corey Spann, 21

Spann was killed and another person was critically injured during a shooting near the intersection of Philips Highway and University Boulevard in the Englewood neighborhood. Witnesses said people in two cars were shooting at each other. Police have not identified any suspects.

Sunday, July 9

Tradarius Alexander, 18

Alexander was found dead from a gunshot wound in the middle of the street on Detroit Street near Commonwealth Avenue in the city's Woodstock neighborhood. Alexander lived on Hartridge Street, less than a half mile from where he was found dead. Police had no description of the shooter.

Sunday, July 9

Richard Allen Green, 21

Green, an aspiring musician, was found shot to death inside a car in the parking lot of the Highlander Apartments on Monaco Drive near Dunn Avenue on Jacksonville's Northside. Police later said Patrick Steadman, 19, met Green for a drug deal, tried to rob him and then shot him. Steadman has been charged with armed robbery and murder in the case. Cameron McIntyre, 19, and Ashanti Rodgers, 19, are also arrested. McIntyre was found and arrested in Daytona Beach on charges of murder and attempted armed robbery. Police said McIntyre planned the robbery with Steadman and was with him when he shot Green. Rodgers is accused of driving Steadman and McIntyre around the day of the shooting, knowing that they were planning to rob Green, and then driving them to the robbery and away from the scene after the shooting. She is also charged with murder and attempted armed robbery.

Wednesday, July 12

Alfred "Mario" Harris, 22

Harris was found dead on the sidewalk along Myrtle Avenue in the Moncrief area with at least one gunshot wound to his upper body, police said. Police did not have any description of a shooter. 

Wednesday, July 12

Tyon Blair, 17

Blair was found dead of at least one gunshot wound in a wooded area near a retention pond in Sandalwood. Police said it's unknown what occurred and whether there's foul play involved, but the death is being considered suspicious. A family spokesperson said Blair was set to interview for a promising job the day he was killed. 

Tuesday, July 18

Artremus Eady, 20

Police said Eady was found with a gunshot wound to the face in a unit at the Cleveland Arms Apartments. He died at the hospital. The initial report was written up as an accidental injury, but police later ruled Eady's death a homicide, and 18-year-old Curzon Smart was charged with manslaughter in the case. Smart told police Eady had pointed a gun at him, and that he fired a shot because he was in fear for his life.

Wednesday, July 19

Eldridge Beauford, 23

Beauford was in a parked car outside the Three Brothers Game Room at 24th and Pearl streets in the Brentwood area when three men walked up and fired multiple shots into the vehicle, hitting him multiple times and killing him, police said. Police have not released any description of the shooters but said they were picked up by a sedan that drove off.

Thursday, July 20

Keegan Roberts, 22

Roberts was shot and killed at a home on Peach Drive, south of Beach Boulevard in the Southside area. Police detained a neighbor who they believe fired the shot, but that person was questioned and released. They said the two had an ongoing dispute, but family members denied that. The shooting was ruled justifiable under stand your ground law.

Friday, July 21

William Henry Alexander, 82

Alexander, who had a developmental disability, was found unresponsive by his hospice nurse at St. Vincent's South Hospital. He had been admitted earlier in the month for hip surgery. Police said his death was ruled a homicide, but that the case was "exceptionally cleared."

Sunday, July 23

Christopher Thurston, 20

Thurston was killed and another person was wounded in a double shooting at a Mobil gas station on Blanding Boulevard at Duclay Road on Jacksonville's Westside. The unnamed second victim was apparently hit by a stray slug. Police said Thurston and Julian Williams were arguing when Williams pulled a gun and fired a shot. Williams was caught at a hurricane shelter in Houston, Texas, and arrested in September.

Tuesday, July 25

Michael Harris, 28

Harris, a suspect in two Jacksonville bank robberies, was killed in a shootout with a K-9 officer and a detective on Old Middleburg Road after a high-speed chase in which Harris carjacked and abducted a woman, forcing her to drive as he fired at police from her car. Officer Jeremy Mason was wounded in the chin by the gunfire.

Tuesday, July 25

Malcolm Osborne, 24

Osborne was killed in a triple shooting near a Golfair Boulevard Raceway gas station in Northwest Jacksonville. One of the other men injured had critical injuries and the other was expected to be OK. Ernest Alexander, 27, and Cory Lawson, 24, were arrested in December and charged with murder and three counts of aggravated battery.

Thursday, July 27

Melvin Clark, 86

Clark, a military veteran, died July 27 from wounds suffered in April when he was kidnapped, robbed and left for dead after his throat was slashed. Jennfier Schulte later pleaded guilty to murder in the case, and her co-defendants Douglas Cercy and Ray Jones are charged with attempted murder, kidnapping and robbery in Clark's death. Police said Clark was found April 8 lying in a ditch on Maxville Macclenny Highway by a good Samaritan, who called for help and stayed with Clark until he was airlifted to a hospital. According to arrest warrants, Schulte somehow got Clark’s phone number and lured him to a hotel where he was kidnapped by the trio and forced to drive to an ATM to withdraw money before they took him out to road where they cut his throat and left him for dead.