Body found at abandoned Westside property

Foul play suspected, police say

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – News4Jax is learning more about a man found dead on the property of an abandoned Westside home early Sunday afternoon.

Family members showed up in volume saying the man is 23-year-old Jabari Baker.

Police said his body seems to have been placed at the home. They said foul play is suspected.

Police said the man's body was likely in the backyard of the vacant home for at least a few days. There were injuries on the body, leading police to believe something happened to him. They are now treating the death as a murder investigation.

Baker's mother told News4Jax she reported him missing a few days ago.

"One of the detectives told me they needed to see me, but I thought they were just going to talk to me about the case, because I did put in a missing report Sept. 4," said Shanika Baker, Jabari Baker's mom. "And I thought they were following up with that, not to tell me they found my son's body."

Shanika Baker said it's very unlike her son to just up and leave, so when she hadn't heard from him in a while, she knew something was wrong. She said she hopes whoever did this comes forward.

Anyone with any information on the incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 866-845-TIPS.