JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A grieving Jacksonville family that lost its loved one to a brutal murder is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the death of Shawnell Mahone.
The 21-year-old man was found dead near the side of a road in the Dinsmore area of the Northside five days after his family reported him missing.
His family said he went to a friend's house and never came home. His body was found dumped along the side of the road at Garden Street and Paxon Road.
"We are just absolutely devastated," said Mahone's uncle, Kevin Davis. ”We are still in shock, to be honest with you. A tragedy like this hurts everyone, not only our family but people who loved him."
Davis and Mahone's mother walked the neighborhood with the anti-crime group, MAD DADS, off 18th Street where, they said, Mahone was brutally killed.
"Words can't express exactly how we feel. My family is completely crushed. It's how these savages brutally murdered this child. He was decapitated. He was burned, shot, stabbed. Who does that to another human being? That is just cruel,” Davis said.
He said investigators have told the family they have leads in the case and a few suspects, but they are trying to tie up loose ends.
Davis said there is an epidemic of crimes committed by black people against black people. His nephew's death is one of many, and he hopes the $10,000 reward his family is offering will lead to an arrest.
MAD DADS said it helped the family walk the neighborhood to see if they could get people to speak up about what they saw the night Mahone disappeared.
The head of MAD DADS said the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office needs the community's help to solve these cases.
"We cannot expect JSO to do it all by themselves,” Donald Foy said. ”We have to reach out and do what we can do as a community.”
On Sunday at noon, there will be a rally in Lonnie Miller Park for the community to come together and talk about the crime problem in Jacksonville and ways to unite and fight the issue.