JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A suspect in two separate Jacksonville murders was tracked down by U.S. Marshals in Virginia and arrested.
John Wilson, 34, was captured Monday morning in Portsmouth, Virginia, thanks to information provided by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, the Marshals said.
Wilson is charged with second-degree murder in the July 2018 death of 32-year-old Trevor Neal Matthew. He is also charged with second-degree murder in the April death of 26-year-old Dylan McCurdy.
On July 30, 2018, police responded to InTown Suites on St. Johns Bluff Road, where they learned Matthew had been shot and killed in the parking lot.
On April 1, officers were called to Featherwood Drive South, where they found the body of McCurdy lying near the edge of the roadway. Investigators said they determined McCurdy died of a gunshot wound.
In both of these investigations, according to the Sheriff's Office, the evidence and information gathered identified the suspect as Wilson and warrants were obtained in each case.
Lorna Thomas, Matthew's mother, told News4Jax on Monday night that she had never seen or heard of Wilson before. But when detectives told her he had been captured, she said it was the best phone call she had ever received.
"When he called me, he joked and said, 'Mrs. Thomas, I’m glad you answered the phone.' I said, 'Thank you, detective.' He said, 'Well, we have an arrest.' And I screamed and cried and praised God," she said as she wore a shirt with a photo of her son printed on it.
Thomas said the arrest is a relief, but it doesn't replace her son. Despite the heartbreak, she said she forgives Wilson.
“He needs help," she said. "He needs to think about what he did and just ask the Lord to forgive him for his evil ways.”
McCurdy's brother said he had been working closely with detectives and learned Wilson was just starting a new job when he was arrested in Virginia. He said the family is glad Wilson is behind bars.
News4Jax reported last month that court records showed Alyjah Davis, 17, had been arrested and police were searching for Wilson in connection with the death of McCurdy.
Court records show Davis was charged with assisting Wilson as an accessory and tampering with evidence.
Court records show that on April 2, the day after McCurdy's death, Wilson was stopped by a JSO officer with Davis as a passenger. The car they were in matched a description of an ongoing investigation involving a firearm. JSO said it found drugs and a handgun in the car. McCurdy's brother said Wilson never showed up to court following the incident.
“It was a horrible experience, living next to him,” said one of Wilson’s neighbors, who asked to remain anonymous.
The neighbor told News4Jax that she hopes McCurdy’s family gets the justice they deserve.
McCurdy was a former high school wrestler in Clay County and worked at a shipyard in the Mayport area.
Thomas said she has been in contact with McCurdy's family and they plan to honor both of their lives this weekend.
Wilson, who also faces two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, went to his first appearance Tuesday morning on the federal fugitive warrant in court in Norfolk, Virginia. He was ordered held without bond pending his next appearance Aug. 6. According to jail officials, Wilson is expected to be extradited back to Jacksonville on the two murder warrants before then.