JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is spotlighting a case from 1997 in hopes of finding the person who shot and killed Marlon Harris in the road.
A JSO cold case detective explained to News4JAX that the back story to Harris’ death makes the case interesting.
Earlier that day on Nov. 14, 1997, Harris had been arrested for a minor charge, JSO Detective Ray Reeves explained.
“Between 4 and 5 that afternoon he called his girlfriend and said that he was in jail and that he would be coming home soon,” Reeves said. “Again, it was a minor charge, and he was going to be released. The jail records indicate that he was released from jail at 7:55 p.m.”
Just over an hour after being released, Harris was found dead on Steele Street by police after a 911 caller reported a shooting.
“So, we really have a short time period from where Mr. Harris was released from jail to where this call is,” Reeves said. “A lot of times in cold case or working homicides, we don’t have that narrow of a timeframe.”
Reeves said the witness looked out a window after hearing gunshots and later told detectives they saw the shooter possibly grab something from Harris before running away.
“They saw the victim lying in the roadway with a Black male standing over him and that suspect had a chrome handgun in his hand,” Reeves said.
Reeves said JSO is highlighting Harris’ case because they got a call from his family, which sparked detectives to dig back into the case.
“But since now this new advancement in technology, that detective saw something that he thought was worthwhile to have a conversation with the folks who do the DNA,” Reeves said.
Police are hoping that the new technology can help them finally solve this 25-year-old cold case.
If anyone has information about this case, you are encouraged to call JSO at 904-630-055 or you can call CrimeStoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS to remain anonymous.