A Central Florida man was indicted for murder and abuse of a dead body after the victim’s remains were found.
The 19-year-old Indialantic man was indicted for murdering and dismembering another man and distributing his remains in an undeveloped part of Palm Bay known as the compound.
The Brevard County grand jury indicted Lucas S. Jones on one count of first-degree premeditated murder for luring the victim, 28-year-old Colie Lee Daniel, to his beachside house where he bludgeoned him to death. The grand jury also indicted Jones on charges of abuse of a dead human body, tampering with physical evidence related to a capital felony, and improper disposal of a human body.
Lucas Jones saw Daniel on the registry of local sex offenders, decided to target him, and reached out and met him through online dating apps, according to digital evidence compiled by Palm Bay Police forensics specialists.
The investigation began when Daniel’s parents reported him missing to Indialantic Police. Palm Bay Police became involved when a citizen saw vultures circling in the Compound and discovered dismembered remains inside a suitcase. Investigators found more remains in the area along with Amazon delivery packaging addressed to Jones inside one of the suitcases.
After initially denying knowledge of Daniel’s whereabouts, Jones’ girlfriend told Palm Bay detectives that Jones beat Daniel to death with a baseball bat, used a cleaver, saw, and knife to dismember him, and then forced her to help transport the remains. Jones’ parents had been out of state and returned to the family’s home on Watson Drive within a day or two after the killing, she said.
A police search of the house uncovered blood splatters, extensive chemical cleanup attempts, and a hidden wooden box holding a microscope slide containing blood. Detectives also recovered a folder with printed profiles of three local sex offenders.
The post Central Florida Man Indicted for Murder after Victim’s Remains Found appeared first on West Orlando News.
Source: West Orlando News
Published: 2026-07-11 19:55:00