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Left: Jessie Kirk (Children’s Advocacy Center of Brevard). Right: David Barber (Titusville Police Department).
A Florida antheral charged with execution had 12 pages of handwritten, extended notes detailing plans connected however to kidnap a 72-year-old woman, unit her to springiness him her fiscal accusation and execution her, constabulary say.
Cops recovered the papers and released it to media outlets including Law&Crime arsenic portion of their probe into the March decease of Jessie Kirk successful Titusville. David Barber, 35, is facing a slew of charges including first-degree murder, burglary, kidnapping, expansive theft car and maltreatment of a corpse.
Barber, who utilized to day Kirk’s niece, allegedly wrote a step-by-step program connected a ineligible pad that included supplies to bargain and accusation to glean from the unfortunate aft helium kidnapped her. Supplies seemingly included a costume, gloves, gag, portion and bleach among different items. He besides allegedly wrote a “gather list,” and among those items were tools, cameras, restraints and guns.
There besides was a elaborate “time line.”
“Finalize plans, cleanable room,” Barber allegedly wrote. “Pack clothes. Plan route. Print rental agreement.”
He allegedly wanted to “strike astatine 5.”
“Park crossed the street, observe and enactment connected disguise,” the program reads. “At 5 determination crossed the thoroughfare and spell in.”
Barber allegedly planned to person a gun, duct portion and handcuffs connected him erstwhile helium attacked.
“Get introduction info earlier gagging (garage, gross and door),” the papers said. “Find retired who volition miss her and when.”
Prosecutors allege the papers reveals that the motive for the execution was fiscal gain.
“If imaginable entree finances, petition recognition enactment increase, use for caller cards,” Barber allegedly wrote.
Barber besides allegedly said helium wanted to bargain jewelry and “anything other tiny and valuable.” He planned to “withdraw currency and marque ample purchases,” the papers stated.
Finally: “When leaving aft sweeping location aft bleaching, spot K’s fingerprint connected toilet lid.”
The program mentions “K” a fewer times but does not springiness a afloat name. Barber’s ex-girlfriend — Kirk’s niece — has a sanction that starts with a K, records show. Barber besides allegedly noted to find retired from Kirk erstwhile she past spoke with her niece and to reappraisal their substance conversations.
Last week, prosecutors filed their intent to seek the decease penalty against Barber.
As Law&Crime previously reported, cops archetypal were alerted thing was awry with Kirk astir 8:30 a.m. March 4 erstwhile she failed to amusement up for a locomotion with a friend. Kirk’s niece arrived astatine her aunt’s flat analyzable to assistance successful the hunt and saw Barber’s car successful the parking lot. The niece had antecedently filed a restraining bid against, reportedly saying she felt arsenic if helium was going to instrumentality “her to an unsafe determination and onslaught oregon termination me.”
About an hr aft Kirk’s reported disappearance, firefighters successful adjacent Orange County responded to a conveyance fire. Officials confirmed the burned SUV belonged to Kirk. A witnesser besides said she saw a antheral walking distant from the burning vehicle, holding his arm, a probable origin apprehension affidavit said.
Then, astatine astir 12:20 p.m. the aforesaid day, cops spotted Barber “loitering” crossed the thoroughfare from Kirk’s condo complex. He “appeared to beryllium attempting to debar instrumentality enforcement,” the affidavit said. He besides had caller burns connected his close arm. After officers confronted him, Barber could not springiness a valid crushed for being successful the area. When cops asked wherefore helium seemed to beryllium trying to debar them, helium allegedly responded “I don’t consciousness I should reply that astatine this time.”
Witnesses and thoroughfare cameras placed Barber successful Kirk’s SUV and cops arrested him for expansive theft car and loitering and prowling.
Officials past received a telephone astir 2:45 p.m. connected March 4 — immoderate six hours aft Kirk’s reported disappearance — astir the find of burned quality remains. A aesculapian examiner positively identified the assemblage arsenic Kirk. Prosecutors subsequently indicted Barber for execution and different charges.
Kirk was well-respected successful her community. She received a “Humanitarian of the Year” from the Navy League and served connected the committee of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Brevard since 2008.
“Her committedness was to assistance guarantee children flooded the trauma of maltreatment and determination guardant connected a way of healing and anticipation toward a brighter future. She was a vibrant, caring, and generous woman,” the halfway said successful a tribute posted to Facebook.
Barber worked arsenic a corrections lawman with the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office from 2018 to 2022. Records bespeak that helium near connected his ain volition and had nary disciplinary history. He was arrested successful December for allegedly trying to interruption into Kirk’s niece’s aged apartment, according to records. That lawsuit remains ongoing. The alleged restraining bid for stalking remains pending, tribunal records show.
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