Topline: According to an affidavit, the suspect told a witness he acted after identifying the victim on a registry and later disposed of the body.
Published: April 7, 2026 8:05 am ET
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Lucas Sander Jones (via Brevard County Sheriff's Office)
PALM BAY, FL — Newly released court documents indicate a Florida man accused of killing and dismembering a 28-year-old victim allegedly targeted him because he believed the victim was a sex offender.
According to court documents obtained by WESH 2 News, the remains of 28-year-old Colie Lee Daniel, of Indialantic, were discovered March 28 in Palm Bay’s remote area known as the Compound after officers responded to a report of an abandoned suitcase with vultures nearby. Police say the discovery set off an investigation that quickly centered on 19-year-old Lucas Sander Jones.
Jones was initially arrested on charges including tampering with evidence, abuse of a dead human body, and transporting human remains in an unauthorized container, according to WESH. He later posted bond before being rearrested days afterward and charged with murder.
Investigators allege Daniel went to Jones’ home on Watson Drive on March 20, according to an arrest affidavit cited by WESH. That same night, Daniel’s parents went looking for him, but Jones told them he was inside and refused to let them enter. Police also responded to the home that night and again the next morning, but Daniel was not found and was later reported missing.
The affidavit outlines what detectives describe as a chain of evidence — including surveillance footage, witness statements, and items recovered from Jones’ home — that they say ties him to both the killing and the disposal of Daniel’s remains.
Central to that account are statements from Jones’ girlfriend, who told investigators he confessed to the crime. “‘I killed somebody and cut him up,’” she recalled him saying, according to the affidavit.
The girlfriend also told detectives, according to WESH, that Jones said he targeted Daniel “because he was a sex offender … and he wanted to kill him.” She added that she did not know how the two met but said Jones had printed a list of nearby sex offenders.
In a separate interview summarized in records obtained by WKMG, the girlfriend said she initially lied to police out of fear. She had first told investigators she saw Daniel alive at Jones’ home on March 20, but later recanted, saying that was not true and that she had never seen Daniel alive or dead.
According to WKMG, she told police Jones coached her on what to say and warned that if he were caught, he would claim insanity. She said he never explicitly threatened her, but his demeanor made her fear for her safety.
“She was very afraid of what the 19-year-old could do to her too if she didn’t go along with his plan to act like nothing happened,” WKMG reported, citing the interview.
The girlfriend also described accompanying Jones to the Compound, where she said she watched him remove containers and a suitcase from a vehicle and discard them, according to the affidavit cited by WESH. She told investigators she did not know what was inside at the time.
Authorities allege Jones later told her he killed Daniel with a baseball bat, dismembered the body, and placed the remains into suitcases and storage containers. Investigators reported finding blood evidence inside Jones’ home, along with items believed to have been used to clean the scene.
An autopsy determined Daniel’s death was a homicide, with evidence of multiple blunt force injuries and dismemberment, according to WESH.
Additional details about a possible motive remain under wraps. According to WKMG, while the girlfriend provided further explanation to detectives about why she believed Jones carried out the killing, investigators wrote that “those reasons will be kept confidential at this point in the investigation.”
The girlfriend also told police, according to WKMG, that Jones had previously expressed a desire to kill sex offenders and had shown violent tendencies, including destroying property and punching holes in walls.
Legal experts say statements like those attributed to the girlfriend could face scrutiny in court. Criminal defense attorney Rob Mandell, who is not involved in the case, told WESH that “any out-of-court statement made is hearsay. So at the end of the day, this is still hearsay.”
Mandell added that in cases involving alleged targeted violence, questions about motive and mental health often become central, including whether an insanity defense could be pursued.
Jones is currently charged with second-degree murder, which does not require proof of premeditation. However, as WESH reports, prosecutors could consider more severe charges as the case develops.
Detectives wrote in the affidavit that Jones “not only had the opportunity but made deliberate acts before, during, and after, which is indicative of his conscious decision to kill [Daniel].”
Attorneys representing Jones have declined to comment.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Docs: Murder Suspect Claimed He Dismembered Man for Being a Sexual Offender
According to an affidavit, the suspect told a witness he acted after identifying the victim on a registry and later disposed of the body.
By Jacob Charles
Published: April 7, 2026 8:05 am ET
Lucas Sander Jones (via Brevard County Sheriff's Office)
PALM BAY, FL — Newly released court documents indicate a Florida man accused of killing and dismembering a 28-year-old victim allegedly targeted him because he believed the victim was a sex offender.
According to court documents obtained by WESH 2 News, the remains of 28-year-old Colie Lee Daniel, of Indialantic, were discovered March 28 in Palm Bay’s remote area known as the Compound after officers responded to a report of an abandoned suitcase with vultures nearby. Police say the discovery set off an investigation that quickly centered on 19-year-old Lucas Sander Jones.
Jones was initially arrested on charges including tampering with evidence, abuse of a dead human body, and transporting human remains in an unauthorized container, according to WESH. He later posted bond before being rearrested days afterward and charged with murder.
Investigators allege Daniel went to Jones’ home on Watson Drive on March 20, according to an arrest affidavit cited by WESH. That same night, Daniel’s parents went looking for him, but Jones told them he was inside and refused to let them enter. Police also responded to the home that night and again the next morning, but Daniel was not found and was later reported missing.
The affidavit outlines what detectives describe as a chain of evidence — including surveillance footage, witness statements, and items recovered from Jones’ home — that they say ties him to both the killing and the disposal of Daniel’s remains.
Central to that account are statements from Jones’ girlfriend, who told investigators he confessed to the crime. “‘I killed somebody and cut him up,’” she recalled him saying, according to the affidavit.
The girlfriend also told detectives, according to WESH, that Jones said he targeted Daniel “because he was a sex offender … and he wanted to kill him.” She added that she did not know how the two met but said Jones had printed a list of nearby sex offenders.
In a separate interview summarized in records obtained by WKMG, the girlfriend said she initially lied to police out of fear. She had first told investigators she saw Daniel alive at Jones’ home on March 20, but later recanted, saying that was not true and that she had never seen Daniel alive or dead.
According to WKMG, she told police Jones coached her on what to say and warned that if he were caught, he would claim insanity. She said he never explicitly threatened her, but his demeanor made her fear for her safety.
“She was very afraid of what the 19-year-old could do to her too if she didn’t go along with his plan to act like nothing happened,” WKMG reported, citing the interview.
The girlfriend also described accompanying Jones to the Compound, where she said she watched him remove containers and a suitcase from a vehicle and discard them, according to the affidavit cited by WESH. She told investigators she did not know what was inside at the time.
Authorities allege Jones later told her he killed Daniel with a baseball bat, dismembered the body, and placed the remains into suitcases and storage containers. Investigators reported finding blood evidence inside Jones’ home, along with items believed to have been used to clean the scene.
An autopsy determined Daniel’s death was a homicide, with evidence of multiple blunt force injuries and dismemberment, according to WESH.
Additional details about a possible motive remain under wraps. According to WKMG, while the girlfriend provided further explanation to detectives about why she believed Jones carried out the killing, investigators wrote that “those reasons will be kept confidential at this point in the investigation.”
The girlfriend also told police, according to WKMG, that Jones had previously expressed a desire to kill sex offenders and had shown violent tendencies, including destroying property and punching holes in walls.
Legal experts say statements like those attributed to the girlfriend could face scrutiny in court. Criminal defense attorney Rob Mandell, who is not involved in the case, told WESH that “any out-of-court statement made is hearsay. So at the end of the day, this is still hearsay.”
Mandell added that in cases involving alleged targeted violence, questions about motive and mental health often become central, including whether an insanity defense could be pursued.
Jones is currently charged with second-degree murder, which does not require proof of premeditation. However, as WESH reports, prosecutors could consider more severe charges as the case develops.
Detectives wrote in the affidavit that Jones “not only had the opportunity but made deliberate acts before, during, and after, which is indicative of his conscious decision to kill [Daniel].”
Attorneys representing Jones have declined to comment.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Docs: Murder Suspect Claimed He Dismembered Man for Being a Sexual Offender
According to an affidavit, the suspect told a witness he acted after identifying the victim on a registry and later disposed of the body.
By Jacob Charles
Published: April 7, 2026 8:05 am ET
Lucas Sander Jones (via Brevard County Sheriff's Office)
PALM BAY, FL — Newly released court documents indicate a Florida man accused of killing and dismembering a 28-year-old victim allegedly targeted him because he believed the victim was a sex offender.
According to court documents obtained by WESH 2 News, the remains of 28-year-old Colie Lee Daniel, of Indialantic, were discovered March 28 in Palm Bay’s remote area known as the Compound after officers responded to a report of an abandoned suitcase with vultures nearby. Police say the discovery set off an investigation that quickly centered on 19-year-old Lucas Sander Jones.
Jones was initially arrested on charges including tampering with evidence, abuse of a dead human body, and transporting human remains in an unauthorized container, according to WESH. He later posted bond before being rearrested days afterward and charged with murder.
Investigators allege Daniel went to Jones’ home on Watson Drive on March 20, according to an arrest affidavit cited by WESH. That same night, Daniel’s parents went looking for him, but Jones told them he was inside and refused to let them enter. Police also responded to the home that night and again the next morning, but Daniel was not found and was later reported missing.
The affidavit outlines what detectives describe as a chain of evidence — including surveillance footage, witness statements, and items recovered from Jones’ home — that they say ties him to both the killing and the disposal of Daniel’s remains.
Central to that account are statements from Jones’ girlfriend, who told investigators he confessed to the crime. “‘I killed somebody and cut him up,’” she recalled him saying, according to the affidavit.
The girlfriend also told detectives, according to WESH, that Jones said he targeted Daniel “because he was a sex offender … and he wanted to kill him.” She added that she did not know how the two met but said Jones had printed a list of nearby sex offenders.
In a separate interview summarized in records obtained by WKMG, the girlfriend said she initially lied to police out of fear. She had first told investigators she saw Daniel alive at Jones’ home on March 20, but later recanted, saying that was not true and that she had never seen Daniel alive or dead.
According to WKMG, she told police Jones coached her on what to say and warned that if he were caught, he would claim insanity. She said he never explicitly threatened her, but his demeanor made her fear for her safety.
“She was very afraid of what the 19-year-old could do to her too if she didn’t go along with his plan to act like nothing happened,” WKMG reported, citing the interview.
The girlfriend also described accompanying Jones to the Compound, where she said she watched him remove containers and a suitcase from a vehicle and discard them, according to the affidavit cited by WESH. She told investigators she did not know what was inside at the time.
Authorities allege Jones later told her he killed Daniel with a baseball bat, dismembered the body, and placed the remains into suitcases and storage containers. Investigators reported finding blood evidence inside Jones’ home, along with items believed to have been used to clean the scene.
An autopsy determined Daniel’s death was a homicide, with evidence of multiple blunt force injuries and dismemberment, according to WESH.
Additional details about a possible motive remain under wraps. According to WKMG, while the girlfriend provided further explanation to detectives about why she believed Jones carried out the killing, investigators wrote that “those reasons will be kept confidential at this point in the investigation.”
The girlfriend also told police, according to WKMG, that Jones had previously expressed a desire to kill sex offenders and had shown violent tendencies, including destroying property and punching holes in walls.
Legal experts say statements like those attributed to the girlfriend could face scrutiny in court. Criminal defense attorney Rob Mandell, who is not involved in the case, told WESH that “any out-of-court statement made is hearsay. So at the end of the day, this is still hearsay.”
Mandell added that in cases involving alleged targeted violence, questions about motive and mental health often become central, including whether an insanity defense could be pursued.
Jones is currently charged with second-degree murder, which does not require proof of premeditation. However, as WESH reports, prosecutors could consider more severe charges as the case develops.
Detectives wrote in the affidavit that Jones “not only had the opportunity but made deliberate acts before, during, and after, which is indicative of his conscious decision to kill [Daniel].”
Attorneys representing Jones have declined to comment.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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