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Cold case spotlights 9-year-old slaying

Jessica Beth Wolford's body was discovered early on Sept. 14, 2014, in an open area next to a church on Chase Avenue. This image was taken two months before the woman's death, police said.
Jacksonville Sheriff's Office
Jessica Beth Wolford's body was discovered early on Sept. 14, 2014, in an open area next to a church on Chase Avenue. This image was taken two months before the woman's death, police said.

Jessica Beth Wolford would have been 34 had she survived whatever befell her early one Sunday morning in 2014, according to Jacksonville Sheriff's Office records.

But nine years after her remains were found, police still have no leads in her homicide.

As part of the Sheriff's Office's new monthly “Cold Case Spotlight,” its homicide investigators are asking again for the public's help in passing on anything that may lead to identifying who killed Wolford, and bring some closure to those affected by her death, police said.

Wolford was 25 when her body was found early Sept. 14 in an open area next to a church in the 3500 block of Chase Avenue near the Moncrief Park community, police said. An autopsy determined her cause of death as a gunshot wound, police said.

Homicide and Crime Scene detectives learned that neighbors had heard gunfire about 5 a.m. that day and saw a man believed to be in his 40’s wearing a dirty white T-shirt and blue jeans running away. So far, detectives have not identified that man and have no other clues as to who may have shot and killed the woman.

Anyone with information related to Wolford’s death is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at (904) 630-0500 or via email at JSOCrimeTips@jaxsheriff.org. To remain anonymous and be eligible for a possible reward, call First Coast Crime Stoppers at (866) 845-8477 (TIPS).

Dan Scanlan is a veteran journalist with almost 40 years as a radio, television and print reporter in the Jacksonville area, as well as years of broadcast work in the Northeast. You can reach Dan at dscanlan@wjct.org, (904) 607-2770 or on Twitter at @scanlan_dan.