Brother of woman killed in Jacksonville 'house of horrors' is 'in shock'

A man is accused of killing a woman, dismembering her and burying her in his Jacksonville yard.

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said Joni Gunter was murdered by Russell Tillis, who then buried her at his 'House of Horrors.'

Gunter's younger brother, Robert, is coming to terms with his sister's death.

“To be honest, my body’s still in shock,” Robert Gunter said.

Thursday night, Action News Jax spoke with Robert Gunter by phone. JSO believes his sister died between February 2014 and May 2015. She was never reported missing, but her family members said they did look for her.

“I just wish I was down there so I could have done something about this before it all transpired,” Robert Gunter said.

He added that he and his sisters were in and out of foster homes growing up.

“My sister wasn’t only my sister, she was like a mother to me 'cause we lost our mother back in '95 due to a drunk driver,” Robert Gunter said.

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Robert Gunter said his sister made mistakes but was a loving and outgoing person.

“I want her to be remembered for all the good she done in her life. She would give them the last dollar she had,” Robert Gunter said.

JSO said Tillis targeted vulnerable women with a history of prostitution and drugs and based on statements from Tillis, they believe it’s highly likely there are other victims.

“I’ve got one question for him … it’s 'why?' ... why did he do the stuff that he does?” Robert Gunter asked.

In March, JSO sent out a photo of a woman they were interested in identifying. Thursday, we learned the photo is not of Gunter and JSO says the woman in the photo has not been identified at this time. They are not sure who she is, where she is, or if she is a victim of a crime.

And Robert Gunter has a message for his sister’s killer, words that may come as a surprise.

“I just don’t see how he could live with himself every day for doing this. But t I just want him to know that I forgive him because that’s the right Christian thing to do,” Robert Gunter said.

Cox Media Group