JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — On Wednesday night, the family of a man who went missing last year before he was found dead is speaking out.
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Police said Philip Curtis was beaten and buried last year. They also said Reginald House is responsible. Curtis lived on House’s property because he was doing work for him.
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Sharon Fowler knew something wasn’t right so she filed a report and didn’t let it go. At one point she said she confronted House during her search for answers and had a feeling that he would be linked to her son-in-law’s case.
And now she’s happy that there’s some form of closure.
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It’s been a long and grueling 12 months for Fowler.
“We just wanted Philip, that’s all we wanted.”
Her son-in-law Philip Curtis went missing last November -- she filed a report after not hearing from him and hearing from people that he may have been killed.
“I knew any little thing could mess this up and we may never find him,” Fowler said.
On Wednesday, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s office announced the arrest of Reginald House for murder. Police said Curtis was beaten and buried by House.
Fowler said it’s a call she’s been waiting for.
Read: Missing woman located and reunited with family, JSO reports
“The only thing I could do outside was holler yes!”
Fowler said she confronted House a year ago to find out what happened, but said he changed the subject. Once she filed the report she let detectives take over.
“I knew who was behind it, but had no proof,” Fowler said. “Difficult isn’t even the word because along with that comes the pain and the rage and the hatred.”
House was already in jail on unrelated charges when they connected him to Curtis’ murder. His arrest report said Curtis lived on a boat behind houses home. At some point a source inside the Duval County Jail told investigators something House said and they eventually questioned him about Curtis’ death. But most of what’s said in a report has been redacted.
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The report also mentioned a witness who saw House confront Curtis at some point.
Police said Curtis’ remains were found in a garbage bag in an empty lot near Elm Street.
“When he said remains I literally went to my knees,” Fowler said. “He dug Philip up three times.”
Fowler had a message for the suspect.
“I want to be the last thing he sees. I want to look at him and tell him, do you remember me?”
Curtis leaves behind a 14-year-old son.
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Fowler said she had hope an arrest would be made. There’s still a lot she told Action News Jax she can’t say -- she’s hoping he gets punished to the fullest extent.
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