‘He was loved’: 25-year old unsolved Jacksonville murder gains new attention

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A 25-year-old unsolved murder is getting new attention. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said that Marlon Harris, the victim, was killed in the 1400 block of Steele Street on Nov. 14, 1997.

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Action News Jax reporter Kennedy Dendy spoke with Marlon’s then-fiancé, Neferturi Robinson. They had two kids together.

“He was murdered two weeks before his 25th birthday,” Robinson said.

According to officials, witnesses told JSO in 1997 that they heard a gunshot and saw a man standing over Harris. When officers arrived, they found him dead in the roadway. Those witnesses believe the suspect had a chrome or silver handgun and then he ran away.

“When I got the phone call I was like no that’s not him,” Robinson said. “When I went to the crime scene, it was him.”

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Action News Jax also spoke with Detective Ray Reeves of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. He said the agency will be using upgraded technology, with the hopes of finally cracking the case.

“We have the potential for some testing or DNA that they didn’t have before,” Reeves said.

JSO is submitting items now that they believe will hopefully give a clue as to who the suspect is. Detectives told Action News Jax that Harris was arrested for a minor offense the same day he was killed.

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However, JSO says there was only a 30-35 minute window between when he was released and when he died.

“Did he contact someone? Was he picked up? Did he take public transportation to be in this area?” Reeves asked.

Those are all questions detectives need the public’s help to find out.

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Ryan Backmann is the executive director of Project Cold Case, an organization based in Jacksonville.

“This is an opportunity for everybody to show them that their loved one is not forgotten,” Backmann said. “There are still people out here that care, and there are still independent individuals and detectives working to solve their case and bring them those answers that they’re so desperate for.”

Backmann said his organization has a focus on “hope.”

“You never know when somebody is going to see something on TV and be more willing to come forward now than maybe they were in 1997,” Backmann said. “That could be the difference.”

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If you know anything about this case, you’re asked to contact JSO immediately at 904-630-0500 or email at JSOCrimeTips@jaxsheriff.org. You can also leave an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS or contact Project Cold Case.

“He was a great father to his kids,” Robinson said. “He didn’t get to see our oldest daughter graduate. He didn’t get to see our oldest son become a man. He was loved. He has friends and family that care. We just want closure.”

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