The ex-girlfriend of a man charged in 21-year-old Savannah Gold's murder said he showed remorse when he called her from jail.
She spoke with Action News Jax reporter Danielle Avitable Monday night but did not want to be identified.
Sister of Savannah Gold murder suspect was jailed months ago on murder charge
She said she felt sick when she saw a news report about the murder charge Lee Rodarte faces.
Police say Rodarte admitted to killing Gold and dumping her body in a pond Saturday.
Rodarte’s ex-girlfriend said she got a call from him Saturday night.
"It just shocked me with this because the Lee I know would never, could never do anything like this," she said.
She said she and Rodarte dated for 11 years and he was never violent toward her.
They grew up across the street from each other and still talked everyone once in a while despite breaking up two years ago, she said.
She said Rodarte has called her several times since Saturday.
More than $22,000 raised for family of Savannah Gold
She said the last time she spoke to him was Sunday.
"I said, ‘What's going on?’” she said. “He said he couldn't speak about it. I said, ‘Do you have any remorse for this?’ and he said, ‘Yes.’ And he couldn't say anything else about it."
She said Rodarte wasn’t aggressive and she never felt scared while with him.
She said she has a lot of unanswered questions and that her heart goes out to the Gold family.
Rodarte is being held without bond on charges including murder and evidence tampering.