Homicide Detectives with The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office have notified Historic City News reporters that earlier today; they obtained, and served, an arrest warrant on 26-year old transient Joseph Dean Roberts charging him with the murder of 45-year old South Ponte Vedra resident Brittany Jeniveve Tavar.
Roberts has been sought by local, state and federal law enforcement officers as “a person of interest” since Tavar’s mysterious disappearance from her South Beach Drive residence reported on July 10, 2010.
Roberts was stopped driving Tavar’s car in Wyoming before Tavar was reported missing. He was arrested last Tuesday afternoon in Seattle, Washington, on retail theft charges. He waived extradition and was brought back to St. Johns County Saturday
During an interview with St. Johns County Homicide Detectives George Harrigan and Charles Brantley, conducted while he was still in custody in King County, Roberts admitted to causing Tavar’s death and explained how he disposed of her body. Based on that admission, St. Johns County Sheriff’s deputies located and recovered Tavar’s decomposed remains on October 14th in a heavily wooded area off of SR-207 and Lightsey Road.
Local dentist, Dr. Michael Versaggi, compared teeth to available dental records and Dr. Michael Warren at the C.A. Pound Human Identification Lab of the University of Florida contributed to the post mortem examination under the direction of District 23 Medical Examiner, Dr. Terrence Steiner.
Steiner positively identified the remains and ruled Tavar’s manner of death a homicide. The cause of death is blunt force trauma, according information from the autopsy examination report obtained by Historic City News yesterday.
Roberts is in custody at the St. Johns County Detention Facility; now being held, without bond, on charges of auto theft, violation of probation and, now, premeditated first degree murder.
Photo credits: © 2010 Historic City News staff photographer and King County Sheriff’s Office contributed photograph
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