Viswa Vanapalli
In March 2008, a young woman was reported missing after she didn’t show up for work. Jacey McWilliams’ loved ones mounted a desperate search for her, but their worst nightmare came true when she was found dead. Investigation Discovery’s ‘Dead Silent: Taken for a Ride’ chronicles how the authorities zeroed in on a suspect, eventually leading to a confession. So, let’s find out more about this case then, shall we?
How Did Jacey McWilliams Die?
Jacey Lynn McWilliams was born in July 1984 to Jay and Christine McWilliams. The 23-year-old was pretty close to her family, including her brother, Christopher, and was talking to her mother regularly. At the time of the incident, Jacey worked in the service department at a car dealership in Florida. It seemed like things were looking up for her, but a tragedy changed everything in 2008. Jacey was last seen at her work on March 11, 2008. She spoke with her mother at around 9:22 pm the same day, the last time anyone heard from her.
Therefore, Christine began to worry when she couldn’t get a hold of Jacey. Christine reported her daughter missing on March 13, 2008, after she failed to show up for work two days in a row. The search ended a week later with the investigators finding her remains in a wooded area in Middleburg, Florida. Jacey had been beaten to death in the head with a blunt instrument. An autopsy revealed that she had been hit at least seven times, and the injuries caused a skull fracture and a hemorrhage in her brain.
Who Killed Jacey McWilliams?
In the area where Jacey McWilliams’ body was located, the authorities found a pair of eyeglasses, slippers, some coins, and what appeared to be a blood stain on the ground, among other things. Her shirt was pulled up, indicating that she had been dragged, and in addition, her pockets were turned inside out. The police then concentrated on figuring out what Jacey did in the time leading up to her disappearance.
Christine told the police that Jacey mentioned being out with someone named David during their phone call. Then, a coworker stated that on March 11, 2008, Jacey talked about meeting David, who had planned something special for them. The person was later identified as David Martin, who was arrested on March 17, 2008, for shoplifting at a Walmart in Pinellas County.
At the time, David had Jacey’s car with him. So, the investigators brought David in for questioning and quizzed him about Jacey’s whereabouts. Initially, David claimed she came by his home in Jacksonville, Florida, and they hung out during the evening. He claimed that he dropped her home after that. Then, David said that he paid Jacey $50 to borrow her car so he could drive to meet his girlfriend in St. Petersburg, Florida.
However, David later changed his story to state that Jacey didn’t want to lend her car, leading to a verbal altercation. Then, he claimed to have pushed her out of the car, leaving her behind while he drove away. Eventually, David confessed. At the time, he said that the two were smoking and he was in contact with his girlfriend over the phone. David claimed that his girlfriend wasn’t happy about him not being at home and said that the conversation overwhelmed him.
As a result, David said that he attacked Jacey with a hammer from his car and continued to hit her in the head after she was unconscious. He claimed to have “blacked out” at the time and then dragged her body into some bushes. After that, David threw the hammer and the phone into a river. The authorities later located the remains with David’s help. His girlfriend later said he once joked about killing someone just to steal their car.
Where is David Martin Today?
At David Martin’s trial, he took the stand and denied killing Jacey. Instead, he claimed that his drug dealer committed the crime and threatened to hurt his family if he spoke about it to anyone. Nevertheless, in November 2009, David was convicted of murder and robbery with a deadly weapon. The following month, then 23-years-old, he was sentenced to die. Prison records indicate that David remains incarcerated at the Union Correctional Institution in Raiford, Florida.
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