Summerfield man charged with murder of man found shot to death along rural Marion County road

MARION COUNTY, Fla. — Marion County deputies say they’ve arrested the person responsible for the murder of a man found shot to death on the side of a road in September.

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Deputies were called to the 2500 block of SE 174th Place in Summerfield at 10 p.m. on September 21 for reports of a shooting and crash.

The responding deputies arrived to find 55-year-old Darius Dunyel Jones lying near the side of the roadway, dead from multiple gunshot wounds.

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On Wednesday, deputies announced the arrest of 38-year-old Joseph Horrighs for the murder.

Man, 55, found shot to death along rural Marion County road The body of a 55-year-old man who had been shot to death was discovered late Thursday along a rural road, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said. (WFTV)

According to the sheriff’s office, Horrighs and a witness picked Jones up on the day of the murder and drove to a local Walmart with him.

While under the influence of methamphetamine, deputies say Horrighs “expressed paranoia” about the Walmart location, prompting an argument between him and the witness after they left the store.

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After the argument, deputies say the witness got out of the car and went home, leaving Jones alone with Horrighs approximately 20 minutes before the shooting was reported.

Investigators say the execution of a search warrant yielded evidence further tying Horrighs to the shooting, including shell casings matching the ones found at the crime scene.

Detectives turned over their evidence and witness statements to the State Attorney’s Office for the Fifth Judicial Circuit, which then convened a Grand Jury to review the case.

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On Thursday, the sheriff’s office announced that the Grand Jury returned with an indictment charging Horrighs with first-degree murder with a firearm.

He’s being held in the Marion County jail on no bond.

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