COCOA, Fla. — An autopsy was performed Monday on the body of a 31-year-old Cocoa woman found Friday evening in rural Osceola County.
Police have not said how Tashaun Jackson died, only that her death is being investigated as a homicide.
Jackson had been missing since Feb. 9 after walking to a 7-Eleven convenience store at North Fiske and Dixon boulevards in Cocoa, investigators said.
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Police said they found her body in a remote wooded area near Deer Park and Nova roads.
Sh'mika Scott-Devoe, Jackson's cousin, told Channel 9 on Monday that her family is in no rush for updates from police as long as the integrity of the investigation is protected.
"In our community, there have been so many murders, so many unsolved cases," she said. "We want to make sure that this is not another one (added) to the list."
Troopers said Jackson's father was involved in a crash at about 7:30 p.m. Friday on State Road 520 and died at a hospital at about 11 p.m.
"As far as the (funeral) arrangements (go), we're planning to do a double funeral," said Sharon Jones-Smith, Jackson's aunt. "Her and her father were really (closely) connected in a way we can't even explain."
Investigators said that over the weekend, they searched the home of a suspect in a burglary and attempted sexual battery case.
Jackson's family members said she gave a deposition in that 2018 case.
Police said they were called to Jackson's apartment complex after gunfire was reported.
"The community is upset, and I totally understand that. But I plead to the community: Do not put another family member in this position," Jones-Smith said. "Let's not resort to violence. Let the officers do what they're hired to do."
She said her family is trying to comfort Jackson's four daughters.
"We're going to make sure that they know their mother loved them," Jones-Smith said. "We're going to make sure that they know we fought for her and we did everything we could to make sure the people responsible for it paid for it."
Jackson's relatives told Channel 9 that the details are still being finalized for the joint public funeral.
More than $3,000 has been raised for the service through a GoFundMe account. Click here for details.
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