Marion County Sheriff asks public to help close 4 unsolved murders from 2022

MARION COUNTY, Fla. — After tips from the public recently helped lead to arrests for the murders of three Florida teens, Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods is trying to do the same for four people killed last year.

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The 2022 homicides of 36-year-old LaToya Reaves, 23-year-old Dequandre Alexander, 16-year-old Kent Patterson Jr. and 16-year-old Kenneth Carr Jr. all remain unsolved with few leads.

Around 9 p.m. on January 31, 2022, Marion County Deputies were called to a shooting in the 3400 block of NW 16th Ave. in Ocala where they found LaToya Reaves and a 43-year-old man with gunshot wounds. The male victim was taken to the hospital and released later that same evening but Reaves passed away from her injuries the next day.

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Deputies say they have no suspects in the case and no information about what led up to the shooting and Reaves’ death.

“Someone saw something and someone knows something, but no one has uttered a word to help us,” Woods said.

Anyone with information on Reaves’ murder is asked to contact Crime Stoppers of Marion County at (352) 368-7867 and reference 22-04 in the tip.

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Months later, on the morning of July 18, deputies found Gainesville resident Dequandre Alexander shot to death along the side of the road on NW 41st Ave. in Reddick. Anyone who knows what happened to Alexander is also asked to call Crime Stoppers and reference 22-39 for tips in that case.

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The sheriff’s office is also trying to stir up leads in their investigations into the murders of two 16-year-old boys with a strange connection.

Early on the morning of Saturday, August 6, deputies responded to reports of a shooting at a home in the 4700 block of West Highway 318 in Citra where they found Kent Patterson Jr. dead. Deputies have no leads in Patterson’s case.

Months later on November 9, deputies found Kenneth Carr, Jr. shot to death at the Campground Cemetery at 8565 NW 130th St. in Reddick. According to the sheriff’s office, Carr’s body was found on Kent Patterson Jr.’s grave.

Again, anyone with information on either murder is asked to call Crime Stoppers and reference 22-45 for tips in Patterson’s case, and 22-63 for tips in Carr’s case.

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“As much work as my detectives do, sometimes there is a missing piece that we need to help solve a case,” Woods said. “I know someone knows something about the events that took these individuals’ lives from them. One of you has the missing piece. Please help us put their murderers behind bars.”

Crime Stoppers callers are anonymous and could be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 if the information they provide leads to an arrest.

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