Man arrested after woman found with six stab wounds, slashed throat 

 ORANGE PARK – A 35-year-old man was charged with attempted murder after Clay County Sheriff’s Office deputies found an elderly woman with six stab wounds to her torso and “one slash wound across her neck” on Tuesday, May 12. 

Donald Claude Jackson, of Jacksonville, was booked into the Clay County Jail with a $750,503 bond, after deputies found him with blood on his hands, socks and shoes, and a woman suffering with critical injuries. 

According to the arrest report, when Jackson was asked how he was positioned when he stabbed the woman, he “broke down and began crying.” 

Jackson’s next pretrial hearing is scheduled for June 16. 

Convicted felon charged with kidnapping, possessing weapon 

 MIDDLEBURG – A convicted felon was being held at the Clay County Jail without bond after the Clay County Sheriff’s Office accused him of holding a woman against her will and illegally possessing a weapon on Wednesday, May 13. 

Marvin Daniel Finch, 31, of Middleburg, was charged with kidnapping/inflicting bodily harm/terrorizing a victim, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, dating battery, possession of ammo or firearm by a convicted felon and violation of pre-trail release conditions for domestic violence after a woman managed to secretly dial 911 and slip her cellphone back in her purse while CCSO said she was being held captive by Finch. 

The sheriff’s office stopped the car after 911 dispatchers notified deputies of a call that suddenly disconnected. CCSO pinged the location of the cellphone and conducted a traffic stop of the car on Blanding Boulevard. They noticed the woman had a cut lip. She told deputies she secretly dialed 911 and slipped her cellphone back in her purse. 

A background search revealed Finch had four felony convictions and wasn’t allowed to possess a weapon. After his bond was set at $552,011, Clay County Judge Hector Murcia Bustos revoked the bond and ordered him to remain in jail until his next court appearance on June 9. 

Oakleaf family demands transparency following officer-involved shooting 

 OAKLEAF – The family of a man who was shot to death by a Clay County Sheriff’s Office deputy hired a national civil rights attorney Ben Crump who demanded transparency after a social media video showed the man was on the ground when he was shot. 

Morris Anthony Davis, 48, was killed on May 9, on Pebble Stone Court when CCSO was assisting the Department of Children and Family Services on a welfare call. When deputies asked members of the household for identification, Sheriff Michelle Cook said Davis was combative. At some point, he grabbed two kitchen knives, went to the backyard, broke through a fence and entered a neighbor’s backyard. 

Deputies used their stun guns and tried to subdue him. Davis threw one of the knives at the deputies, and while he was on the ground, he was shot. Despite CCSO and Clay County Fire Rescue's attempts to revive him, Davis died. 

Cook said the case was immediately turned over to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the State Attorney’s Office for investigation. Deputy D. Brown was placed on administrative leave during the investigation. 

Crump held a press conference on Monday, May 18, at the New Hope Pentecostal Ministries. He said: “We’re fighting for truth, transparency and accountability to lead to justice.” 

Davis was charged with murder in Vicksburg, Mississippi, in 2013. There was an active warrant issued for his arrest in 2014. 

Davis's family disputed the murder charge. They also said DCFS didn’t have a warrant to conduct a welfare check, although Child Protective Services’ policy doesn’t require DCFS to have a warrant to check on a child. 

No information has been released by FDLE or the state attorney’s office while it investigates. 

CCSO: Orange Park man jailed for trafficking drugs from apartment 

 ORANGE PARK – The Clay County Sheriff’s Office enlisted the help of a confidential informant, leading to charges for an Orange Park man of significant drug trafficking charges on Friday, May 15. 

Percy Lewis Bell, 30, was charged with armed trafficking of methamphetamine, possession of cannabis, possession of MDMA, Adderall, Oxycodone, renting a structure for drug trafficking, possession of drug paraphernalia, two counts of possession of ammo and firearm by a convicted felon, the use and display of a firearm during a felony, selling amphetamine, two counts of selling cocaine, two counts of selling opium and two counts of using of a two-way communication device to facilitate felony after the sheriff’s office said he was selling drugs from his unit at the Kings Tree Apartment complex. 

Bell was jailed a day earlier on an outstanding warrant from Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, for possession of ammunition, firearm, drug paraphernalia, marijuana, firearm during the commission of a felony and cocaine, armed trafficking of MDMA and renting a dwelling for drug trafficking. 

CCSO issued a search warrant for his apartment on May 15 after the informant purchased drugs from Bell on at least seven occasions, according to several arrest reports. 

In all, Bell’s bonds totaled $846,563. He also was being held for driving with a suspended license, but a Clay County judge revoked his bond for that charge. 

Miami man charged with stealing an identity, getting loans 

 ORANGE PARK – A Miami man was arrested in South Florida and brought to the Clay County Jail to face charges of stealing the identity of a man and illegally obtaining loans. 

Jason Andrew Peter Francis, 37, was charged with three counts of fraud/possessing an ID of another person without their consent and using a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony. He was transported from the Miami Dade County Jail on May 5. 

According to the affidavit for an arrest report, the victim reported on Feb. 3 he noticed on his credit report somebody opened several fraudulent loans in his name, including a $7,000 loan at Lendmark Financial Services in Jacksonville. 

CCSO said Francis created a forged Florida driver’s license to open accounts and get loans. 

A detective with the sheriff’s office searched the loan packet at Lendmark, and it revealed information that “Based on results from various facial recognition software, it is high probability that the subject in the provided FL Driver’s License image is Jason Andrew Peter Francis, DOB: 08/27/1988. The subject in the provided image appears to have a similar eyebrow shape, cheek shape and nose shape, as well as similar facial hair, to Jason Francis.” 

The loan officer at Lendmark was provided with a photo array, and she picked Francis as the person who applied for the loan, according to the affidavit. 

Francis’ bond was set at $300,012 and his next court appearance for June 9. 

Motorcyclist charged with DUI, fighting with CCSO deputies 

 MIDDLEBURG – A 24-year-old man was arrested after a Clay County Sheriff’s Office deputy said he was racing in and out of traffic at a high rate of speed on his motorcycle at more than twice the legal limit of intoxication on Saturday, May 16. 

In addition to being charged with DUI with a blood alcohol limit of greater than .15 with a rider younger than 18, Jason Aiden Dever, of Middleburg, was also charged with assaulting a deputy, resisting a deputy, possession of cocaine, riding with an expired registration and without a license after he wrecked his motorcycle while being pursued by a CCSO deputy at Blanding Boulevard and Long Bay Road. 

When deputies approached, Dever became combative, according to the arrest report. Once they detained him, they noticed a strong smell of alcohol. They also found a bag containing cocaine near his motorcycle. 

At the Clay County Jail, Dever’s blood alcohol was tested at .169 and .172. The maximum level allowed in Florida is .08. 

Dever’s bond was set at $17,000.