Jacksonville, FL — After a suspect in a Putnam County murder was arrested by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office on Monday, we're learning brand new details about how exactly he was caught.
According to the Putnam County Sheriff's Office, Joseph McKee, 38, was quickly identified as a person of interest in the stabbing death of a woman on Sand Lake Road early Sunday. That victim has since been identified by deputies as Alicia Kerce, 37. We're told the two were roommates.
A short time after identifying McKee as a person of interest, deputies say the Alachua County Sheriff's Office found the victim’s truck burnt in the Waldo-area. They do believe it was intentionally set on fire.
Investigators say they then received a report of a stolen vehicle nearby, which is believed to be how McKee got to Jacksonville.
But, in the end, deputies say it was a family member of McKee who alerted law enforcement that he was in Jacksonville and attempting to find a ride.
At some point during his attempt to flee, deputies say McKee tried to catch a ride with a delivery truck driver, leading to some sort of altercation, where McKee apparently broke his leg.
That injury allowed officers with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office to take him into custody.
"The death of Alicia Marie Kerce is the most brutal murder I can remember in the history of Putnam County. Our job now is to be the voice of the victim and see that his case is meticulously investigated and to hold the person responsible for her death accountable for this crime," says Putnam Sheriff Gator DeLoach, speaking after McKee’s arrest.
McKee is now being charged with first-degree murder.