Neptune Beach grandmother died of gunshot, stab wounds

Jacksonville, FL — New details about the manner of death for a local grandmother are surfacing during her 15-year-old grandson’s court appearance.

We first told you last week that Logan Mott and Kristina French were believed to be missing, but French’s body was later found in Neptune Beach, and Mott was then caught in Buffalo, New York. Mott was being held on grand theft auto, but was also considered a person of interest in French’s death.

On Tuesday, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said they had obtained an arrest warrant for murder for Mott.

During a Wednesday hearing, prosecutors confirmed for the first time that French suffered both gunshot and stab wounds. Erie County District Attorney John Flynn says they revealed certain details about the murder in order to make sure the judge understood the gravity of the crime and would keep Mott in custody.

“Give the judge enough information that the arrest warrant for murder from Florida is legitimate,” Flynn says.

Guns taken from Mott’s father and a knife with blood were found in the car with the teen when he was pulled over in New York, according to Flynn, but he’s not giving other case specific details at this time, in order to protect the case and pending prosecution in Florida.

Mott was initially detained by Customs and Border Protection after making a wrong turn near the border with Canada.  He is still being held, and faces another hearing Friday morning which will include discussing extradition to Florida.

Mott’s attorney, Dominic Saraceno, says they haven’t yet determined if they will ask for an extradition hearing. They could, legally, dispute that Mott is the subject of the warrant, which would then require the New York Governor to assemble some paperwork and the Florida Governor to sign a warrant.

“We have to do our due dilligence and follow proper procedure,” Saraceno says.

Flynn says requesting a hearing would just be a “delay tactic” that pushes off the “inevitable”.

Saraceno says Mott is maintaining his innocence in the murder.