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HOMICIDE SUSPECT IN CUSTODY

March 12, 2003

The Fort Lauderdale Police Department has confirmed that 39-year-old Jodi Eli Geer is in the custody of U.S. Marshals in Romeo, Michigan.

Geer was wanted in reference to the beating death of 39-year-old Michael Miller. Miller was beaten by Geer at J.T.’s Lounge, 3800 Davie Blvd. in the early morning hours of February 23, 2003 and died later that day. A murder warrant was obtained later that week for the arrest of Geer.

Early Tuesday morning, March 11, 2002, Fort Lauderdale Police received a tip that Geer was possibly in the city of Romeo, Michigan and that he was still driving the 1980’s Chevy S-10 pickup that he was last seen in. The U.S. Marshals were notified and surveillance was conducted in a grocery store parking lot that he was possibly traveling to. Shortly after 4:30 p.m. Tuesday Geer was spotted in that store parking lot and taken into custody without incident.

Geer will be extradited back to Florida at a later date that has not been determined.

ARRESTED: Jodi Eli Geer, 03-03-64

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OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTING UPDATE

March 13, 2003

The Fort Lauderdale Police Department is continuing to investigate an officer involved shooting that occurred to the rear of 1604 NW 11 Court on Wednesday, March 12, 2003 at approximately 11:15 p.m.

The incident began at approximately 11:05 p.m. when Fugitive Detectives spotted a suspect in an armed robbery that had occurred Tuesday night, March 11th at approximately 10:45 p.m. In that robbery the suspect had fired one shot and robbed a female of her gold jewelry and a cell phone, there were no injuries to the victim.

Detectives requested uniformed officers to stop the suspect who was riding a bicycle in the 1500 block of West Sunrise Blvd., also at this time a description of the suspect was broadcast over the police radio. At 11:08 p.m. uniformed officers attempted to stop the suspect in the 1500 block of NW 10 Place. It was here that the suspect jumped from his bike, turned and fired one shot at the officers. The suspect fled on foot with officers in pursuit, a perimeter was set up and K-9 requested. The K-9 Officer along with two other officers (one being the initial officer shot at) followed the suspect’s track to the rear of 1604 NW 11 Court. At 11:25 p.m. as officers entered the backyard the suspect fired striking one of the officers (once again the initial responding officer) in the lower left back. Officers retuned fire striking the suspect several times.

The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. The injured officer was wearing his “bullet proof vest” and was transported to Broward General Medical Center where he was treated and released a short time later. The officer’s vest absorbed the impact of the bullet causing only bruising to the officer’s skin but no penetration.

The suspect has been tentatively identified however his name is not being released pending notification of next of kin.

The injured officer is Joel Winfrey, 31 years of age and a 9-year veteran of the Fort Lauderdale Police Department.

The other officers involved are K-9 Officer Ian Sklar, 30 years of age, a 10-year veteran and Jack DiCristofalo, 33 years of age and also a ten-year veteran.

All three have been placed on Administrative leave per Departmental Policy.

The exact number of times that the suspect was struck is undetermined at this time pending an autopsy by the Medical Examiners Office, and number of rounds fired by the officers is still under investigation as all the weapons are being tested and cleared by Forensic Detectives.

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ARREST IN 1991 HOMICIDE CASE

March 24, 2003

The Fort Lauderdale Police Department has obtained an arrest warrant in connection with the 1991 homicide of Lorraine Anne Barrett, age 32.

Barrett was found murdered in room 824 at the Days Inn Lauderdale Surf Motel, 440 Seabreeze Blvd., at approximately 12:17 p.m. on June 1, 1991. Barrett had just checked into the motel the night before and was in town for several days on vacation from Western Pennsylvania.

Forensic Detectives processed the room and collected evidence from the room as well as from the victim. Homicide Detectives began their investigation and found that Barrett had been seen at the Elbow Room Bar the same night that she had checked into the Days Inn. Witnesses’ recall-seeing Barrett with a white male at the bar and later recall seeing the victim Barrett with this same white male entering an elevator at the Days Inn.

The Broward County Medical Examiners Office ruled the death a Homicide by asphyxiation.

A composite sketch of the suspect along with descriptions of the suspect’s tattoos was compiled and distributed however no arrests were made.

In 2002, Detective John Curcio reopened the “cold case” and began reviewing the investigation. Knowing the great advancements that DNA technology had made over the past 11 years the evidence recovered at the scene in 1991 was submitted by Detective Curcio to the Broward Sheriffs Office and FDLE labs to be typed and profiled.

This information was then sent to NDIS (National DNA indexing System) to be posted with a request for individual states to search their databases for a possible match.

During the week of March 14, 2003 Detective Curcio learned the suspect DNA recovered in 1991 matched that of an inmate on Death Row in the State of Arkansas.

The DNA match was tested and reconfirmed by investigators of the State Crime Lab in Arkansas. The inmate matched to the DNA is a white male named Jack Harold Jones, 08-10-64. Jones is currently on Death Row in connection with the 1995 Murder of a female along with the attempted murder of her 11 year-old daughter in White County Arkansas.

Jones at the time of his arrest had multiple tattoos described by witnesses in the 1991 murder of Barrett and matched the over physical description of the suspect.

Detective Curcio has been in contact with prison officials in Arkansas and advised them of the warrant. Curcio has not formally interviewed Jones at this time.

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