Chilling Crime: Teen Confesses to Gruesome Dismemberment and Collects Blood Samples in Disturbing Murder Case

A Florida teenager allegedly confessed to his girlfriend that he had “killed somebody and cut him up” following a brutal attack on a man in his neighborhood with a baseball bat. According to police reports, Lucas Jones, 19, from Indialantic, not only dismembered the victim but also collected the man’s blood to preserve on microscope slides.

In a chilling conversation recounted by his girlfriend, Jones expressed a desire to murder 28-year-old Colie Daniel because Daniel was a registered sex offender living nearby. The arrest affidavit confirms Jones’s statement, and online records indicate that Daniel had been convicted in 2018 for lewd or lascivious battery involving a minor aged 12 to 15.

“He wanted to kill him,” the girlfriend reportedly told police.

The affidavit further reveals that Jones had obtained a printed list of local sex offenders. Daniel, who lived nearby, was presumably included on this list of registered offenders that Jones had compiled.

Jones allegedly detailed to his girlfriend the gruesome manner in which he murdered Daniel, describing the use of a baseball bat for the killing and a cleaver, saw, and knife for dismemberment. According to the affidavit, Jones then placed Daniel’s dismembered body into two suitcases and two large Rubbermaid totes.

A portion of Daniel’s dismembered remains were found in an area known as the “Compound” in Palm Bay, along Bombardier Boulevard, on March 28. Vultures were spotted swarming around an abandoned suitcase, which led to the discovery.

Daniel’s parents had reported him missing on March 22 and informed police that he told them he was going over to a house about a mile away from their home; he never returned after saying he would be home for dinner.

The parents said they used “Find My iPhone” on Daniel’s iPad, which was left at their home, to determine that his cellphone was at 420 Watson Drive — Jones’ address, according to an affidavit for a search warrant.

They went over to the address on March 20.

“[Jones] confirmed that Colie Daniel was inside of his home, but … he refused to come to the door,” the affidavit says. “Colie Daniel’s parents refused to leave without seeing their son, so Lucas Jones called law enforcement, who responded to the scene.”

While the Indialantic Police Department and Colie Daniel’s parents were both on scene, Jones’ girlfriend arrived at the home. They had only been dating for about a month and a half, according to police.

“She often spends the night at Lucas Jones’ house and arrived on this evening after she got off of work,” the search warrant affidavit says.

Jones allegedly told his girlfriend to not say anything and go inside. He refused to let the parents and police enter his residence to see if Daniel, who had not been reported missing yet, was there, the arrest affidavit states.

“No contact was ever made with Daniel that evening,” the arrest affidavit says, noting how his parents and the responding officers left. “The residence at the time law enforcement and victim family members were there was an active crime scene, and Jones was in the process of cleaning up,” the document alleges.

Jones’ girlfriend later told cops that when she walked inside the home, Jones told her “I killed somebody and cut him up” and confessed that it was Daniel, according to the arrest affidavit.

“Jones had already cleaned up most of the blood inside of the home, but she still saw blood in the tile grout, the carpet rugs, the baseboards, and the wall outside of his bedroom,” the arrest affidavit says. “She also noticed one tile outside of his bedroom was cracked and dented in the shape of a head.”

Police returned to Jones’ home on the morning of March 21 — the day before Daniel’s parents reported him missing — but were unable to find any sign of him after being let into the residence to look around. After they eventually left, Jones’ girlfriend said he asked her to ride with him in her car to “throw away” the suitcase and totes containing Daniel’s remains, according to the affidavits.

“Shortly after Indialantic Police Department departs, so does Jones who is accompanied by [the girlfriend],” the arrest affidavit says. “Prior to departure, Jones loaded up at least two gray Rubbermaid storage totes and at least one black suitcase into the back seat.”

The couple allegedly made multiple stops “removing each tote and the suitcase from the vehicle at separate locations” throughout the Compound area in Palm Bay, according to police. After Daniel’s remains were discovered, authorities returned to Jones’ home with a search warrant and allegedly found evidence of blood throughout the residence.

On March 30, two days after the remains were found, Jones’ girlfriend came forward and confessed to police about what allegedly happened. She told them about items Jones used to clean up the crime scene and other objects used during the commission of the murder, according to the arrest affidavit.

“These items include but not limited to carpet rugs, paint used in covering up the walls and baseboards, residential trash cans, drills, plumbing pea-traps and evidence of microscope slides containing biological-matter,” the arrest affidavit says. “A drill bit was located in a bag along with some of the remains. There was an injury observed consistently with a drill hole, similar in size to the drill bit found.”

Jones was arrested and charged with murder, abuse of a dead body, transporting a human body in unauthorized containers, and tampering with evidence. He is being held without bond and is due to be arraigned on April 21.