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Left: Jessie Kirk (Children’s Advocacy Center of Brevard). Right: David Barber (Titusville Police Department).
A Florida man charged with murder had 12 pages of handwritten, extensive notes detailing plans on how to kidnap a 72-year-old woman, force her to give him her financial information and murder her, police say.
Cops recovered the document and released it to media outlets including Law&Crime as part of their investigation into the March death of Jessie Kirk in Titusville. David Barber, 35, is facing a slew of charges including first-degree murder, burglary, kidnapping, grand theft auto and abuse of a corpse.
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Barber, who used to date Kirk’s niece, allegedly wrote a step-by-step plan on a legal pad that included supplies to buy and information to glean from the victim after he kidnapped her. Supplies apparently included a costume, gloves, gag, tape and bleach among other items. He also allegedly wrote a “gather list,” and among those items were tools, cameras, restraints and guns.
There also was a detailed “time line.”
“Finalize plans, clean room,” Barber allegedly wrote. “Pack clothes. Plan route. Print rental agreement.”
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He allegedly wanted to “strike at 5.”
“Park across the street, observe and put on disguise,” the plan reads. “At 5 move across the street and go in.”
Barber allegedly planned to have a gun, duct tape and handcuffs on him when he attacked.
“Get entry info before gagging (garage, gate and door),” the document said. “Find out who will miss her and when.”
Prosecutors allege the document reveals that the motive for the murder was financial gain.
“If possible access finances, request credit line increase, apply for new cards,” Barber allegedly wrote.
Barber also allegedly said he wanted to steal jewelry and “anything else small and valuable.” He planned to “withdraw cash and make large purchases,” the document stated.
Finally: “When leaving after sweeping house after bleaching, place K’s fingerprint on toilet lid.”
The plan mentions “K” a few times but does not give a full name. Barber’s ex-girlfriend — Kirk’s niece — has a name that starts with a K, records show. Barber also allegedly noted to find out from Kirk when she last spoke with her niece and to review their text conversations.
Last week, prosecutors filed their intent to seek the death penalty against Barber.
As Law&Crime previously reported, cops first were alerted something was awry with Kirk around 8:30 a.m. March 4 when she failed to show up for a walk with a friend. Kirk’s niece arrived at her aunt’s apartment complex to help in the search and saw Barber’s car in the parking lot. The niece had previously filed a restraining order against, reportedly saying she felt as if he was going to take “her to an unsafe location and attack or kill me.”
About an hour after Kirk’s reported disappearance, firefighters in nearby Orange County responded to a vehicle fire. Officials confirmed the burned SUV belonged to Kirk. A witness also said she saw a man walking away from the burning vehicle, holding his arm, a probable cause arrest affidavit said.
Then, at around 12:20 p.m. the same day, cops spotted Barber “loitering” across the street from Kirk’s condo complex. He “appeared to be attempting to avoid law enforcement,” the affidavit said. He also had fresh burns on his right arm. After officers confronted him, Barber could not give a valid reason for being in the area. When cops asked why he seemed to be trying to avoid them, he allegedly responded “I don’t feel I should answer that at this time.”
Witnesses and street cameras placed Barber in Kirk’s SUV and cops arrested him for grand theft auto and loitering and prowling.
Officials then received a call around 2:45 p.m. on March 4 — some six hours after Kirk’s reported disappearance — about the discovery of burned human remains. A medical examiner positively identified the body as Kirk. Prosecutors subsequently indicted Barber for murder and other charges.
Kirk was well-respected in her community. She received a “Humanitarian of the Year” from the Navy League and served on the board of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Brevard since 2008.
“Her commitment was to help ensure children overcome the trauma of abuse and move forward on a path of healing and hope toward a brighter future. She was a vibrant, caring, and generous woman,” the center said in a tribute posted to Facebook.
Barber worked as a corrections deputy with the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office from 2018 to 2022. Records indicate that he left on his own volition and had no disciplinary history. He was arrested in December for allegedly trying to break into Kirk’s niece’s old apartment, according to records. That case remains ongoing. The alleged restraining order for stalking remains pending, court records show.
