The Brevard County Grand Jury has indicted DAVID A. BARBER for first-degree murder, kidnapping and other charges for the killing of Jessie Kirk, 72, of Titusville in March.
BARBER, 35, was arrested on suspicion of murder in March after Kirk’s body was found burned near the Haulover Canal in north Brevard and her Lincoln Navigator SUV was found burned near State Road 50 and State Road 520 in Orange County.
The Grand Jury indicted BARBER on April 8 on nine charges:
- First-degree premeditated murder, a capital felony punishable by life in prison or the death penalty.
- Burglary of a dwelling
- Kidnapping
- Arson
- Grand theft of a motor vehicle
- Abuse of a dead human body
- Two counts of tampering with or destroying evidence
- Petit theft between $100-$750
State Attorney William Scheiner now has 45 days to consult with Kirk’s survivors and decide whether to seek the death penalty.
Friends reported Kirk missing March 4, the same day Titusville Police found BARBER acting suspiciously and arrested him for loitering, prowling and grand theft of Kirk’s vehicle. He was being held the Brevard County Jail on those charges when Kirk’s body was discovered, and he was arrested on additional charges including murder and arson.
A former Brevard County corrections deputy, BARBER’s most recent address was in Polk County. Kirk was related to a woman BARBER had dated and lived with in Titusville. Besides theft, his motives for targeting Kirk are unclear.
Barber remains held without bond. He has been transferred to the Volusia County Jail due to his experience as a corrections officer in Brevard.
