Georgia authorities filed a murder charge against Murray who led authorities to a body believed to be that of the missing priest.
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Murray will likely face charges of first-degree murder in Georgia and kidnapping in Jacksonville, Shoar said.
Father Rene Robert, a priest in St. Augustine, was confirmed to be dead as his dead body was recovered in Georgia, according to CBS News.
Investigators say suspect Steven Murray is the one who led them to the body. The suspect was booked in Burke County Jail, and it was reported that he was transported to the GBI in Thomson for questioning, according to News12 WRDW.
Murray was arrested in SC while driving the priest’s Toyota Corolla.
‘We believe Murray took advantage of his kindness’.
Police say Robert was helping Murray, who has an extensive criminal history, and had recently been released from jail. Because of the condition of the body, dental records will be needed to confirm the identity.
‘There are more details through interviews that will hopefully clarify some of those issues, ‘ Georgia Bureau of Investigation spokesman Scott Dutton said.
St. Johns Sheriff David Shoar, who knew Robert through weddings and baptisms the priest performed for relatives, assured the community that multiple jurisdictions were working to find Robert. However, the State Attorney’s Office for Duval County won’t say if they’ll charge Murray there because it is an open investigation. He disappeared from St. Augustine, Florida last week where he was living.
“If anybody really loves Father Rene, they’ll forgive me because he was a man of God and forgiveness is forgiveness”, Murray told reporters on video. Murray was then extradited back to Florida, where officials had been looking for him, he added.
Robert, 71, was last seen April 10 and was reported missing after he didnt attend a parishioner’s funeral two days later.
An earlier version of this story has been corrected to show the body was found in east Georgia, not south Georgia. Shoar said Murray also broke into homes in SC before his arrest, and was found with multiple guns including a rifle with a scope.
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She continued: “I told him ‘there’s people you can not trust, so please be very careful”.
