Missing Florida woman's roommate charged with murder as police search for body

PENSACOLA, Fla. (TCD) -- A 38-year-old man was arrested and charged with murder after police say he killed his roommate, though her body is still missing.

The Pensacola Police Department said in a statement Latonya Antionette Baxter was reported missing by her daughter on September 12 and had not been seen in two days. Police say she lived on the 100 block of Warwick Avenue with her daughter and 38-year-old roommate Giles Curt Jones.

According to Pensacola Police, investigators discovered blood in Baxter’s bedroom, in other spots on the property, and in Jones' vehicle. A police report cited by the Pensacola News Journal says there was a "large amount of blood" in the trunk of Jones' car.

Pensacola Police said they were able to look through Jones' phone and found a photo of Baxter’s dead body "with obvious signs of trauma."

That photo was reportedly taken at 1:54 p.m. on September 11, police say.

Jones was located at a Greyhound Bus station in Pensacola on September 15 and charged with premeditated first-degree murder.

According to the Pensacola News Journal, Pensacola Police suspect Baxter’s body could be in a "wooded area."

Police are also working across state lines to find Baxter’s remains. Pensacola Police Department Chief Eric Randall told the News Journal, "We’re partnering with other law enforcement agencies in the state of Florida and in the state of Alabama, and I’ve reached out to our federal partners, too, to assist."

Baxter’s 21-year-old daughter Ja'Nay Jackson said, "I would just like help to find my mom. I would love to be able to bring her home so I can officially put her to rest. That’s all I want."

Escambia County Jail records show Jones was being held without bond.

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