A 24-year-old man was arrested after he reportedly admitted to someone that he killed a Jacksonville music teacher during a burglary at her home.
Jacksonville Sheriff's Office announced the arrest of Adam Christopher Lawson Jr. on Monday.
Lawson is accused in the death of Deborah Liles, a San Jose Elementary School music teacher who was found dead at her Panama Park home on March 23.
Lawson has a long list of charges in Polk County, including burglary and larceny, dating back to 2010.
Police said Liles' husband found her dead from blunt force trauma.
Husband of murdered Jacksonville teacher: 'We were the real deal'
The house was ransacked and several electronics and Liles' Buick LaCrosse were missing.
Police found Liles' car behind an abandoned house two days after her body was found.
Officers canvassed the area and found video of her car turning into a mobile home park on Main Street.
Photos: Family shares photos of beloved Jacksonville teacher
24 year-old Adam Lawson, Jr. was arrested for the murder of Deborah Liles. He confessed to someone that he burglarized her home; killed her.
— Erica Simon (@EricaOnABC13) April 3, 2017
A tip came in that Lawson, who lived at the mobile home park, admitted to someone that he robbed and murdered Liles.
He was arrested near his home on Sunday.
Detectives searched his home and found a pair of shoes with what appeared to be blood on them.
They were sent to forensics for testing.
Lawson was arrested on suspicion of murder, armed burglary, auto theft and possession of a gun by a convicted felon.
Family told Action News Jax that Liles was a victim of a violent attack at her Jacksonville home in 1993 and neighbors said her house had been broken into several times in the past.
Students remember beloved Jacksonville music teacher found dead in her home
2) Surveillance video on Main St. showed Liles' stolen Buick shortly after crime. It turned into a mobile home park (where Lawson lives).
— Erica Simon (@EricaOnABC13) April 3, 2017
3) JSO served a warrant on Lawson on Sunday. He has burglary in his criminal past and is a convicted felon.
— Erica Simon (@EricaOnABC13) April 3, 2017
4) Right now, JSO says the burglary appeared to be random. They have no evidence showing Liles' home was specifically targeted.
— Erica Simon (@EricaOnABC13) April 3, 2017
5) Liles died from "blunt force trauma." A gun was discovered at Lawson's home, but police don't believe it was involved in this crime.
— Erica Simon (@EricaOnABC13) April 3, 2017
#JSO has made an arrest for the murder of Deborah Liles. News conference will be LIVE on the #JSO Facebook page at 1:00 p.m. #JAX
— Jax Sheriff's Office (@JSOPIO) April 3, 2017
JSO update on murder investigationAdam Lawson, 24, has been arrested in the death of Deborah Liles. WATCH LIVE: One of the updates concerns the murder of a beloved Jacksonville teacher: http://bit.ly/2o1cyeA
Posted by Action News Jax on Monday, April 3, 2017
Cox Media Group
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/E2QW4IARBY7AWV6TWIBOVBIXRY.gif)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/NQCTWRA7OVFP5ABEQBTBAG2E3A.jpg)
:quality(70)/d1hfln2sfez66z.cloudfront.net/04-18-2024/t_bdd967977214473783a9212ab4b3c5d4_name_file_960x540_1200_v3_1_.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/N7YMXJTJYJEFBCXSUI6KPLO7OM.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/SKFDOR2IYNE4NDKFR6PGKELN3E.png)