OCALA, Fla. – A 41-year-old man was sentenced to life in prison Thursday after a jury convicted him of the 2023 premeditated murder of a 56-year-old Marion County man who was found shot multiple times.
Jurors found Joseph Edwards Horrighs guilty of First-Degree Premeditated Murder on August 27, 2026, following a three-day jury trial in the death of Darius Duntel Jones.
Following the verdict, Judge Barbara Kissner-Kwatkosky sentenced Horrighs to life in the Florida Department of Corrections.
“This verdict and sentencing hold the defendant accountable for taking the life of Darius Jones and provide a measure of justice for his family,” Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Bill Gladson said.
Gladson said Jones was killed in an act of premeditated violence and credited the jury with reaching a just verdict.
“Our thoughts remain with Mr. Jones’ family and loved ones as they continue to live with this loss,” Gladson said.
Jones Found Shot Multiple Times
The investigation began September 21, 2023, when Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a reported shooting near Southeast 174th Place.
Deputies discovered Jones dead from multiple gunshot wounds.
As detectives reconstructed Jones’ movements before the shooting, investigators learned he had picked up Horrighs and a female companion before the three stopped at a local Walmart.
Surveillance cameras captured the three leaving the store together, according to prosecutors. Jones entered the driver’s seat of the vehicle, Horrighs sat in the front passenger seat and the woman entered the back seat.
Investigators subsequently identified and questioned both passengers.
Prosecutors said Horrighs initially denied being with Jones but changed his account after investigators confronted him with surveillance video. He then acknowledged being with Jones on the day of the killing.
Surveillance Video Helped Establish Timeline
Investigators learned that an argument occurred between Horrighs and the female companion after the group left Walmart.
Detectives obtained surveillance footage from a home near the location where Jones’ vehicle and body were later found.
The video showed the woman getting out of the back seat of the vehicle and walking away, according to prosecutors.
Approximately 20 minutes after the vehicle drove away, surveillance footage captured Horrighs walking briskly from the direction in which the vehicle had traveled.
Investigators said the timeline placed Horrighs alone with Jones for approximately 20 minutes before the shooting.
DNA and Ballistics Evidence Linked Horrighs to Scene
Physical evidence became another significant part of the prosecution’s case.
Investigators recovered a gun holster and shell casings from the crime scene. Testing of evidence recovered during the investigation produced DNA that matched Horrighs, according to the State Attorney’s Office.
Detectives later executed a search warrant at the location where Horrighs was residing.
During the search, investigators discovered additional shell casings that matched casings recovered from the murder scene, prosecutors said.
Investigators also interviewed witnesses while attempting to establish a possible motive.
According to prosecutors, witnesses told investigators that Horrighs disliked Jones because Jones was Black and because Horrighs believed Jones had been flirtatious with the female companion, which allegedly made Horrighs jealous.
After investigators said they eliminated other possible suspects and compiled the surveillance, DNA and ballistics evidence, Horrighs was arrested and charged with Jones’ murder.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Toby Hunt.
The Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office credited Marion County law enforcement officers, investigators, witnesses, victim advocates and others who assisted in bringing the case to trial.