JACKSONVILLE, Florida – A Jacksonville man is facing three murder charges after authorities say he fatally stabbed three people in the Normandy Estates area before being captured following a lengthy standoff at a motel.
According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, officers responded around 3 a.m. on May 28 after receiving a call about a man knocking on a resident’s front door seeking help.
When District 5 Patrol officers arrived, they found 49-year-old Edwin Barber suffering from a stab wound to the chest. Investigators determined Barber had been attacked at his nearby residence and ran to a neighbor’s home for assistance.
Officers then responded to Barber’s residence, where they discovered 27-year-old Savannah Barber inside a bedroom with multiple stab wounds.
While searching the surrounding neighborhood, officers also located 37-year-old Shad Cole on the porch of another residence suffering from multiple stab wounds.
Authorities said Savannah Barber and Cole died before they could receive medical treatment. Edwin Barber later died at a hospital.
The sheriff’s office Homicide Unit immediately launched an investigation and, with assistance from community tips, identified 30-year-old Austin Fisher as the suspect.
Detectives learned Fisher was staying at a motel in the Normandy Village area. Members of the sheriff’s office Community Problem Response Unit and SWAT Team responded to the location to take him into custody.
Authorities said Fisher refused to leave the motel room, resulting in a standoff that lasted several hours before officers ultimately arrested him.
Fisher was booked into the Duval County Jail and is charged with the murders of Savannah Barber, Edwin Barber, and Shad Cole.
“Our hearts are with their families in the wake of this horrific act of violence,” the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
The investigation remains ongoing.