14-year-old’s body was left by railroad tracks, Florida cops say. 15-year-old charged
UPDATE: Jahmir Moore, 15, escaped from a juvenile detention facility the morning of Dec. 8 and was on the run for nearly 12 hours before he was recaptured, Tampa police said. He was found with his parents, Deputy Chief Ruth Cate said in a Dec. 9 news conference. He’s now also charged with escape from a juvenile detention facility.
The original story is below.
A “goofy” 14-year-old known for his “infectious smile” was found dead by railroad tracks, and his accused killer walked free for months, Florida authorities said.
Now, 15-year-old Jahmir Moore has been charged with first-degree murder, carrying a concealed firearm, tampering with physical evidence and being a minor in possession of a firearm, Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said at a Dec. 5 news conference.
Moore is accused of fatally shooting 14-year-old Jevario Buie the afternoon of April 17 and leaving him to die near train tracks.
“I’ve been living in a nightmare since I lost my son,” Jasmine Baldwin said at the news conference. “And now I can feel a little bit of closure, thanks to the detectives. I know who, now. Now, I just need to know why.”
Bercaw said Buie was “lured” to the scene, but the reason he was shot is still under investigation.
Minutes before the shooting, surveillance footage captured Moore and Buie walking toward a dead end near the spot where Buie was found dead, according to police.
A few minutes later, surveillance footage captured Moore without Buie, police said. The chief added that a third person seen in a video hasn’t been identified.
Leading up to Moore’s arrest, detectives found social media messages from him that included information about the incident that hadn’t been released to the public, police said.
“I want Jevario to be remembered as this goofy, giggling 14-year-old kid who loved football, loved teasing his sisters and was very protective of his mom,” grandfather Michael Baldwin said.
U.S. Marshals and police said they arrested Moore Dec. 4. Moore is being charged as an adult, according to the State Attorney’s Office.
This story was originally published December 6, 2024 at 1:51 PM with the headline "14-year-old’s body was left by railroad tracks, Florida cops say. 15-year-old charged."