Current:Home > MyMan charged in double murder of Florida newlyweds, called pastor and confessed: Officials -WealthPro Academy
Man charged in double murder of Florida newlyweds, called pastor and confessed: Officials
View
Date:2025-04-13 05:45:00
Authorities in West Palm Beach, Florida say a man called his pastor and confessed shortly after he shot and killed a man and a woman in a double homicide. That's according to a Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office report.
The man has been identified as 46-year-old Sony Josaphat. Family members say the couple killed were newlyweds.
The report also states that Josaphat drove three miles east to the sheriff's headquarters, where he reportedly told a deputy he had killed a man and a woman after "anger took over" him.
Deputies took him into custody a short time later on two counts of first-degree murder. He remained in custody Tuesday after Circuit Judge Gregory Keyser on Sunday ruled that Josaphat be held without bail.
Court records show that the judge assigned Josaphat an attorney from the county Public Defender's Office. As a matter of policy, the office does not comment on active cases.
Tragic shooting:5-year-old Detroit boy dies, shoots himself with gun in front of siblings: Authorities
Witness: Man charged in murder often showed 'controlling' behavior
According to sheriff's reports, deputies responded shortly after 8:30 a.m. Saturday to a shooting on the 1200 block of Summit Run Circle, about 5 miles southwest of Palm Beach International Airport. There, they found a man and a woman who had been shot to death.
Sheriff's investigators did not disclose the names of the people who died, citing a 2018 Florida constitutional amendment modeled after California's Marsy's Law. The amendment allows either crime victims or their relatives to request that there names be withheld from public reports.
A sheriff's office document indicated that the shooting was domestic but did not specify the nature of Josaphat's relationship to the man and woman. Television news reports, citing family members, indicated that the slain man and woman were newlyweds.
The arrest report indicates that Josaphat previously lived in the home, which is north of Forest Hill Boulevard and west of Military Trail, and but had not done so for more than a year.
One person told investigators that Josaphat randomly showed up at the home from time to time and exhibited controlling behavior. One woman said she was bringing groceries into the home Saturday morning when Josaphat approached and asked if two people were there.
Arrest report: Installation of security camera prompted anger attack
The woman said Josaphat followed her to the front door, greeted residents inside and a few moments later pulled out a pistol and began shooting, firing multiple shots.
Josaphat reportedly later told an investigator that he was angry because of one of the home's residents had ignored him and blocked his telephone calls.
He said he drove to the home with the intention of picking a person up to take them to breakfast, but noticed on his arrival that a surveillance camera was being installed by the front door. He reportedly told the deputy that "anger took over" as he put a full 17-round magazine into a Glock 17 pistol.
After carrying out the killings and retreating to his vehicle, he noticed that the Glock magazine was empty, the report said.
Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him atjwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at@JuliusWhigham. Help support our work:Subscribe today.
veryGood! (979)
Related
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- Jennifer Lopez thanks fans for 'loyalty' in 'good times' and 'tough times' as she turns 55
- Inside Christian McCaffrey’s Winning Formula: Motivation, Focus & Recovery
- Paula Radcliffe sorry for wishing convicted rapist 'best of luck' at Olympics
- Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
- Bill Belichick's absence from NFL coaching sidelines looms large – but maybe not for long
- Multiple crew failures and wind shear led to January crash of B-1 bomber, Air Force says
- Nashville grapples with lingering neo-Nazi presence in tourist-friendly city
- Kourtney Kardashian Cradles 9-Month-Old Son Rocky in New Photo
- Crews search for missing worker after Phoenix, Arizona warehouse partial roof collapse
Ranking
- Realtor group picks top 10 housing hot spots for 2025: Did your city make the list?
- US viewers’ Olympics interest is down, poll finds, except for Simone Biles
- Olivia Culpo Breaks Silence on Wedding Dress Backlash
- Spicy dispute over the origins of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos winds up in court
- Most popular books of the week: See what topped USA TODAY's bestselling books list
- Zendaya's Wet Look at 2024 Paris Olympics Pre-Party Takes Home the Gold
- Parents' guide to 'Deadpool & Wolverine': Is new Marvel movie appropriate for kids?
- NYC bus crashes into Burger King after driver apparently suffers a medical episode
Recommendation
'No Good Deed': Who's the killer in the Netflix comedy? And will there be a Season 2?
S&P and Nasdaq close at multiweek lows as Tesla, Alphabet weigh heavily
Zendaya's Wet Look at 2024 Paris Olympics Pre-Party Takes Home the Gold
How Kristin Cavallari's Inner Circle Really Feels About Her 13-Year Age Gap With Boyfriend Mark Estes
Olympic disqualification of gold medal hopeful exposes 'dark side' of women's wrestling
Wife who pled guilty to killing UConn professor found dead hours before sentencing: Police
‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ dominates at Comic-Con ahead of panel with Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman
Olympic soccer gets off to violent and chaotic start as Morocco fans rush the field vs Argentina