JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Two men are facing murder charges in the shooting death of a 26-year-old in November 2022 that happened on the city's Northside, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office announced in a release on Tuesday.
Khalil Bradley, 27, and Marvin Mills, 27, are facing second-degree murder charges in the death of Moustapha Diop, 26.
On Nov. 11, 2022, officers responded to the 600 block of Winona Drive in reference to a dead person.
When police arrived, they found Diop in a wooded area with multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
An arrest report states Diop's pants pockets appeared to be "turned out" indicating something was taken, and his phone, wallet and car keys were not located at the scene.
Detectives with JSO's Homicide Team No. 1 and Crime Scene Unit responded to conduct their investigations.
JSO says multiple suspects were quickly identified after reviewing evidence at the scene and conducting interviews.
Investigators identified Bradley and Mills as the people responsible for the deadly shooting, according to the release.
Mills was located and arrested on Saturday and is being held on no bond.
Bradley was already incarcerated on unrelated charges, as a warrant for his arrest on the murder charge was served.
Shooting appears to have stemmed from alleged "drug debt"
According to a heavily redacted arrest report, Diop's killing appears to have stemmed from an alleged "drug debt" that he owed Mills and Bradley.
Diop called his mother on Nov. 10, 20222, asking for $200 to help fix "transmission issues" when the phone was taken by an unknown person, the report states.
The person told Diop's mother that her son needed money to pay off a drug debt and that he was in trouble. The report added that the unknown person told Diop's mother he wouldn't let her son lie to her about the situation.
"This unknown male then agreed to bring the victim home to safety after the debt was paid," the report states.
Diop's mother agreed to send her son $350, who would then transfer it to whoever the money was owed to, according to the report. The money was sent via Zelle to Diop, and then the call ended, the report states.
"The victim's phone was turned off and she [Dipo's mother] had no further contact with him [Diop]," the report states.
The report indicates that key evidence in the case was obtained through an anonymous source who detailed an eyewitness account of the events that unfolded before the murder.
The unidentified source said she was with Bradley and Mills when they ran out of gas on Interstate 95 in Jacksonville, and said she called Diop to help get gas from a nearby gas station for them, according to the report.
After Diop helped get the gas and arrived, Mills and Diop drove together to a gas station and Bradley and the unidentified woman followed behind in Diop's vehicle, the report states.
Bradley and Mills went inside the gas station and then waited outside in Diop's vehicle.
Diop told the unidentified woman, according to the report, that Mills wanted to talk to him about something, but didn't say what.
The woman said she saw Bradley, Mills and Diop drive off in Diop's vehicle which she said was "very strange."
The report states that the woman followed the vehicle to an unknown boat ramp, but much of the narrative is redacted from this point.
However, the information aided in the recovery of the Diop's phone which was missing since the day of the shooting.
Mills' next court date is set for April 30 at 9 a.m. Bradley's next court date has not been set.