ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023, marked seven years since two men were found dead in a burning car in St. Augustine and the murder case has yet to be solved. There is a $10,000 reward for anyone with information leading to an arrest, according to the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office.
Police say 27-year-old Charles Durden and 26-year-old Staffon Larry were both shot to death before the fire, near the corner of Fred Waters Way and Spring Street. Detectives say a lot of the physical evidence was destroyed by the fire and the DNA that was tested didn't lead to any suspects.
Seven years later, many are still asking, who is responsible? The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office says it needs the public's help with gathering information.
"The families deserve answers, the families deserve closure," St. Johns County Sheriff's Office Lieutenant George Harrigan told First Coast News. "This community deserves answers and we know that someone out there has the answers that we need to successfully resolve this case."
Harrigan says anyone with information can report it to Crime Stoppers anonymously.
"It would be a big deal for us to come to a successful resolution to this case and be able to meet with the family and explain to them that we've made an arrest or we've made arrests," Harrigan said.
First Coast News spoke to Annette Durden, the mother of Charles, in 2022 on the six-year anniversary. She pleaded for anyone with information to come forward.
"Please give me closure because if you don't meet judgment on this Earth… your punishment is going to be much worse when you face God," Annette Durden said in 2022.
Harrigan says the SJSO and the St. Augustine Police Department are committed to solving the case.
"This is something that has weighed on us every year," Harrigan said. "We're just hoping that individual or those individuals that hold that missing piece come forward and do the right thing."
If you have any information about this case, call Crime Stoppers at 1-888-277-TIPS. You can also upload information, pictures and videos anonymously by downloading the app, P3TIPS. It is a free app and no tracking information is collected. The sheriff's office says the $10,000 reward is paid in cash.