JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A 14-year-old boy missing from a homicide scene in Jacksonville's Fort Caroline area has been found safe in South Florida, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office confirmed to First Coast News late Tuesday night.
According to police, the teenager is undergoing a mental health evaluation at a facility in South Florida under Florida's Baker Act.
Mitchell Evan Daughtry,14, was found in Sunny Isles in Miami-Dade County. He was located with a vehicle also reported missing, a 2007 Volvo SUV, by the Sunny Isles Police Department, according to JSO.
The Sheriff's Office was called to a home in the 11500 block of Monument Ridge Drive Tuesday afternoon, where investigators report they found a woman, later identified as 42-year-old Pamela Daughtry, dead.
Hours later, police announced that they believed the boy was missing along with a vehicle.
Foul play is suspected in the death of Daughtry, whose body was found by a family member, Sgt. Craig Waldrup told reporters Tuesday afternoon.
Khrissy Atkinson says she has known Pamela Daughtry for 17 years. She says Daughtry dedicated her life to her children.
"I went over to my next door neighbors to find out what happened and they told me it was Pam. That's when I found out she was dead. I can't believe it," said Atkinson.
"She was always there for her kids and it was just sad," said Atkinson. "She was a good mother."
It's not yet clear exactly how long the woman had been there, Sgt. Waldrup said.
Police have not said how Mitchell Daughtry is tied to the criminal investigation. Kaitlynn Durham, a friend of Mitchell's, says they've known each other for many years. She says the teenager was heading into ninth grade.
"He's just different. An amazing person. His eyes are as blue as the sky. That's really how it looks," said Durham.
Durham says Mitchell was a "happy" friend, but his posts on social media implied he was a loner and confused. On the day his mother was found, he published an Instagram post saying, "I can't take this anymore."
John Harrell, spokesperson for the Florida Department of Children and Families, told First Coast News DCF is not aware of any calls to the abuse hotline regarding Daughtry.
