JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The man who police say confessed to killing his ex-wife made his first court appearance in the case on Tuesday morning.
Jeff Mackey, 58, is currently in custody of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office on a murder charge and is not eligible for bond, according to jail records. He is scheduled to make his next court appearance June 25.
Detectives arrested Mackey at JSO headquarters on Monday after questioning him about the death of his former spouse Kimberly Mackey, 48, of Jacksonville.
Mackey was initially reported missing from her mobile home in the 2700 block of Suni Pines Boulevard on Memorial Day.
On Monday, Mackey's family reported to First Coast News that JSO informed them her body had been found buried on a large rural property more than 1,100 miles away in Missouri. Family also told FCN her ex-husband had confessed to committing the crime to police.
JSO Asst. Chief Chris Butler later confirmed the details during a news conference with reporters.
He said a neighbor spotted Mackey loading what appeared to be a body wrapped in a comforter into his truck at his ex-wife's trailer last week.
Detectives caught up with Mackey near Kansas City and reported that he denied any wrongdoing. Then, on Monday, they traced his cell phone to a St. Augustine hotel room.
Mackey was questioned by detectives before they said he admitted to killing his ex-wife and burying the body.
It's believed she was shot to death in Jacksonville, but the official cause of death is pending autopsy results from the medical examiner in Missouri.
Mackey is scheduled to be in court at 9 a.m. Family said he lived with Kimberly, even though they had been divorced 15 years.
