‘Someone in our community knows something.’ Death of Sarasota teenager remains a mystery
A year has passed since the remains of missing Sarasota teenager Jabez Spann were found on a roadside in Palmetto.
The 14-year-old, who recently had witnessed the murder of a 31-year-old man was last seen by his family leaving a Labor Day barbecue on Sept. 4, 2017, and headed to a friend’s house.
How Jabez dies still remains a mystery, and no one has been arrested.
The case remains a very active investigation, according to Sarasota Police Department spokeswoman Genevieve Judge.
“Unfortunately we haven’t received a lot of information,” Judge said on Thursday. “We wish more people would come forward, because like we said it in the beginning, we feel like someone in our community knows something and is afraid to come forward.”
Since Jabez’s remains were found along Canal Road in Palmetto, police have received few tips he despite pleas to the community and a $50,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.
“Unfortunately, they’ve been few and far between, but we have followed up on each of those leads,” Judge said.
Jabez’s mother, Tawana Spann, said she remains confident in the police’s commitment to solving the case. She has, however, hired own private investigator to assist their efforts.
“If I find anything, they are going to be the first people to know,” Spann said.
According to police, FBI agents are still working with detectives on the case. Agents joined the investigative efforts when he was still missing after he witnessed the murder of 31-year-old Travis Combs.
“It is heartbreaking that someone within this area knows something and doesn’t want to come forward,” Judge said adding that they are still hoping that someone will come forward.
On the one-year anniversary on Feb. 16, Spann said she visited a memorial erected where his remains were found.
“I just cant understand stand how someone could just throw his body on the side of the road like that,” Spann wrote on Facebook when she shared photos of the memorial. “What happened so bad to make you do this to him. I’m not gonna stop until I know.”
Visiting the site infuriated her again, Spann explained on Thursday.
“There’s plenty of people that know the whole avalanche,” Spann said referring to Combs being killed and the people her son “was around that he thought was his friends.”
But while she remained positive, Spann said she misses her son.
“He could be most the terrible child and I still would rather from him to be terrible and here than to be gone like that,” Spann said. “He is just not going to walk through the door anymore.”
Anyone with any information about this case can call Sarasota Police Department Detective Megan Buck at 941-954-7067 or Sarasota Crime Stoppers at 941-361-8477, or tips can be submitted at sarasotacrimestoppers.com.
This story was originally published February 21, 2020 at 8:15 AM.
