Two murder suspects arrested in 2014 homicide case.
Based on the previously obtained evidence, Detective Kevin Heinig obtained arrest warrants for Jason Hiler and Javon Roberts, each for one count of murder.
In the early morning hours of July 27th, 2014, the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office received a call of a shooting at the Hampton Inn, 9350 19th Lane, in Vero Beach. Responding deputies located Kevin Howe (30) of Wabasso, in a hotel room bleeding from the head as a result of a gunshot wound. Howe was transported to Lawnwood Medical Center in Fort Pierce, where he succumbed to his injuries on July 31st, 2014. Detectives Kevin Heinig and Charlie Clark obtained a search warrant for the hotel room registered to Howe, where they located Howe’s cellular telephone, spent shell casings, over $5,000.00 in cash, more than 100 grams of crack cocaine, greater than 200 grams of MDMA (ecstasy), and guns.
Crime Scene detectives processed the room looking for any evidence that may reveal the identify of Howe’s murderer(s). They noticed a styrofoam cup from a Kangaroo gas station and a glass vodka bottle in the room. Detectives determined through alibi witnesses that Howe had not been in or near any Kangaroo gas stations prior to the shooting incident. Since no Kangaroo gas stations exist in Indian River County, detectives began canvassing area Kangaroo gas stations in an attempt to identify who may have left the cup in the room. The Kangaroo cup was processed for possible DNA. Fingerprints from the glass vodka bottle were submitted to the Statewide Automatic Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS).
Video was obtained from nearby businesses depicting two subjects running out of the hotel right after the homicide occurred. A search warrant for Howe’s telephone was obtained with the search revealing critical information as to who Howe had been in contact with leading up to his death. Interviews were conducted with family, friends, and relatives of Howe at length to detail the hours before his death. Detectives eventually identified Jason Hiler (26) of Deland as a possible suspect. Investigation revealed that shortly after Howe’s death, Hiler left Florida for New Jersey. Detectives learned that Hiler had been diligently attempting to establish relationships with family members in Florida, then suddenly left the state and cut off all contact.
DNA collected from the Kangaroo cup was analyzed. Detectives coordinated with cooperating family members of Hiler to obtain a DNA sample from a blood relative. The familial DNA sample was submitted to the crime lab where they determined that the DNA found on the Kangaroo cup was 99.9% likely to be from someone in that family.
By January 2015, Detectives were ready to interview Hiler. They traveled to New Jersey where Hiler told them he had never been to Vero Beach. A court order was obtained to retrieve a sample of Hiler’s DNA. Detectives traveled back to Florida without a confession but a little bit closer to making an arrest. The DNA sample was submitted to the crime lab, where they ultimately determined that the DNA found on the Kangaroo cup, left in the hotel room where the murder occurred, belonged to Hiler. In March 2015, the Statewide Automatic Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) located a match on the fingerprints submitted from the vodka bottle. The match was identified as belonging to Javon Roberts (22) of Sanford.
In April 2015, Detectives obtained a search warrant to collect Javon Roberts DNA. They traveled to Orlando where they met with Roberts at the Sanford Police Department. After the DNA sample was obtained, Roberts agreed to speak with detectives. Roberts made incriminating statements to the detectives, saying that he had traveled to Vero Beach with Hiler on the night of the murder. Initially, Roberts was cooperating with detectives. In September and October 2015, Detectives made numerous trips to Orlando to meet with Roberts but each time he continued to evade them. Based on the previously obtained evidence, Detective Kevin Heinig obtained arrest warrants for Jason Hiler and Javon Roberts, each for one count of murder.
Last week, Detectives Heinig and Clark traveled to New Jersey, where they coordinated with the United States Marshals to arrest Hiler. After his arrest, Hiler made incriminating statements to the detectives. Upon their return to Florida, the detectives coordinated the arrest of Javon Roberts in Sanford. Roberts, upon his arrest, made statements that placed him at the scene along with Hiler. Hiler is being held without bond at the Keogh-Dwyer Corrections Institute at the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office in New Jersey. Roberts was arrested by the Sanford Police Department and is being held without bond at the Seminole County Jail.
Indian River County Sheriff Deryl Loar stated, “The success of this case is a direct result of our detectives never giving up on finding justice and witnesses who were strong enough to come forward with critical information. We are very proud of everyone who worked on this case with special congratulations to Detectives Heinig and Clark. We will continue to fight for all homicide victims and we hope that with these arrests, witnesses in other cases will be bold enough to come forward and help us deliver justice to the families of other homicide victims.”
