The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of a Middleburg woman whose body was discovered early Sunday morning, Jan. 31, along State Road A1A North just south of the Duval County line.
According to a spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office, the call came in at 5:30 a.m., though some media reports put the time about an hour earlier.
Both the Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Highway Patrol responded to what was believed to be a fatal pedestrian hit-and-run crash. The decision was made to turn the investigation over to the Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit to further investigate the case as an undetermined death.
Investigators identified the victim as Brianna Jane Gibson, 24, of Middleburg.
According to a report from the Sheriff’s Office, detectives learned that Gibson and her boyfriend – who has not been identified – left the victim’s family home at 10 p.m. Saturday.
The Sheriff's Office reported that they stopped at the Publix on Blanding Boulevard at 10:20 p.m. and at Shores Liquor at 10:40 p.m.
Then, they stopped at the Circle K on Old St. Augustine Road at 12:52 a.m., according to the Sheriff's Office report.
Investigators performed an aerial search and located Gibson’s vehicle abandoned at an apartment complex. It was seized and taken to the Sheriff’s Office Forensics Unit for processing.
Detectives began to search for the boyfriend and, a short time later, members of the boyfriend’s family contacted the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and said he wanted to turn himself in regarding an outstanding and unrelated warrant.
Investigators met with the boyfriend and reported that he was cooperating and had provided an account of the night’s events.
The investigation is ongoing, and detectives are seeking information regarding the whereabouts of Gibson and her vehicle between 10 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30, and early Sunday morning, Jan. 31.
The vehicle is known to have been in Duval, St. Johns and Clay counties during that period of time.
Readers are asked to call the Major Crimes Unit at 824-8304 if they have any information regarding the investigation.
