Sheriff Doubles Reward to $10,000 for Information in Circle K Murder off Palm Coast Parkway

Deon O’Neal Jenkins, 26, of Palm Coast, was in the passenger seat of a car that was stationary in the parking lot of the Circle K at Palm Coast Parkway and Belle Terre Parkway, when a man walked up behind the car and fired numerous rounds at the vehicle. Jenkins was killed. The driver was wounded. The sheriff’s office has not released his name. The driver sped off, called 911 and pulled into the parking lot of Fire Station 25, before being transported to Halifax hospital in Daytona Beach.

Based on information the sheriff’s office has released so far, information about the assailant, which included some low-quality surveillance video, was inconclusive.

“Detectives continue to investigate this case and have established several solid leads which they hope will lead to the arrest of the person(s) involved,” the sheriff’s office said in a release issued this morning. “Detectives are awaiting the results from numerous search warrants and forensic tests.”

“We know someone in the community has key information,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “We need them to do the right thing and call CrimeStoppers where they can remain anonymous. We want your information, not your name.” The sheriff had cautioned in the hours after the murder that, unlike a series of previous homicides on his watch, this one would likely not be solved in days and possibly not even weeks. None of the homicides on his watch have gone unsolved, but none has gone this long without a named or incarcerated suspect.

Jenkins had lived locally for many years, and had half a dozen run-ins with the law, including a conviction for burglary in 2017. He was placed on probation but violated his probation, and had to serve time in jail, a term he’d completed in may 2018. After his release, he lapsed on his monetary dues to the court.

The driver of the car, who survived, is in his 20s. The sheriff’s office is not releasing his name, claiming it to be exempt from public disclosure under Marsy’s Law, the amendment added to the constitution after the 2018 election. The amendment states in part that victims have “The right to prevent the disclosure of information or records that could be used to locate or harass the victim or the victim’s family.” But the law does not specify that victim’s names are exempt from disclosure through public records, leading to chaotic interpretations across the state: some agencies are withholding names, others are not unless requested by victims.

But not releasing the name may also be at cross-purposes with the agency’s request for information, as it might help “someone in the community [with] key information” to come forward.

The sheriff’s office has partnered with the Florida Sheriff’s Association and CrimeStoppers of NE Florida to provide a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest of the killer and any accomplices. Anyone with information can call CrimeStoppers at 1-888-277-TIPS (8477) and remain completely anonymous.