West Palm Beach police disclose 6 previously unreported homicides; arrests made in 2 cases (2024)

WEST PALM BEACH— City police have released the names of six people who died in previously undisclosed homicides this spring and summer in West Palm Beach and made an arrest in one of those cases this week.

Waldemar Navarro died of blunt trauma to his head and neck after an Aug. 22 attack on Broadway east of St. Mary's Medical Center in which police say another man threw him to the ground and repeatedly punched him in the head.

Juan Elder, 39, is in custody facing one count of manslaughter in Navarro's death following his arrest Wednesday. He has pleaded not guilty to the charge. Circuit Judge Charles Burton ordered Elder held on $100,000 bail, and he remained in custody Friday morning.

Of the other five undisclosed homicide cases, three involved men in their late teens and early 20s, oneinvolved a woman in a domestic incidentand another involved a woman who was homeless, police records show.

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West Palm Beach homicides nears 2020 total

West Palm Beach has recorded14 homicides thisyear,onefewer than its total for2020, according to a Palm Beach Post interactive database. The city has seen as many as 28 homicides in one year, most recently in 2017 and 2018, according to the database.

Across Palm Beach County, there have been 79 confirmed homicides during 2021, according to The Post's database.

According to the report documenting Navarro's death, witnessestold investigatorsthe dispute between Elder and Navarro began shortly before8:30 a.m.as Elder was cleaning trash off the street along the 5200 block of Broadway, near 51st Street.

One person told police Navarrowalked up toatrash can and threw trash that Elder had placed there back onto the ground.Someone warned Navarro that he should leave before something bad happened, a witness told police.

As Navarro began walking away, Elder walked up to him, picked him up from behind and dropped him to the ground, causing the left side of his head to hitthe concrete sidewalk, according to the police report. A witness said Elder struck Navarro repeatedly,even thoughNavarroappeared to beunconscious.

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When police questioned him, Elder denied having any involvement in Navarro’s death, telling investigators he was standing behind anearby building when the beatingoccurred.

Police described Elder as being homeless and reported that Navarro had a residence in the city's north end.

One other homicide results in arrest

In anunrelatedinvestigation, the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s Office also ruled recentlythat thedeath of a West Palm Beach woman in June wasa homicide.

ShakearraMarks died June 7, more than a month after she was shotduringan apparent domestic dispute, according to police records. She was30.

Her death officially was ruled a homicideSept. 9, city police said. West Palm Beach police arrested Marks’ wife,HarrinettaCrystalJessie, 39, in May on a charge of attempted first-degree murder. The State Attorney's Office raised the chargeto second-degree murderSept. 23, court records show.

According to Jessie's arrest report,the shooting occurred the night of May3 atMarks’ and Jessie’sresidence in the LakeMangoniaApartments on North Australian Avenue. Investigators sayMarks wasin bed when she was shot fourtimes.

She was conscious when police arrived,and she told officers Jessie shot her, and fled toBelle Glade, according to the arrest report.Records showed thatofficerspreviouslyinvestigated two domestic disturbance calls involving the couple.

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Jessie waived an arraignment hearing scheduled for Thursday and pleaded notguilty to the new charge,court records show.

Police released few details about theotherhomicide cases, citing active investigations. They include:

  • According to an incident report, a woman who was homeless was found the morning of Feb. 10 in a wooded area near Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard. The woman was identified as Ingrid Morgan, 42. She died on May 7 and herdeath formally was ruled a homicide on May 31, police said.
  • Police records show thatChristopher Foreman, 19, of West Palm Beachwas killed the night of May 26 in the 1800 block of Spruce Avenue, near 17th Street and northwest of Good Samaritan Medical Center.
  • Traevon Phoenix, 22,was killed the following night in the800 block of Ninth Street, near Division Avenue and just south Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard.
  • On the night of July 18, Jacob Francois, 21, was killed in a residence on North Haverhill Road, according to police records.

Incidentreports provided by West Palm Beach policedid not specify how Morgan, Foreman, Phoenix or Francois were killed.

jwhigham@pbpost.com

@JuliusWhigham

West Palm Beach police disclose 6 previously unreported homicides; arrests made in 2 cases (2024)

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