TITUSVILLE, Fla. — The former law enforcement officer questioned in the death of a Titusville woman who had gone missing has been formally charged.
David Barber, 35, faces charges of first-degree premediated murder, arson, burglary of an occupied structure, abuse of a dead human body, theft and tampering with evidence.
Detectives believe Barber killed 72-year-old Jessie Kirk, who was the aunt of a woman he had dated.
When Kirk went missing on March 4, investigators called the circumstance “suspicious.” Her vehicle was later found burned near State Road 50 and State Road 520 in Orange County.
Kirk’s body was later found near the Haulover Canal.
Barber, who used to be a Brevard County corrections deputy, was quickly deemed a person of interest and arrested on loitering, prowling and grand theft auto charges before Kirk’s body was found. He was still in the Brevard County jail when he was charged in her homicide case.
“This collaborative effort has been instrumental in securing the charges and moving one step closer to justice and closure for Jessie Kirk’s family and friends,” Detective Sgt. Bryan Nelson said in a news release.
Anyone with additional information in to this case is asked to submit tips to 321-567-3900 or contact Crime Line at 1-800-423-8377.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2025 Cox Media Group
