The cash on the table just went up for anyone who can help crack two unsolved teen murders in Marion County.
Crime Stoppers and Marion County investigators announced yesterday that the reward for information leading to arrests in the 2022 killings of 16-year-olds Kent Patterson Jr. and Kenneth Carr Jr. has been boosted to $9,500 in each case. The sheriff's office says both investigations remain active, but leads have slowed, and officials are hoping the larger payout shakes something loose.
Deputies say Patterson was found inside a Citra home on Aug. 6, 2022, after officers responded to a reported shooting. Carr's body was discovered on Nov. 9, 2022, at Campground Cemetery in Reddick, reportedly on Patterson’s grave, and homicide detectives continue to pursue leads, according to WFTV. Officials say they hope the increased reward will kickstart new tips in cases that have stalled.
New money added to tip pool
The new reward combines a $3,000 Crime Stoppers offering with an additional $6,500 made available through the Florida Association of Crime Stoppers in partnership with the Florida Office of the Attorney General, bringing each eligible tip payout to $9,500, according to FOX 35 Orlando. The sheriff's office says the bump is meant to raise public awareness and encourage anonymous tips that could finally break the cases open.
"We’re hopeful that the enhanced reward available to us in partnership with the Florida Association of Crime Stoppers will help raise awareness," Crime Stoppers of Marion County said in a statement, as reported by WCJB. The agency is urging anyone who knows something, even if it seems minor, to submit information anonymously through the Crime Stoppers program so rewards can be considered.
How to report tips
Anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers of Marion County at 352-368-STOP (7867) and reference case number 22-45 for Kent Patterson Jr. or 22-63 for Kenneth Carr Jr., WESH reported. To qualify for the enhanced reward, tips must be submitted through the Crime Stoppers program and must lead to the identification and arrest of a suspect.
Sheriff Billy Woods previously appealed for help in solving multiple 2022 homicides in an April 2023 outreach, and families have continued to press for answers, according to Ocala News. Carr's father also spoke with TV20 last month about his frustration that the case still has no arrests, as reported by WCJB.
