DeLAND, Fla. — The man charged in the death of a 16-year-old Mount Dora girl has been denied bond.
- No bond on murder charge for Robert Kern, Jr.
- Kern Jr. extradited from New York after arrest there on fraud charge
- Kern Jr. involved with Justis Garrett's mom, agents say
Although Robert N. Kern Jr. did receive 2 $10,000 bonds for forgery, a judge issued no bond for the second-degree murder charge in the death of Justis Garrett.
Kern Jr., 40, was arrested on a warrant for second degree murder after being extradited from New York, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement announced Friday during a news conference.
The body of Justis Garrett, 16, was found on April 18, 2018 in DeLand after she had been reported missing days prior.
Justis Garrett, 16, was found dead on April 18, 2018 in DeLand. (Spectrum News image)
FDLE agents said Kern, who they say was in a relationship with Garrett's mother, told investigators that he dropped off Garrett at Mount Dora High School on Friday, April 13. She was reported missing a day later. Several days later, a group of hikers found her body in a wooded area off Service and Gasline roads in DeLand.
Investigators say he gave them inconsistent statements about where he was on the last day Garrett was seen alive. Agents also say social media activity and phone records also implicate Kern.
Kern is being held in the Volusia County Jail.