TITUSVILLE, Fla. — Titusville Police detectives on Monday charged David A. Barber on seven counts related to their investigation into the death of Jessie Kirk, whose body was found last week.
Investigators charged Barber with first-degree premeditated murder, arson, burglary of an occupied structure, abuse of a dead human body, theft and two counts of tampering with evidence.
Police said investigators conducted numerous interviews and investigated leads that led to the arrest.
“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,” said Detective Sergeant Bryan Nelson.
Investigators with the Titusville Police Department announced last week that burnt human remains found on March 4 were identified as belonging to 72-year-old Jessie Kirk.
Police said Kirk was reported missing around 9 a.m. that day after a friend said she did not show up for their morning walk, which was unusual.
Hours after she was reported missing, Kirk's white Lincoln SUV was found fully engulfed in flames near State Road 50 and State Road 520 in Orange County at around 1:09 p.m., investigators said. That location is about a 26-minute drive from Kirk’s home, according to Google Maps.
At 2:45 p.m., severely burnt human remains were found just south of Haulover Canal. Because the remains were so badly burnt, Titusville Police Sgt. Bryan Nelson said a positive identification could not be made until March 6.
Around the same time the remains were found, David Armstrong Barber, 35, of West Palm Beach, was arrested near Kirk’s condo in the 3200 block of South Washington on charges of loitering and prowling. He was also charged with grand theft auto in connection with Kirk's missing SUV, Titusville Police Sgt. Bryan Nelson said during a press conference Thursday.
When arrested, "he had injuries consistent with high heat, and burns," Nelson said.
Police reported that Barber was in an estranged relationship with one of Kirk’s family members. That woman accused Barber of stalking her after they ended their three-year relationship in July 2024, according to a Rockledge Police Department arrest warrant affidavit filed in December 2024.
Investigators say Barber is currently the sole person of interest in Kirk's disappearance and death.
The Brevard Sheriff’s Office said Barber had voluntarily resigned after working at the agency from 2018 to 2022. The Sheriff’s Office said during his time of employment he received no formal discipline.