A 70-year-old Ponte Vedra man was found murdered in his Sawmill Lakes home June 22, setting off a manhunt that would end the following morning at a Daytona Beach motel, where authorities found the bodies of the victim’s son and daughter-in-law.
Deputies had been seeking Joseph Carmichael Reddock Jr., 41, in connection with the murder of his father. Joseph Reddock Sr., 70, was found by sheriff’s deputies in the bedroom of his Sawmill Lakes home after the authorities received a request to attempt to contact him. The discovery set off a search for Reddock’s son, who had a long criminal record and was believed to have been driving his father’s car.
Authorities issued an alert for a 1999 Silver Honda with a faded hood and Florida plate number 635RHY. Reddock Jr. was believed to have been traveling with his new wife, Samantha. After crime scene technicians began examining the Sawmill Lakes home, officials issued an arrest warrant for second degree murder and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon for Reddock Jr.
On June 23, Daytona Beach police conducting a narcotics investigation discovered the victim’s car parked near the Regency Motel on North Ridgewood Ave. in Daytona Beach. After noting that the suspect was believed to armed and dangerous, police evacuated several nearby motel rooms and businesses, and requested assistance from the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team. The bomb squad and a robot were also brought to the scene. After the robot entered the room, the authorities found Reddock dead on the bed, while his wife, also deceased, was found on the floor. Several weapons were also found in the room.
A history of violence
The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office inmate database indicates Joseph Reddock Jr. had been arrested numerous times on various domestic assault and battery-related charges since 2000. His father had also taken out two domestic violence injunctions against him.
But while Joseph Reddock Jr. had a lengthy criminal record, his wife’s background appears far different. Following last week’s events, friends and colleagues of Samantha Reddock said her life had undergone a drastic change in recent years, as the longtime accountant left her husband and son and became involved with Reddock Jr.
“We have lost a dear friend and valued colleague,” her former employer, the United Way, posted on its Facebook page. “Samantha Reddock was our accountant for nearly 20 years and she will be missed dearly. Our hearts go out to her friends and family at this time.”
According to Samantha Reddock’s Facebook page, the couple had only just married on June 8, one week after the death of Joseph Reddock Jr.’s mother, Lynda Reddock. Posts on the page indicate a volatile relationship, with Reddock Jr. posting comments frantically trying to locate Samantha just days before their wedding.
“The second chapter is definitely better,” Samantha Reddock wrote on the page, “especially when you spend it with the love of your life.”
