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Update: Jacksonville man charged after body found naked, wrapped in plastic in Brantley County

A witness says the suspect mentioned on numerous occasions that "he felt like the victim’s spirit was still in the home."
Credit: Jacksonville Sheriff's Office
Timothy Peeples, 45, booked in Duval County jail

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Editor's Note: Details on this story may be disturbing to some.

New details have emerged after a Jacksonville man was charged in connection to a body found in a body of water in South Georgia, according to officials.

Timothy Peeples, 45, was charged with second-degree murder, carrying a concealed firearm as a convicted felon, three counts of false imprisonment, tampering with evidence and abuse of a dead body.

On Nov. 10, 2022, Jacksonville Sheriff's officers responded to a La Quinta Inn hotel at the 4600 block of Lenoir Avenue in reference to a person missing with foul play suspected.

Later that same day, JSO was contacted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation about a man being found dead in a body of water in Brantley County, Georgia. Police identified John Moss, 47, as the victim.

An arrest report says they met with a witness who advised that she, the victim, and the suspect, were all celebrating her son’s birthday on Oct. 31, 2022.

The witness and Moss have two children in common, but they do not reside as a family, police said. After the party and in the early hours, police say the victim was in the living room after he had been drinking and began to yell out loud, “I’m going to cut my baby mama’s head off.” 

The witness was in another room but could hear him saying this. She advised she was not threatened by this statement as she knew that he was intoxicated and he made no actions to harm her. 

The suspect, Timothy Peeples, and asked the victim what he said. The report says an altercation ensued, and the witness came out to John Moss laying on the floor, bleeding from the head.

It's unclear what happened next, as the arrest report is redacted, but it appears that police were not called to the home. The body of Moss also appears to be removed from the home at some point.

Credit: Jacksonville Sheriff's Office
Timothy Peeples, 45, booked in Duval County jail

Over the course of the next few days in the residence, the report says the witness says suspect Peeples mentioned on numerous occasions that "he felt like the victim’s spirit was still in the home" and that everyone needed to get out of the house. She stated that he ordered everyone to leave, and they traveled to Orlando for several nights. 

Peeples then brought everyone back to Jacksonville, and they went to the witnesses' home where they remained for a few days until her sister called in a welfare check to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

The witness says JSO officers came to her home on Nov. 8 to conduct the check and that Peeples hid in a back bedroom with her children. She stated after the officers left, they left the home.

On Nov. 9, she went to the JSO Police Memorial Building to speak to someone about the incident, but she was not able to see an officer. The next day, she called for an officer to respond to Lenoir Avenue where she filed a report.

Throughout the several day ordeal, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation contacted the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office about a naked body that was found wrapped in plastic and located in the Buffalo Creek in Brantley County. The body also had yellow tape wrapped around the plastic to keep the wrapping closed. They advised that the body was possibly the victim, John Moss. 

JSO says based on evidence and the physical description of the victim, the victim was positively identified as Moss.

On June 6, 2023, Peeples was arrested and charged with murder.

According to records with JSO, he was in police custody at the time of his arrest.

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