JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville man is being charged with the September 2021 death and disappearance of a 27-year-old woman whose body was found in a retention pond in the Sandalwood area.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force arrested 28-year-old North Samuel Cole Pridgen Tuesday on a charge of murder in the death of Teresa Janette Gorczyca.
"Our deepest gratitude to the detectives, law enforcement officers and everyone else working behind the scenes at the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office for their unrelenting investigation leading to an arrest," Gorczyca's family said in a statement to First Coast News.
Gorczyca was reported missing on Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021. Police immediately began investigating her disappearance and searching for her. During the investigation, detectives learned information that led them to a body of water in the 2100 block of Alfa Romeo Drive in Sandalwood, JSO said.
After an extensive search of the area, a body was discovered in the water. Police later identified the body as Gorczyca, according to JSO. JSO Homicide and Crime Scene units identified Pridgen as a person of interest in Gorczyca's death throughout their investigation, and a warrant was obtained for his arrest.
Pridgen was found in the area of 10000 Beach Blvd. and interviewed about his involvement in the crime, then placed under arrest for murder, JSO said.
Gorcyzca's cause of death was not revealed. In October 2021, First Coast News reported that JSO and the Medical Examiner's Office were still investigating how she died.
Family members described Gorcyzca as joyful and loving.
"Not a day goes by that we don’t think about Teresa, missing her smile and her warm presence. We’re grateful to God that our prayers for justice are finally being answered and hope that what this brings is some sense of closure. Special thanks to our family, friends and the community for their unceasing love and support throughout these past 6 months," the family said in a statement.
We spoke exclusively with her best friend since middle school, who did not want to be identified, but said Gorczyca was straightforward, funny and loving.
“She’s easy to talk to. You could walk right up to her and say, ‘Hey, I have something to ask you,’ or give her a hug. I was thankful to have her in my life. She was my best friend. She was everything to me," her best friend said.
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