The search continues for body

An area of Century on Highway 4 near Pine Barren Road and surrounding areas have been the focus of the search since Sept. 13 for the body of a missing woman, after police found a photo of the missing woman dead on the cell phone of her roommate, who has now been arrested and charged with her murder.

According to a Pensacola Police Department report, Janay Jackson reported her mother, Latonya Baxter, missing since 11 a.m., Sept. 10. When officers made contact with Jackson, she stated it was not like her mother to disappear for days without contacting her daughter. Jackson told police she resided with her mother and a roommate, 38-year-old Giles Curt Jones, at 104 Warwick Ave. in Pensacola.

Jackson reported her mother's black and blue air mattress and purse were missing. She stated that she, Baxter and Jones were the only people to have access to the home they shared.

The report said Jackson advised that Jones did not have access to her mother's room at the residence, but that he had entered and cleaned Baxter's bedroom and left the scene prior to law enforcement's arrival.

An officer noticed blood splatter in Baxter's bedroom and upon further investigation, discovered tire tracks leading from the back door and blood smear found on the back door.

The report stated blood was located in an attached shed/storage room on the back of the house. In an interview with Jones, he stated he loaded items in the trunk of his car from the storage room.

It was later discovered that Jones had a large amount of blood in the trunk of his car that could not be seen with the naked eye, discovered using crime scene techniques.

A picture of Jones' vehicle, a 2009 gray Nissan Maxima, was captured driving through the intersection of Highway 4 and Highway 29 in Century with a license plate reader, the report said. The vehicle drove through the intersection at 12:19 p.m. (departing) and again at 3:09 p.m.(returning) on Sept. 11.

On Sept. 15, a review of data from Jones' cell phone extracted by search warrant, an officer located a photograph of Baxter's dead body, according to the report. The photo was taken on September 11, 2021 at 1:54 p.m. Baxter's body was positively identified by a tattoo on her forearm that matched a photo provided by her family.

Jones was arrested Sept. 15 and transported to the Escambia County Jail in Pensacola with no bond.

Baxter's body has not been found. Authorities from both the Escambia County Sheriff's Department and the Pensacola Police Department searched using 4-wheelers and on foot along areas near Pine Barren Road and near Northview High School.

Escambia County (Ala.) Sheriff Heath Jackson said his office, along with the Flomaton Police Department are working with Florida officials in the search of Baxter's body and other evidence.

"We were contacted by the Pensacola Police Department about the missing woman and her possibly being in the area," Jackson said. "Chief (Chance) Thompson and I have been checking video surveillance around the stores in Flomaton."

Law enforcement is asking anyone who has game or trail cameras in the area around September 11 to search for any suspicious activity. Anyone who has any information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 850-443-STOP, the Pensacola Police Department at 850-435-1901 or their nearest law enforcement agency.