The investigation into 27-year-old Jessica Erausquin’s October 2014 death has moved slowly, but private investigators Doug Diamond and Ryan Mann said it’s heading toward a conclusion.

Erausquin had recently graduated from Keiser University and was out with friends before her body was found.

Police said she was struck in a hit-and-run crash.

“It appears she was inside the vehicle during the crash. We’re not sure, but we don’t believe she was killed as a result of that accident,” Diamond said.

Diamond and Mann said other traumatic events happened to her after the crash.

“We have identified two people we would like to speak to, who we believe had direct knowledge of this incident,” Diamond said.

Police won’t talk publicly about their investigation other than to say they’re interested in hearing any new leads.

“To have on top of that, not knowing who did it and knowing whoever killed their loved one is still out there,” Mann said.

Diamond and Mann said they believe they are the only ones with knowledge of what happened and also believe there’s a vehicle with serious damage in the area.

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APOPKA, Fla. —The murder convictions for two men who were found guilty in an Apopka killing were thrown out by a judge Friday.

Keith Cannon and Gregory Anderson were convicted of second-degree murder in the death of 34-year-old Terrious Miles. Miles was found fatally shot in a shed on West 13th Street in April 2013. He had left an illegal card game at an Apopka house when he was robbed and killed.

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Cannon was supposed to be sentenced Friday, but he smiled and nodded his head in approval after Circuit Judge Renee Roche made a rare decision called a “judgment notwithstanding verdict.”

Roche believed the jury was wrong in convicting the two in January

Gregory Anderson pumped his fists, smiling and waving to his family in court.

The family of Miles was furious.

“I have never heard in a million years that a judge can overturn what a jury says. What is the point of having a jury if she is going to overturn what they say?” asked his mother, Barbara Miles.

Anderson’s family was elated.

“I just hope they find the real killer. Gregory Anderson is not him, and I just hope they find the real killer,” said Anderson’s sister-in-law Shaw Math.

“I always knew this day would come because like I always said, he didn’t do nothing,” said Anderson’s uncle, Ray Anderson.

The state argued that DNA evidence put Anderson at the scene, and phones believed to belong to Cannon and Anderson were communicating the night of the killing.

“In this case, we have a different set of facts and a different set of evidence supporting the convictions of Cannon and Anderson,” said prosecutor Mark Interlicchio.

But attorneys for Anderson and Cannon argued there was no defendant DNA on the victim, the murder weapon was never found and simply being at the murder scene is not proof of a plan or a murder.

“The state has to establish that the DNA was placed there at the time that the shooting took place,” said Anderson’s attorney Chris Smith.

The judge agreed with the defense and reversed the jury’s verdict.

“It does not matter what this court thinks about the law. It has no other option other than to apply the law, and the court is otherwise persuaded that this decision must be made,” said Roche.

“She wasn’t paying attention to us,” said Barbara Miles. “We’re just another number, just another case. Black on black killing crime, and it angers me very much because I am a taxpayer.”

Anderson will remain behind bars, charged with an unrelated home invasion that is scheduled for pretrial this month.

Cannon, who has been behind bars for 18 months, will likely be released from the Orange County Jail on Friday.

The state is appealing the judge’s ruling to the Fifth Distric

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Ryan Mann of Diamond and Mann Investigations in Ormond Beach stopped short of calling the person a suspect but does think the individual can provide crucial details about the last few moments Jessica Erausquin was alive.
Erausquin was found dead Oct. 16 on Rose Drive in what police have called a hit-and-run accident.

“We do know the person has some information that can at least help the investigation,” Mann said.

He declined to give the individual’s name or gender. The person, a former co-worker, has not been located, Mann said.

Her cousin, David Erausquin of Tampa, said the family hired the private investigator because of the lack of communication from Cocoa Beach police.

“The continuous lack of communication on the part of the Cocoa Beach Police Department has become a recurring nightmare for the family,” he said.

Cocoa Beach police Maj. Jay Harmon said there are no updates to the department’s investigation.

“Our investigators are familiar with multiple people who had contact with Jessica that evening, but if the private investigator believes they know something we don’t, we would encourage [him] to contact us,” Harmon said.
Maj. Wes Mullins said police are investigating all leads fully. Police have classified Erausquin’s death as a traffic homicide and said she died of blunt-force trauma in a hit-and-run. Her autopsy said she suffered multiple skull fractures, brain injuries and many cuts and bruises to her head, neck and torso. The autopsy also said she had bruises “consistent with seat belt marks.”

Mann said the seat belt marks suggest she may have been involved in a car accident. Mann, who talked to more than 50 people in the investigation, said he thinks Erausquin’s body was dumped on Rose Drive after being involved in a car accident.

Erausquin, originally from New York, graduated in May from Keiser University with a degree in forensic investigations. She moved to Orlando about nine years ago.

Friends and family, who started the Justice for Jessica group, are still trying to get the word out about Erausquin’s death in hopes of obtaining new leads.

On the third Friday of each month, the group passes out fliers at Friday Fest in Cocoa Beach asking for information about her death.

They also placed a memorial stone on Rose Drive on Valentine’s Day.

Her friend Crystal Lopez said she thinks Erausquin knew the person who killed her.

“The question is who was it,” she said. “Who was she with, and why was this done to her?”

Lopez said she wants to “lay her friend to rest.”

“We have fought so hard for so many months that we just want some form of answer,” she said.

dharris@tribune.com or 407-420-5471

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