What Happened To Jabez Spann? Sarasota Police Seek Answers Years Later

SARASOTA, FL — It’s been five years since a Sarasota teenager went missing — his remains found more than a year later in a rural Manatee County field — and police are still seeking answers in his death.

Jabez Spann was just 14 years old when he was last seen in September 2017, according to a Facebook post by Sarasota police. His remains were found in February 2019.

The case is still active and the investigation ongoing, and a $50,000 reward remains in place for information related to his death, police said.

“We’re continuing to ask for information in this death investigation. We’ve said it from the beginning, and we will say it again: We believe someone in our community knows something. Someone knows what happened to Jabez,” police posted on Facebook.

Before he went missing, the teen reportedly witnessed a murder in his neighborhood, according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. He was leaving a friend’s house and walking to his home nearby when he encountered three men chasing, and eventually shooting, a 31-year-old man.

When Jabez said, “Oh my God. Y’all shot him,” the three suspects left the scene, two running away on foot, while the other took the victim’s car, reports said. He went missing a week later.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers of Sarasota at 941-366-TIPS (8477).