Two suspects wanted in Sarasota man’s dismemberment

[FLORIDA J]

MANATEE — Authorities are searching for two brothers for questioning about a man found shot, chopped to pieces and set on fire last week, according to investigators. Corderia Davis, 19, and Jemar Davis, 17, both of Arkansas, are wanted in the murder of the Sarasota man.

Roy Barnes, Jr., 35, was found cut into 10 pieces and burning in black trash bags July 22 near U.S. 41 and Somerset Avenue, adjacent to Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, according to a search warrant.

Sarasota Police detectives believe Barnes was killed at close range with a shot gun in the 1600 block of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way in Sarasota.

Sarasota Police Lt. Pat Ledwith said the shotgun Barnes was killed with was never found by detectives. The Davis brothers are considered armed and dangerous, he said.

Authorities are working with the U.S. Marshal Service to take the teens into custody. It’s possible the men have fled the area.

Ledwith would not comment on possible motives, how they developed the brothers as suspects or how they learned where the killing took place.

“It’s still an active investigation,” he said.

Corderia Davis was arrested twice in Sarasota for resisting officers in December and January, according to Sarasota court records.

Barnes was burned so badly that authorities identified him from fingerprints.

Investigators seized a blue, 2002 Chevy S10 pickup the day Barnes’ body was discovered. A man who reported the fire saw the truck leaving the area and was able to follow it to get a tag number.

The man, who declined to have his name used, said in an interview he was driving to Sarasota to pick up something for work when he noticed a fire.

“Out of the corner of eye, I caught a flash which appeared to be a fire. It caught my attention. I spun around and went down back the roadway,” the man said. “I noticed a small blue pickup truck. As soon as I rounded the corner, she took off like a bat of our of hell.”

The man said he decided to follow the woman in the truck in case the fire got out of control.

He followed her north on U.S. 41 until he could write down the tag number and get a description.

“She looked in her mid 40s. There was nothing special about her. She kept looking over at me and looking over at me. I just looked over at her,” he said.

Ledwith declined to comment how the woman may be connected to case or the Davis brothers as suspects.

According to a search warrant released Thursday, investigators found shell casing in the bottom of the body parts and found what appeared to be blood running down the center of the truck’s bed towards the tailgate.

The owner of the pickup said at her Sarasota home this week she didn’t have first-hand knowledge of Barnes’ death and did not know detectives found blood in the truck. According to the warrant, the woman’s daughter was driving the truck the day Barnes’ body was discovered. The woman declined to comment further. Presumptive tests of the liquid in the truck were positive for blood, according to the warrant.

Barnes was arrested 29 times by Sarasota authorities, according to staff reports. According to court records, he had prior convictions for possession of cocaine with intent to sell, possession of marijuana and possession of prescription pills.

Anyone with any information about the Davis brothers can contact [phone] or [phone]. Anyone who sees the men should call 911.