Former Jacksonville cop expected to plead guilty in 1999 murder

3 years ago 262

His ex-wife already accepted plea woody successful decease of Saad Kawaf

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A erstwhile Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office detective indicted earlier this twelvemonth connected a number of first-degree execution successful the stabbing decease of a businessman and the robbery of his woman successful 1999 is expected to plead blameworthy astatine a proceeding adjacent week, according to tribunal documents.

The authorities attorney’s bureau had informed William Baer it would question the decease punishment if he’s convicted. His defence lawyer had told prosecutors that Baer would plead blameworthy if the decease punishment was taken disconnected the table.

Baer was besides charged with kidnapping with a weapon, equipped robbery, equipped burglary and aggravated battery.

Saad Kawaf, who was killed successful his Deerwood home, was nether investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and FBI for not reporting currency transactions of implicit $10,000, which are required to beryllium reported for taxation purposes. According to the FDLE, Kawaff reported $407,000 without making the required reports.

According to investigators, connected the time successful May 1999 that Kawaf’s assemblage was discovered, the attackers knew Kawaf had not yet made his play deposit astatine the slope and wanted the cash. Eventually, the woman told them wherever they could find $30,000 successful the room cabinets. The woman was duct-taped to a seat astatine the location and Kawaf died of his injuries.

Saad Kawaf was stabbed to decease successful his Deerwood location successful May 1999. (WJXT)

“I could ne'er ideate that a constabulary serviceman who has (been) entrusted to support radical doing specified a heinous act,” said the victim’s brother, Omar Kawaf.

Baer’s ex-wife, Melissa Schafer, was besides charged. Police said was alert determination was a ample magnitude of currency successful the Kawaf’s home.

Schafer has pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.

Baer, however 65, was with the Sheriff’s Office for 27 years, joining successful 1975 and retiring successful 2002. Attorney Gene Nichols, who is not affiliated with the case, speculates his property and wellness are factors successful the authorities lawyer being satisfied with accepting a blameworthy plea alternatively than pursuing a proceedings and sentencing.