JSO makes arrest in 2016 murder, involving a gun deal gone wrong

Jacksonville, FL — More than 9 months after a 37-year-old man was found dead inside a crashed car, not far from Edward Waters college, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office has made an arrest.

Devin Bartley, 21, is now charged with the murder of Anthony Whitley, after police found a bullet fragment with his DNA at the scene and after officers spoke with a second victim of that same shooting.

According to that second victim, he had set up a gun deal between their two parties, when things went wrong.

"He said while in the middle of the gun deal, a masked gunman approached the driver's door of the car and attempted to rob them. During that robbery attempt [the victim] says he pulled his gun and there was a gunfight between he and the robber and that's when Whitley was shot and killed. He said he attempted to drive away, but then crashed the car," explains Lt. Steve Gallagher.

As for Bartley, police say he was hurt in the shooting and had taken himself to the hospital, but he claimed he was the victim of a different shooting and that he was shot while on a sidewalk a short distance away.

Over the course of the investigation, police say they eventually linked Bartley to this shooting.

Last week, detectives were able to obtain an arrest warrant for Bartley, who turned himself in on Monday.