By Plam Beach and Broward Mugshots
PENSACOLA, Fla. — What began as a welfare check at an Escambia County home ended with the discovery of two grandparents beaten to death—and the arrest of the grandson they had reportedly tried to help.
Jordon Dominique King, then 24, was arrested on February 22, 2024, following the deaths of Claiborne M. King Jr. and Andrea Hutchins King. The couple was found in separate rooms inside their Greenbrier Boulevard home. Investigators said both appeared to have died from blunt-force trauma.
King was initially booked on two counts of second-degree murder. An Escambia County grand jury later indicted him on two counts of first-degree premeditated murder.
A WELFARE CHECK REVEALS A DOUBLE HOMICIDE
Family members contacted authorities after they had not heard from Claiborne and Andrea King for several days.
Escambia County deputies entered the home on February 22 and found the couple deceased in separate rooms. Sheriff Chip Simmons described the scene as horrific and said investigators believed both grandparents had been beaten.
Detectives learned that Jordon King had been living with his grandparents and began searching for him. A member of the public reportedly helped deputies locate him on foot in the Bellview area. He was taken into custody without incident.
WHAT INVESTIGATORS REPORTED
According to reporting based on King’s arrest report, detectives observed blood on his face, hands and feet during the investigation.
Inside the grandparents’ home, investigators reportedly found a whiteboard stating that the date was February 21. Authorities believed that was the last day the couple was known to be alive and the last day King was seen leaving the residence.
The arrest report also alleged that King told investigators he believed the government was monitoring him through artificial intelligence. That statement represents an allegation documented during the investigation and is not, by itself, a medical diagnosis or explanation for the deaths. WEAR
HIS GRANDMOTHER HAD REPORTEDLY TRIED TO GET HIM HELP
Less than three months before they’re deaths, Andrea King reportedly sought an involuntary mental-health evaluation for her grandson.
Records cited by WEAR indicated that she described him as extremely paranoid but said she did not consider him a threat to her at that time.
The later tragedy should not be used to stigmatize people experiencing mental-health problems. Most people with mental illness are not violent. The records are relevant because they show that Andrea King had reportedly recognized troubling behavior and attempted to obtain assistance before she and her husband were murdered.
RECENT RELEASES BEFORE THE MURDERS
King had returned to the community only months earlier.
He was released from a five-year prison sentence on November 29, 2023, after serving time connected to burglary and grand-theft charges arising from a 2018 case.
Days after that release, King was arrested for trespassing after allegedly entering a woman’s home and claiming that g@ng members were chasing him. He later received probation and was released from the Escambia County Jail on February 15, 2024.
His grandparents were discovered dead seven days later. WEAR report republished by WSBT
GRAND JURY ELEVATES THE CHARGES
King was first arrested on allegations of murder without premeditation. On March 22, 2024, however, an Escambia County grand jury returned an indictment charging him with two counts of first-degree premeditated murder.
The indictment formally accused King of intentionally klling Claiborne and Andrea King. Public reporting at that stage said he remained in the Escambia County Jail without bond while the prosecution proceeded. WEAR, NorthEscambia
The indictment is an accusation, not a conviction. Prosecutors carry the burden of proving the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
QUESTIONS LEFT BEHIND
The deaths of Claiborne and Andrea King left an Escambia County family grieving two relatives while another family member faced two of the most serious charges available under Florida law.
The case also raises difficult questions about what happens when relatives recognize a loved one’s deteriorating behavior, seek intervention and still cannot prevent a tragedy.
Could more effective coordination among the courts, correctional agencies and mental-health services have changed the outcome—or was this violence impossible for the family and authorities to anticipate?
Share your thoughts in the comments.
All individuals are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. Charges and allegations are based on publicly available law-enforcement, court and news records. Court proceedings may later change the charges or disposition of a case.
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