Man pleads guilty to murder, armed burglary in the killing of Jacksonville Coast Guard member
On Tuesday, the man accused of killing a Jacksonville Coast Guard member during a car burglary in Riverside last August pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and armed burglary. The State Attorney’s Office says Tyree Parker faces up to life in prison with a mandatory minimum of 25 years.
We reported last year when the victim, Caroline Schollaert, held Parker at gunpoint when she discovered him breaking into her car at her home on Myra Street. Investigators say Parker then ran away and the 911 operator Schollaert was on the phone with, heard gunshots. The State Attorney’s Office says home security footage shows Parker pulling out a firearm and shooting Schollaert.
Investigators say additional surveillance footage captured Parker before the incident and afterward running down the sidewalk and jumping into a waiting vehicle. Detectives were able to find several items belonging to Parker during the search of the area, and an individual told police, that Parker admitted to being involved in the shooting and running from police.
Sentencing is scheduled for early October.
