A 24-year-old Central Florida woman murdered a county detention deputy and tried to cover it up as a suicide.
24-year-old Jacqueline Jasmin Johnson-Cabrera pleaded guilty to First-Degree Murder in the death of 31-year-old Cory Schweitzer, a Marion County Detention Deputy, and Armed Residential Burglary.
Shortly after her plea, Cory Schweitzer’s sister delivered a victim impact statement before the court, detailing how Johnson-Cabrera’s actions will forever impact the family. Johnson-Cabrera was sentenced to life in prison.
On August 19, 2022, the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office’s communication center received a call in reference to a potential suicide. It was relayed to the communications officer that the victim, Cory, had an apparent gunshot wound and was not breathing. First responders arrived at the residence shortly thereafter and pronounced the victim deceased.
CCSO Major Crimes Sergeant Thomas Dowling and Detective Roscoe Watts responded to investigate. As evidence was collected by Crime Scene Specialist Victoria Gerneth and analyzed, it became evident to investigators that this was not a suicide, but a murder coverup. The medical examiner was requested to perform an autopsy on the decedent.
While investigating, officials were able to identify a suspect, later identified as Johnson-Cabrera, a former girlfriend of Cory.
After receiving the medical examiner’s report and compiling the evidence collected from the scene and statements made during the investigation, a warrant was secured for the arrest of Johnson-Cabrera. On August 24, 2022, officials arrested Johnson-Cabrera and charged her with the murder of Cory.
“On behalf of the men and women of my office who serve Marion County, I want to extend our sincerest thanks to Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast and his dedicated team. They investigated Cory’s death and quickly brought his murderer to justice. Today, Cory’s killer pled guilty and received life without the possibility of parole. While we continue to mourn his loss, knowing she is off the streets brings us some comfort. I personally want to thank State Attorney Bill Gladson and the 5th Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office for ensuring this killer will never see freedom again,” said Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods.
This case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Peter F. Magrino and Blake Shore.
“Today’s life sentence reaffirms our unwavering commitment in seeking justice and holding offenders accountable for their crimes,” said Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Bill Gladson. “While this sentence cannot bring back Cory, we hope it provides a measure of closure to the Schweitzer family and to Cory’s colleagues at the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.”
