The Tributary
@TheJaxTrib
The Tributary is a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom investigating Jacksonville’s entrenched problems, one issue at a time.
. @nicholemanna spent 7 months piecing together a 1991 Jacksonville murder case, which ended in 2 men being sent to Death Row. She uncovered a prosecution marred by critical omissions about the star witness & other questionable practices. Read part 1: jaxtrib.org/2025/03/17/how…
One of the officers involved in Charles Faggart's death was once reprimanded for making 2 inmates strip naked before they were allowed in their housing pod. JSO even called the FBI to see if a federal civil rights investigation needed to be opened. jaxtrib.org/2025/07/21/ran…
A Duval County jail sgt suspended in the aftermath of the violent death of a 31-year-old in April was hired despite having been kicked out of the Marines & a history of arrests for domestic violence & DUI, according to records obtained by @NicholeManna jaxtrib.org/2025/07/21/ran…
Sgt William Cox’s records raise questions about the hiring and promotion practices at the Jacksonville jail, which suspended nine staffers – including Cox, the highest ranking – after the still-unexplained death of Charles Faggart. jaxtrib.org/2025/07/21/ran…
State Rep. Anna Eskamani visited the detention center and saw CRS branding attached to staffers’ name tags. She said the firm was “not qualified” to manage the detention center. “No one knows what’s going on, nobody can answer basic questions,” she said. jaxtrib.org/2025/07/16/jac…
A little-known consulting firm with ties to a prominent Jacksonville business leader landed a $78 million contract earlier this month to provide a raft of critical services at “Alligator Alcatraz.” via @AnnaCat_Brigida/@NateMonroeTU jaxtrib.org/2025/07/16/jac…
U.S. Supreme Court rejected a plea to block the execution of Michael Bell who was convicted of killing a Jax couple more than 30 yrs ago Justice Sotomayor and Kagan would've granted the stay of execution so the court could have heard Bell’s appeal. jaxtrib.org/2025/07/15/u-s…
NEW: Fl. Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a decision by a Duval circuit judge rejecting relief for a Death Row inmate – despite signed affidavits by two witnesses who said they were coerced by the state to lie. Michael Bell is scheduled to die on July 15. jaxtrib.org/2025/07/08/flo…
NEW: A fight to remove the Rodman Dam in Putnam County suffered yet another defeat after Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed money set aside by lawmakers in the state budget to kickstart the project. jaxtrib.org/2025/07/01/tea…
In an effort to learn more about JSO's response to Charles Faggart's death, @TheJaxTrib sent a record request to JSO that asked for any and all emails sent to and from Sheriff T.K. Waters and Undersheriff Shawn Coarsey. jaxtrib.org/2025/06/26/jso…
To justify the extensive redactions, JSO cited a Fla law that allows police to withhold details about active investigations from public disclosure. The records do not indicate what active investigation or investigations they pertain to. ✍️: @NicholeManna jaxtrib.org/2025/06/26/jso…
New from @TheJaxTrib | Digging into the remarkable, nine-lives luck of a confidential informant who helped put a Jacksonville man on death row. 📝 @NicholeManna
NEW: Cops had a choice of witnesses. They used the liar to put a Jacksonville man on Death Row reporting by @NicholeManna as part of @TheJaxTrib's series "Cold-Blooded." jaxtrib.org/2025/06/26/cop…
Duval County Circuit Judge Jeb Branham on Tuesday refused to grant a new trial or resentencing hearing for a Jacksonville Death Row inmate convicted of the 1993 murder of a husband and wife. jaxtrib.org/2025/06/24/duv…
Duval County Circuit Judge Jeb Branham denied the motion for relief for a Death Row inmate convicted of the 1993 murder of a husband and wife. reporting via @NicholeManna jaxtrib.org/2025/06/24/duv…
Here is our earlier story about the recantments: jaxtrib.org/2025/06/20/wit…
Background: Witnesses who said last week that their original trial testimony was a lie invoked their Fifth Amendment rights yesterday after they were told they could receive criminal charges for lying. jaxtrib.org/2025/06/23/wit…
NEW: Duval County Circuit Judge Jeb Branham denied the motion for relief for Death Row inmate Michael Bell convicted of the 1993 murder of a husband and wife after yesterday's evidentiary hearing jaxtrib.org/2025/06/24/duv…
As the judge's order on the motion for relief is due in an hour, Michael Bell's attorneys file an emergency motion asking him to reconsider allowing witnesses to "improperly invoke" their 5th Amend rights as they did yesterday. Background: jaxtrib.org/2025/06/23/wit…
Last week, Henry Edwards signed an affidavit saying he gave false testimony in a 1995 murder trial that put a man on Death Row. Yesterday, after prosecutors and a judge told him recanting his past testimony could lead to perjury charges, he took it back. jaxtrib.org/2025/06/23/wit…