On Wednesday, March 11, 2026, an Okaloosa County, Florida, jury found Jacob Daniel Price guilty of two counts of first-degree pre-meditated murder and two counts of animal cruelty. Price had been charged for killing his parents while they slept and then killing their two dogs. The killings happened in Crestview, Florida, on November 13, 2019. Price was a longtime resident of Coffee County and graduate of Coffee High School.
In 2022, Price was deemed not competent to stand trial. He was being held in a Florida state hospital until he was mentally cleared to stand trial. This month, he finally faced a jury and was convicted on all counts. Immediately after the verdict was rendered, Circuit Judge David Oberliesen immediately sentenced Price to two consecutive life sentences with no possibility of parole.
In November 2019, Price was arrested in Florida after allegedly walking into a local police department and confessing to killing his parents, along with two of their dogs. The tragic double homicide of the Price family, 51-year-old Jolene Price, and 56-year-old Robert Price, caught the attention of people all over the country, making national and local headlines with far more questions than answers as to why the deaths occurred.
Law enforcement officials with the Crestview Police Department reported that on November 13, 2019, Price, a 33-year-old former U.S. Marine, walked into their lobby just after 4:00 a.m. that morning with blood on his shirt. He then told employees with the department that he shot his parents and two family dogs at their home on Equine Drive in Crestview in Okaloosa, Florida. One of the animals was found deceased in the bed with the victims, with the other discovered on the living room floor.
Deputies with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office reportedly drove to the residence and discovered Robert and Jolene deceased in their bedroom from suspected gunshot wounds to the head. Two dogs were also found deceased, with two German shepherds at the home unharmed. Price was taken into custody and later indicted on two counts of premeditated murder with a firearm and two counts of animal cruelty.
Price, his parents, and family members resided in Coffee County for several years before the four children graduated from Coffee High School. Robert and Jolene moved to Florida shortly after, with Price joining the Marines and serving four years before being discharged. Records show that Price was deployed twice (2010 and 2011) during Operation Enduring Freedom, the war against Afghanistan that lasted from 2001 until 2014.
At the time the homicide took place, a spokesperson with the Marine Corps stated that Price left the service because “his character was incongruent with Marine Corps’ expectations and standards.”
Price was first deemed unable to stand trial in November 2020.
Price was living with his parents at the time he killed them. To this day, a motive of the murder of Price’s parents has not been revealed.
