Jessica Valentin-Rivera

Jessica Mariel Valentin-Rivera, a 36-year-old Hispanic female from Fleming Island, Florida, died on April 18, 2026, after what authorities described as an apparent domestic-related murder-suicide inside an apartment on County Road 220. Deputies with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office were drawn to the apartment not by a routine patrol or a reported disturbance, but by a worried family member of 34-year-old Ashtin Durham, who had received a troubling message from him and contacted authorities.

When deputies arrived, they attempted several times to make contact with Durham and Valentin-Rivera. No one answered. After those attempts failed, deputies entered the apartment and found both people dead inside. Investigators said both had suffered apparent gunshot wounds, and a firearm and shell casings were recovered from the scene as evidence.

The early picture released by investigators suggested that the shooting stemmed from a domestic situation. Authorities identified Durham as Valentin-Rivera’s boyfriend, and reporting on the case stated that investigators believed Durham shot and killed Valentin-Rivera before turning the gun on himself. The Clay County Sheriff’s Office emphasized that the case was still in its early stages and remained under investigation, leaving detectives to piece together the exact sequence of events and what led to the violence.

No arrests were reported, and no criminal charges were filed in the immediate aftermath because the suspected shooter, Durham, was found dead at the scene. The investigation was treated as active and ongoing, with authorities asking anyone with information to contact the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and ask for Detective Blake Jones, or to provide an anonymous tip through First Coast Crime Stoppers or the SaferWatch app.

Investigators also said both Durham and Valentin-Rivera had children, though none together. The children were not inside the apartment when the shooting happened and were reported safe with relatives. What remained after the welfare check was a scene marked by unanswered questions, a family’s concern that had arrived too late, and a domestic violence investigation centered on the deaths of Valentin-Rivera and the man authorities believe was responsible.