Funeral Friday for Jacksonville's latest homicide victim

Bruce McCurdy got emotional Wednesday as he polished his younger brother's boots "to make them look real sharp for Friday."

Dylan Allen James McCurdy will wear those favorite boots when the 26-year-old is laid to rest Friday, four days after he was found shot to death in the 1100 block of South Featherwood Drive in Mayport.

Calling him more of a son than a brother, McCurdy said he and his family have no idea why Dylan was killed, then left in the dark about a mile and a half from his home. Now as they seek some financial help for his funeral via a GoFundMe page at bit.ly/2VjGdx1, McCurdy said they pray the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office finds who did this. 

"We will give it to JSO and the good Lord above. We want justice for Dylan," McCurdy said. "Someone knows or heard what went down and we just want some answers. I want to look in this guy's eyes in court and ask him, 'Why Dylan?' Will he ever give me an honest answer? Probably not, but it takes a cold coward to do this."

The Sheriff's Office said officers were called about 12:05 a.m. Monday after someone reported a body on the side of the road. It was initially thought it could be a hit and run, but the evidence indicated foul play was involved. Dylan McCurdy had been training for the military at Camp Blanding and doing construction work at the Mayport shipyards. The Sheriff's Office said it is unknown when he was killed and whether it was on Featherwood someplace else.

Family members saw news of the death on television Monday morning but had no idea it could be Dylan, McCurdy said.

"We don't know what happened or how it happened. We just want some answers," he said.

The family said the viewing is 1 p.m. Friday, followed by a 2 p.m. burial at Jacksonville Memory Gardens Cemetery and Funeral Home on Blanding Boulevard.

Dan Scanlan: (904) 359-4549