JACKSON COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) — The father of a pregnant Jackson County woman, who was murdered last week, is talking about her death and his grief.
“There is no emotion to explain how someone might feel to know that their daughter has been murdered, I mean, is there a feeling for that? Is there textbook’s meaning I don’t think so,” Daniel Gilley said.
Daniel Gilley said he’s run the emotional gamut since his daughter disappeared almost 2-weeks ago. He said he picked up 19-year-old Anastasia Gilley on Tuesday, May 2nd from her job at Jim’s Buffet in Marianna and dropped her off at her home in Whispering Pines.
That’s the last time he saw her. When he didn’t hear from her the next day he reported her missing.
On Saturday, May 6th, he began searching for Anastasia himself, he said nothing was going to stop him.
“Nothing, not my freedom, not my life, nobody’s life mattered at that point but finding my baby girl, that was it, it’s all I cared about,” Gilley said.
Jackson County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Gilley on Saturday for driving without a license and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm but he says he’s not upset about it.
“They done what they’re supposed to do whether it be arresting me or whatever, they done their job, they found my daughter quick,” Gilley said.
It was Houston County Alabama deputies who found what they believe is Anastasia’s body off Headland Road, near Dothan. They’re waiting on an autopsy to confirm her identity and the cause of her death.
But they already have a suspect, 33-year-old Marquis Devon McCloud, who’s charged with murder during a kidnapping. Gilley said McCloud may have interacted with Anastasia at her job, ad he’s upset over social media comments saying there was more to it than that.
“This guy that done this to my daughter, other than the affiliation from her work has nothing else to do with her, not that I’m aware of, not yet anyways, not the father, not the boyfriend at all,” Gilley said.
Now, he is left with the memories of his daughter.
“There is there’s never not going to be a day that I’m going to miss hearing I love you, Dad, I’m always going to love that I’m always going to miss that,” Gilley said.
She will be his motivation to live each day to its fullest.
“You’re always going to think about it, I mean, there really is no coping mechanism and only thing is to move forward, she wouldn’t want me to sit here and cry like a little baby or not go to work, she’d get on my butt about that,” Gilley said.
Daniel Gilley is asking people to be mindful of their social media posts as this investigation continues. Houston County Sheriff’s officials have not released the results or any new details about the investigation.
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