Case file

Remembering Alesa Leach

Alesa Leach, a 58-year-old Jacksonville resident, ordained minister, and city bus operator, was found deceased in her West 14th Street home on November 17, 2025. Investigators determined she died of violent trauma before their arrival, discovering her body after she missed a scheduled court appearance. Leach had an active domestic violence protection injunction against her 49-year-old ex-boyfriend, Joseph Anderson. Law enforcement had escorted Anderson away from her residence approximately one week prior for violating the injunction. Following the homicide, Anderson fled to Connecticut, where he was apprehended on December 5, 2025, on an injunction violation warrant and extradited back to Florida. On March 20, 2026, while already in custody at the Duval County Jail, Anderson was formally served an arrest warrant charging him with second-degree murder with a weapon, burglary, aggravated stalking, tampering with evidence, and violating a domestic violence protective injunction. He has entered a plea of not guilty.

Ongoing case

Jacksonville, Florida • 2025-11-17 • ex-girlfriend

intimate partner homicide Protection Injunction Violation Extradition Arrest Prior System Interventions Domestic Violence Advocacy Context Stalking and Burglary Weapon Involved

Life and memory

Alesa A. Leach (September 13, 1967 – November 17, 2025) was a deeply faithful, resilient, and community-minded woman living in Jacksonville, Florida. A mother of five sons (including John Baxter and Titus) and a grandmother to nine, Leach worked diligently to build a meaningful career as a city bus operator for Jacksonville and served her community as an ordained minister. Having survived profound childhood adversity and severe domestic abuse earlier in her life, Leach actively worked to break cycles of trauma. In 2019, she published an autobiographical account detailing her journey through past domestic abuse, survival, and her unwavering reliance on her faith. Her family remembers her as a devoted mother whose life revolved around unconditional love, selflessness, and guiding others out of abusive circumstances.

Fatal incident

On November 17, 2025, patrol officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office District 5 conducted a welfare check at a residence on West 14th Street near Myrtle Avenue after Alesa Leach failed to attend a scheduled court hearing. Upon entering the home, officers discovered Leach deceased on a mattress, covered in blood. Medical evaluation confirmed she had succumbed to her injuries prior to police arrival. Investigators uncovered evidence showing that her ex-boyfriend, Joseph Anderson, was present inside the dwelling at the time of her death, directly violating a standing protective order.

Aftermath

Following the homicide, Joseph Anderson left the state of Florida. On December 5, 2025, investigators tracked Anderson to Connecticut, where he was arrested on a warrant for violating the domestic violence protective injunction. After being extradited back to Duval County, Florida, he allegedly contacted Leach's youngest son. Detectives continued to compile physical evidence and witness testimony, culminating in a grand jury or prosecutor-backed murder warrant. On March 20, 2026, Anderson was formally charged with second-degree murder with a weapon, burglary with assault, burglary of an occupied dwelling, aggravated stalking, evidence tampering, and injunction violation. Anderson initially elected to represent himself (pro se) during a April 13, 2026, Faretta inquiry where he pled not guilty, but later requested the re-appointment of a public defender. He remains held in the Duval County Jail on a multi-million dollar bond, with pretrial proceedings moving through the Circuit Court under Judge R. Anthony Salem. Leach's sons have publicly stated that they believe the legal and law enforcement system failed to protect their mother despite her active legal precautions. They have expressed intent to establish advocacy projects and community organizations in her name to carry on her legacy of helping domestic abuse survivors.

Prevention context

This case underscores critical structural limitations in the enforcement of domestic violence protection orders. Leach actively utilized available institutional safety mechanisms—securing a formal protection injunction and reporting Anderson to the authorities when he violated it just a week prior to the fatal incident. Although law enforcement responded to that earlier violation by escorting Anderson off the property, his removal did not deter a subsequent fatal breach. The progression illustrates the high-risk window immediately following law enforcement intervention in active stalking and injunction violations, highlighting potential systemic gaps in continuous victim monitoring, rapid arrest execution for injunction violations, and immediate suspect tracking.

Additional evidence and source material

Some materials do not fit neatly into one category but still belong in the documentary record of the case.

News report

JSO: Man arrested for November 2025 murder of woman with protection order against him

verified JSO: Man arrested for November 2025 murder of woman with protection order against him

Open related material

Other record

Booking Photo for Joseph Anderson, 49 Man Arrested for November 2025 Murder

Joseph Anderson, 49, is behind bars at the Duval County jail after he was arrested for the murder of a 58-year-old woman in November 2025. On Monday, November 17, 2025, District 5 patrol officers responded to a home on West 14th Street near Myrtle Avenue in response to a deceased person. When they arrived, they found 58-year-old Alesa Leach covered in blood on a mattress. She sadly had passed away before officers arrived. Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO) Homicide Unit detectives launched an investigation. They learned Ms. Leach had an injunction against Anderson, and evidence pointed to Anderson being in the home with Ms. Leach when she died. Detectives filed for a warrant for Anderson for violating that injunction. He was arrested in Connecticut on Friday, December 5, 2025. Detectives continued their investigation. Anderson was extradited back to Jacksonville where he was put behind bars at the Duval County jail for violating the injunction. Detectives continued to comb through evidence and build up a case. On Friday, March 20, 2026, detectives received an arrest warrant for Anderson for Ms. Leach’s murder and other charges. That warrant was served to Anderson who was already in the jail. He continues to be held behind bars.

verified Booking Photo for Joseph Anderson, 49 Man Arrested for November 2025 Murder

Open related material

News report

Man charged months after woman was found dead in Jacksonville home

verified Man charged months after woman was found dead in Jacksonville home

Open related material

Case overview

Location: Jacksonville, Florida
Date of death: 2025-11-17
Relationship context: ex-girlfriend

Reporting sources

news_article: JSO: Man arrested for November 2025 murder of woman with protection order against him verified
police_release: Booking Photo for Joseph Anderson, 49 Man Arrested for November 2025 Murder verified
news_article: Man charged months after woman was found dead in Jacksonville home verified

Documented findings

verified identity detail

My name is Alesa Leach. I am 52 years young. I Love My Life! I am a mother of 5 grown sons and 9 grandchildren. I Am Truely Blessed! I’ve been married and divorced 3 times. Looking for love in all the wrong places! I’ve struggled with low self esteem since I was a young girl. When I was young, I saw my father abuse my mother and his other wives but he never physically abused me and even though my father abused them, he could never do any wrong! My parents were divorced when I was young. My father and I were close and I never knew that what he did to my mother and his other wives would have an affect on my life and how I accepted the abuse all these years in my own life. My mother and father abused drugs and alcohol and because they did those things, our home was unstable and my brother and I were moved around a lot. My brother has been incarcerated most of his years because of things that he picked up from my mother and her dealings over the years! I was molested by a family member and a so-called family friend. I never told anyone until I was in my 40’s and it has affected me my whole life and didn’t realize it. I have been dealing with post-traumatic stress all these years and didn’t know. I thought about suicide but if I did that, I thought about who would take care of my children. Noone can take care of a child like their own mother can. As I look back on my life, my children saved me and I’m thankful! I became permiscuous as a young girl because of being tainted by sick individuals. I had five sons by five different men by the age 26. I never turned to drugs because my parents did those things not knowing that sex was my vice and I felt like drugs would kill me instantly if I tried them anyways! I didn’t know that dealing with all the men that I have dealt with would greatly affect me as a woman and a mother. While being in these relationships, I have accepted abuse physically, verbally and mentally. I went to jail and eventually prison behind Domestic Violence and it wasn’t even my fault. I didn’t want to get hit anymore and I accepted so much. I didn’t realize that my father had set a pattern for me. My father died when I was 16 and I couldn’t believe that he was gone but I look back and wonder if him being alive would have affected me negatively even more. Things happen for a reason! I graduated high school on time. I got married in my early 20’s, 30’s and 40’s. In several of my relationships, I dealt with physical, verbal and mental abuse. And I didn’t know how to deal with what I was going through. I wasn’t taught a lot of positive things growing up, so I learned a lot of things by experience. I started having trust issues because of the abuse that have happened in my life. I was looking at 20 years in prison behind Domestic Violence because I didn’t tell anyone that I was going through but thank God that I only received 9 months, (6 prison camp and 3 months half-way house). My ex didn’t feel like he needed counseling and he always said that what goes on in our house, stays in our house. That’s definately not good especially when abuse is going on! I can say that through my process before going to prison, the judge gave me 3 months to get my affairs in order. My uncle stepped up to take care of my sons while I served my time. I worked two jobs before I had to turn myself in. Once again I say, I Am Truely Blessed! When I got out of prison and got my children back, it was rough! My children and I experienced being homeless because it is expensive in San Diego, Ca., with a felony now, working a minimum wage job and taking care of children alone. What kept me going was my faith in God and going to church and keeping my children involved. Before I left San Diego, Ca., a Pastor and his wife took me and my children in their home and I also worked in their restaurant as a manager. Their family encouraged me and my children at that time and I was thankful! Along the way people have encouraged me and my children and I have prayed! During my time in prison, I had to go to counseling and talking really freed me! Prior to me going to prison, I didn’t talk about what I was going through but once I started talking, I would cry a lot and released a lot! And when I talked, other women started talking. I will never keep my mouth shut again because everytime I share my stories, someone gets free! I went back to school and got my Associate Degrees in Business Management and Criminal Justice and during my classes, when I could choose my topic, I would share my stories and women would come to me after class and thank me for speaking out. All I can say is that I can’t hold it in anymore! My “I AM BOUGIE Slogan came about when I found out someone called me BOUGIE as being negative but I turned it into a positive! My self esteem will not be shot down anymore because I’ve been through too much to go backwards! As women we need to encourage each other more often instead of knocking each other down! BOUGIE – I AM A Blessed Overcomer Understanding God’s Illuminating Excellence! #AlesaQuietStormLeach – A friend of mine gave me the name QuietStorm because most times I’m quiet until I start sharing my testimony. My sons are doing well and taking care of their children and families. It hasn’t been easy raising my sons but I was determined. They all graduated from high school and they are hard workers and I am so proud of them all! I’m grateful!

Why this matters

Each case page is meant to help readers understand warning signs, barriers to safety, and the systems that shaped what happened before and after the fatal incident.