STUART, Fla. — The Martin County Sheriff's Office is working to piece together what led up to a deadly stabbing in Stuart.
Investigators say 25-year-old Kersten Francilus is accused of killing a 70-year-old woman with a steak knife while she was walking her dog.
Francilus is facing first-degree murder and is being held without bond. WPTV's Christy Waite was in the courtroom as he made his first appearance before a judge on Friday morning.
Region Martin County
Woman dead after brutal stabbing in Martin County neighborhood
In court, prosecutors said Francilus told deputies that he "killed" her and when asked to describe the victim, he said she was "Jewish." Prosecutors also said he stabbed her 16 times.
The sheriff's office says the initial call came in as a suspicious person in the South Wood Community on Thursday. Neighbors say a man was knocking on people's doors, acting erratically.
Waite connected with one of Francilus' neighbors who wants to remain anonymous. The neighbor describes Francilus as someone who is quiet but has odd behavior.
"We would see him out at 3 or 4 in the morning walking around on Kanner. I have seen him, and neighbors have seen him lying down in his driveway," the neighbor said.
The neighbor said Francilus would talk to himself and spend a lot of time home alone, and he would see him walking around the neighborhood or in his backyard. Despite the unusual behavior, the neighbor says he never felt threatened, but Francilus's behavior did make people feel uneasy.
Waite asked what his reaction was to finding out Francilus is accused of killing a woman.
"I used to imagine that if anything were to happen, it would be to himself. This happening was a shock to your system. You think that can't be him, and it is. And he was capable of more than we assumed," the neighbor said.
The neighbor says their community is very small and tight-knit, and people are still very shaken by what happened. He wants people to be respectful to the surrounding communities and let law enforcement do their jobs so justice can be served.
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