ORMOND BEACH, Fla. — Law enforcement in Central Florida says a body discovered Thursday morning on an Ormond Beach shoreline could belong to a murder suspect who vanished after a police chase earlier this week.
Officials tell Channel 9 Eyewitness News the body appears to match the description of Xavion Marquee Perry III, 31, who is accused of killing his girlfriend in Gainesville Tuesday night. Perry was considered armed and dangerous.
The search for Perry began just before 10 p.m. Tuesday when Gainesville police responded to reports of gunshots at an apartment complex. Officers found a 23-year-old woman who did not survive. Perry fled the scene.
Hours later, license plate readers in Daytona Beach spotted Perry’s vehicle. A pursuit followed, ending at the Main Street Pier. Police say Perry abandoned his car, ran onto the pier, and jumped nearly 20 feet to the beach below. That is where investigators lost sight of him.
The search stretched overnight and moved north along the coastline. Early Thursday morning, a caller reported a body washed up on the sand near Bass Road in Ormond Beach, about a 30-minute drive from the Daytona Beach Pier.
“There’s a body washed up on the beach,” the caller told a 911 dispatcher.
Deputies responded and found a body matching Perry’s description. The dispatcher noted the caller described the person as a “young black male.”
Officials stress the identity has not yet been confirmed. Forensic investigators are working to identify the man.
Ormond Beach resident Luis Suarez, who surfs near the area daily, said the discovery is unsettling.
“It’s disturbing. We surf every day, so we’re just talking to a friend. What would it feel like a few hours later? Maybe we just go and find the body on the outside, and it happened before, and it’s very disturbing every time it happens,” Suarez told Channel 9.
Perry has a criminal history that includes grand theft, domestic violence, and resisting arrest. Police say he was live-streaming on social media during the chase, displaying a gun and making threatening statements.
The Gainesville Police Department continues to lead the homicide investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call 352-393-7500 or contact Alachua County Crime Stoppers at 352-372-STOP. Anonymous tips can also be submitted online.
Channel 9 Eyewitness News will continue to follow this developing story and provide updates as they become available.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2026 Cox Media Group
