Detectives from the Lakeland Police Department’s Violent Crimes Unit have made an arrest in the 2018 murder of 14-year-old
old Rex Honors IV. Investigators have obtained an arrest warrant for the Victim’s half-brother, Rex Honors III, who is currently in jail in Albany, Georgia for unrelated charges. Honors III has been charged with Second Degree Murder, Tampering with Physical Evidence, and Resisting an Officer Without Violence.
On July 3, 2018, at 4:22 a.m., Lakeland Police officers responded to a suspicious incident at 845 West Crawford Street. Honors III (age 21 at the time) called 911 to
report his younger brother missing. He said he arrived home and could not locate his younger brother, but found the table broken and the sliding glass door to the back yard open. Officers checked the residence and located Honors IV deceased in the back yard where there was thick vegetation. Honors IV had a gunshot wound to his head.
Honors III told the 911 dispatcher he tried to call the Victim, but the phone had been turned off. He told detectives he thought a burglary might have occurred; however, no valuable items had been removed from the residence. Honors III failed to tell the 911 dispatcher about the blood trail throughout the home that responding officers observed. Members of the Violent Crimes Unit investigated the murder, and the primary suspect was Honors III; however, probable cause for arrest was not achieved. After all leads were exhausted the case was classified as a cold case.
The case was reopened on May 19, 2025, by Cold Case investigator Gary B. Gross, with Detective Virgil Cardin assisting. Witnesses were reinterviewed, and additional information was obtained. According to a witness reinterviewed in 2025, Honors III and the Victim were the only persons inside the residence and were physically fighting when he decided to leave left the residence on foot around 3:00 a.m. The witness heard a gunshot shortly after he left. Fearing retaliation, the witness did not originally share this information with detectives.
Advances in forensic phone examination of originally obtained devices helped reveal facts previously unavailable with the technology in 2018. Over 72,000 digital pieces of evidence were examined. The suspect’s phone showed there were no outgoing calls to the Victim, as he claimed. Evidence also showed that the Victim’s phone was powered on, but there were no records of any incoming calls or messages from the suspect.
In addition, investigators later determined that before reporting the Victim missing, Honors III had called two witnesses—telling one that his brother was deceased and the other that his brother had been found in the house. A reexamination of a neighbor’s security surveillance system matches the time stamp showing someone talking on a cell phone at the exact time Honors III called the two witnesses.
On October 15, 2025, Honors III was reinterviewed by Investigator Gross and Detective Cardin at the Albany Police Department in Albany, GA. He had been arrested on August 16, 2025, for Aggravated Battery. After being given his Miranda Warning, and confronted with the new evidence and witnesses’ statements, Honors III admitted to having an argument with his brother in which they began physically fighting in the residence. Honors III claimed he shot his brother in self-defense after he pointed a firearm at him. He claimed to be six feet away from the Victim. Honors III admitted to dragging the Victim outside the residence and cleaning up the crime scene, using bleach and rags to wipe up the blood. He also disposed of the two firearms and the rags.
There were many factors which indicated the incident was not self-defense. The medical examiner indicated evidence supported the Victim was shot at close range, disputing Honors III’s claim that they were far apart. Honors III did not call for medical attention but called 911 to report his brother missing over an hour after the incident. He gave false narratives such as suggesting he ran away or that there was a burglary to the residence. Honors III moved his brother’s body outside into high vegetation, attempted to clean up the crime scene, and disposed of evidence all in an effort to hinder detectives.
On October 30, 2025, Investigator Gross and Detective Cardin obtained an arrest warrant for Rex Honors III for the charges listed above. Investigator Gross expressed, “Working on this cold case was challenging, but our dedication to bringing closure to the family made it worthwhile. While nothing can erase their pain, ensuring the Victim’s voice is heard and remembered means everything.”
For further details, the full press release can be viewed on our LakelandPD Facebook page. Photos are provided at the following Dropbox link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/kz5byj5d52zftbll0v3x8/AJgTbRkSl7ojQhnAT0uVKkk?rlkey=jran7rjs0b92xvkr2ed6z9x6c&st=i1dlh0iw&dl=0.
***ORIGINAL RELEASE***
ARREST MADE IN 2018 COLD CASE HOMICIDE
LAKELAND, FL (November 10, 2025) – Detectives from the Lakeland Police Department’s Violent Crimes Unit have made an arrest in the 2018 murder of 14-year-old Rex Honors IV.
On July 3, 2018, at 4:22 a.m., Lakeland Police officers responded to a suspicious incident at 845 West Crawford Street. Rex Honors III (age 21 at the time) reported he arrived home and could not locate his younger brother. Officers checked the residence and located Rex Honors IV deceased in the back yard.
Cold Case Investigators recently took a fresh look at the case. Through advances in technology and additional interviews, this case was able to be solved and bring closure to family members.