Rolbert Joachin now faces a second-degree murder charge in the January death of 28-year-old Julia Curvo.
FORT MYERS, FL — Prosecutors charged Rolbert Joachin with second-degree murder in the January strangulation death of 28-year-old Julia Curvo after investigators tied him to the case through DNA evidence and a Crime Stoppers tip.
The charge gives Curvo’s family its first major court step nearly six months after her body was found near a downtown Fort Myers parking lot. State Attorney Amira Fox announced the case June 29, naming Joachin as the suspect while he already was in custody in a separate Fort Myers homicide case.
Curvo had been reported missing before her body was found less than a week later in January near Hough Street in downtown Fort Myers, officials said. Authorities later determined her cause of death was strangulation. Her disappearance drew searches in the area and repeated pleas from relatives who kept returning to the place where she was found. At the June 29 announcement, Curvo’s father, Mark Curvo, and grandmother, Sandra Stephens, stood with prosecutors as the charge was made public. Fox said investigators had gathered leads, interviewed witnesses, collected evidence and sent evidence for testing before prosecutors filed the murder count. “These investigations can be extremely complex,” Fox said, crediting Fort Myers police, witnesses and Crime Stoppers for helping move the case forward.
Investigators have not released every detail of the evidence they say connects Joachin to Curvo’s death. Local reports said DNA, a Crime Stoppers tip and a red blanket were among the pieces of evidence reviewed in the investigation. Prosecutors did not describe a motive in the public announcement, and the exact sequence of Curvo’s final hours has not been fully released. Joachin was charged with second-degree murder, which under Florida law alleges an unlawful killing without the added element of premeditation required for first-degree murder. Assistant State Attorneys Sara Miller and Hamid Hunter of the State Attorney’s Office Homicide Unit are prosecuting the case. Officials have not announced a trial date in Curvo’s case, and Joachin is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The Curvo case had stayed in public view through the work of her family, especially Stephens, who visited the Hough Street area weekly and rebuilt a small memorial after an earlier tribute was removed. The memorial included flowers, a photo and a cross near the place where Curvo’s body was found. Stephens said in April that the site was where she felt she could speak to her granddaughter and keep her name from fading. The reward for information in the case had risen to $10,000 before the arrest announcement. The search also included pond searches as Fort Myers police looked for clues. Family members said the wait for answers had been painful because Curvo was missing for days before she was found.
Joachin also is charged in a separate Fort Myers killing that drew wide attention after a gas station clerk was beaten with a hammer on April 2. In that case, prosecutors said a 51-year-old woman was attacked at her workplace in Fort Myers, and a Lee County grand jury later returned a first-degree murder indictment against Joachin. Court records in that case showed he pleaded not guilty. The Curvo charge is separate and is based on the January death investigation. Prosecutors have not said the two cases are connected beyond the same defendant. The new charge means Joachin now faces prosecution in two homicide cases in Lee County, with the State Attorney’s Office handling both through its homicide prosecutors.
At the June 29 news conference, Fox read a statement from Mark Curvo thanking the Fort Myers Police Department, Detective Daniel, Police Chief Jason Fields and prosecutors for their work. Mark Curvo said the investigation and charge had brought the family to a point in the pursuit of justice for Julia Grace Curvo. Fox said the office’s focus remains on prosecution while also recognizing the loss faced by the victim’s family. “These are not just cases, but life changing moments,” Fox said, describing the effect of violent crime on families left behind. The statement also thanked witnesses who came forward and Crime Stoppers for giving people a way to provide tips.
The next steps are expected to move through Lee County court, where prosecutors will have to present evidence supporting the second-degree murder charge. Joachin’s defense will have the chance to challenge the evidence, file motions and respond to the charge through the normal criminal process. Officials have not said whether more arrests are expected. They also have not released a full timeline showing when the DNA testing was completed or when the tip came in. For Curvo’s family, the charge marks movement after months of public appeals, memorial visits and uncertainty.
The case stood Friday with Joachin charged but not convicted in Curvo’s death. Prosecutors have assigned the case to homicide attorneys, and the next public milestone is expected in court as the second-degree murder case begins its formal path toward hearings and trial.
Author note: Last updated July 3, 2026.