Fort Myers neighbors relieved after murder suspect charged in Julia Curvo case

FORT MYERS, Fla. —Nearly six months after Julia Curvo was found dead near downtown Fort Myers, the man investigators say killed her now faces a murder charge.

State Attorney Amira Fox announced Monday that Rolbert Joachin has been formally charged with second-degree murder in Curvo's death following a months-long investigation.

Curvo's family says this is the moment they have been praying for ever since she disappeared in January.

"It's been a nightmare," said Mark Curvo, Julia's father.

Joachin also faces first-degree murder charges in the killing of Nilufa Easmin, who was killed with a mallet outside D&D Convenience Store on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in April. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in that case.

For Mark and Julia's grandmother, Sandra Stephens, Monday's announcement brought both relief and anguish.

"I'm not happy about why I'm here, but I am happy about how Fort Myers police treated the investigation," Mark said.

The family thanked detectives, saying they never gave up on Julia's case even as the months passed.

"You want to know, but you don't want to know, and now we know, and it's one of the worst things is to know the truth about what happened and for nothing," Stephens said.

Crime Stoppers of Southwest Florida also reacted to the charges. Spokesperson Trish Route said, "While nothing can bring Julia back, we are relieved to see that her family is getting the answers they've been waiting for and that justice will be served."

Neighbors who live near the area where Julia's body was found say the case has stayed with them.

"Knowing that the person was caught and is off the streets, putting at ease some of the parents that live here," one neighbor said.