Edward Franco
•7/1/2026
Julia Curvo's family is mourning after the 28-year-old's tragic death in January, as court documents reveal chilling details about her murder and the suspect involved.
"It, it's been a nightmare," said Mark Curvo, Julia's father, expressing his heartbreak.
Curvo disappeared in January, and nine days later, her body was found at Hough and Third streets. According to 32 pages of court documents obtained Tuesday, Rolbert Joachin, 40, is accused of strangling Curvo to death with a bandana. The documents also state she had bruises on her legs and waist.
Speaking over the phone, Curvo's grandmother, Sandy Stephens, shared her pain.
"We needed to know what happened to her. But once you know what happened, it's just as bad as not knowing," she said.
The investigation revealed that Curvo had been living outside and between vacant homes since 2024. Court records indicate she had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Drugs, including methamphetamine and MDMA, were found in her toxicology report.
"She was a young, beautiful woman who, who had had her troubles, but she was still a human being," Stephens said.
Police interviewed Joachin on Feb. 5, during which he denied killing Curvo. On Feb. 27, a woman left a tip with Crime Stoppers, saying she knew where Curvo’s phone might be located. Investigators said they were unable to reach the tipster until March, when she revealed that Joachin had confessed to the killing in a nearby park.
On March 26, police interviewed Joachin again, took his phone, and asked Immigration and Customs Enforcement to hold him. However, due to his temporary protected status as a Haitian, he was released two hours later.
"Probably during their investigation at that time, they didn't have enough to arrest him. To that end, they were, in essence, trying to use ICE as sort of a protection," said attorney Michael Raheb, who reviewed the court documents.
One week later in April, Joachin was arrested and accused of murdering a mother, Nilufa Easmin, working at a Fort Myers gas station on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. He reportedly struck her repeatedly in the head with a mallet.
The investigation into Curvo’s case advanced further on April 8, when her phone was found in a pond off Palm Beach Boulevard, along with Joachin’s phone.
On June 5, the state of Florida filed a motion to seek the death penalty against Joachin in connection with Easmin's death.
Joachin's immigration status became clearer following multiple contradicting statements in April from state and federal agencies.
Raheb added, "I don't see how he'll ever be deported. So whether you like it or not, there's a strong possibility he'll be incarcerated or possibly put to death."
