Investigators say the victim, 32-year-old Wendy Moncion, was discovered hidden under a bed inside a 2020 Freightliner.
FORT PIERCE, Fla. — A suspicious-person call behind a truck stop led St. Lucie County deputies to blood inside a semi-truck and, a day later, to the hidden body of a man identified as the driver’s cousin, authorities said Tuesday.
Detectives arrested Olson Jean, 41, of Pompano Beach, on first-degree murder with a firearm and tampering with evidence after a weekend search that started near the Pilot Truck Stop off South Rock Road. The case escalated when a 911 caller reported a man acting erratically late Jan. 15. The sheriff said the victim, Wendy Moncion of Coconut Creek, had joined Jean on a trip from Georgia to Florida. An autopsy found Moncion died from a single gunshot to the back of the head. Jean was booked into the St. Lucie County Jail; investigators said the motive remains unknown.
Deputies first encountered Jean around 11:30 p.m. Jan. 15 behind the truck stop after the semi had slid into a roadside ditch while turning around near State Road 70. Sheriff Richard Del Toro said Jean gave inconsistent answers about the truck and at one point denied any connection to it. Without probable cause to search the cab, deputies let him go and focused on the unoccupied 2020 Freightliner. They noticed what looked like blood on the passenger door and step and saw more inside the cab. Jean later returned to the area and was detained for questioning, Del Toro said. “He was uncooperative and refused to clarify the circumstances,” Del Toro said during a Jan. 20 briefing.
On Jan. 16, crime scene technicians tested the reddish stains and reported a positive result for blood. Deputies canvassing the corridor found two firearms and magazines near a canal: a Palmetto State Armory PA-15 rifle and a Springfield Hellcat handgun. Investigators obtained a warrant to open compartments inside the sleeper. Inside a storage space under the bed, they found the body of Moncion, who had last contacted family around 6:40 p.m. Jan. 15. The medical examiner ruled the death a homicide caused by a gunshot to the rear of the head. Detectives said evidence suggests attempts to hide or discard items. Where the shooting occurred has not been publicly determined.
Authorities said Jean and Moncion are cousins. Del Toro said family members told investigators Moncion agreed to ride along from Georgia because Jean had expressed worries about sleeping alone during stops. The sheriff also said he spoke with Jean’s wife, who reported recent signs of mental health struggles and erratic behavior, though deputies have not assigned a motive. Records show Jean was initially arrested on obstruction-related counts after the roadside encounter; by Jan. 17, he faced first-degree murder with a firearm and tampering with evidence. Deputies said no other suspects are being sought at this time.
Investigators are still building a timeline from the northbound route into Florida to the Fort Pierce stop. Detectives have not said where along the trip the fatal shot was fired, how long Moncion’s body was in the sleeper, or when the guns were left by the canal. The Freightliner, linked to Jean through registration, was towed and processed. Detectives are reviewing phone records and surveillance video from truck stop businesses and nearby roadways, according to the sheriff.
Jean remained in the St. Lucie County Jail on Wednesday. Jail records show no bond on the murder and tampering counts, with a separate $500 bond for a resisting without violence charge. Prosecutors are expected to file a formal charging document in the coming weeks. A first appearance was held over the weekend; an arraignment date had not been announced as of Wednesday. The sheriff’s office said updates would follow as laboratory testing and interviews continue.
At the truck stop entrance Tuesday, drivers rolled past a patch of churned dirt where the semi left the pavement. Yellowed grass framed the canal banks where deputies said they recovered the rifle and handgun magazines. “We’re grateful for a vigilant community member whose call set this investigation in motion,” Del Toro said. A man fueling a rig nearby, who declined to give his name because he was not authorized to speak for his company, said the discovery had unsettled regulars: “You park, you eat, you sleep. You don’t expect something like this in the sleeper.”
As of Wednesday morning, the homicide probe remains active. Detectives plan additional interviews and evidence testing this week, and the sheriff’s office said it will announce the next briefing once lab results are back.
Author note: Last updated January 22, 2026.