‘Snitch’ offers murder testimony

By SCOTT NORTH

Herald Writer

A former jailhouse "snitch" with a lengthy criminal record may be among the witnesses called to testify early next year against a former Bothell man who spent a decade in prison for killing his wife, a murder he insists he did not commit.

Jerry B. Jones Jr., 54, appeared briefly Tuesday in Snohomish County Superior Court .

The purpose of the hearing was for Judge Gerald Knight to formally reschedule Jones’ new trial on first-degree murder from mid-November to Jan. 16.

In 1989, Jones was convicted and sentenced to 25 years in prison for the death of his wife, Lee Jones, 41. The woman was stabbed to death in the bathroom of the Joneses’ home.

Jones spent his time behind bars insisting that he’d been wrongly convicted and that his wife had been killed by an intruder, whom he believes was a neighborhood teen.

In 1999, U.S. District Court Judge John Coughenour threw out the conviction and freed Jones, ruling that he’d received ineffective assistance of counsel because his attorney had failed to adequately investigate the intruder claim before trial.

Jones, who is free on bond, has since made repeated public statements about his innocence, including an appearance on a nationally televised talk show.

A former inmate with whom Jones served time in prison last year approached prosecutors offering to testify that Jones had confessed to him in 1995 that he killed his wife for cheating on him and his only regret was leaving too much evidence behind.

The man, 49, "claimed that he was annoyed to see Mr. Jones professing his innocence on television when Jones had confessed to him years earlier," Jones’ attorney, David Zuckerman of Seattle, said in court papers filed early this week.

That’s a claim Jones vehemently denies.

"Mr. Jones will present evidence at trial that he steadfastly maintained his innocence while in prison even when speaking with inmates he trusted," Zuckerman wrote.

Jones didn’t trust the potential witness because he had a reputation for being a "snitch" and had testified against others in criminal cases or worked as a police informant in Snohomish and Cowlitz counties, according to court papers.

Zuckerman filed the court documents because he wants to gather more evidence regarding the man and to interview people involved in those prosecutions.

Deputy prosecutor Ron Doersch said he has not yet decided whether the former inmate will testify at Jones’ trial.

"He’s on the witness list; the question is whether he will be called," he said.

Zuckerman said he’s looking forward to cross examining the man, who has spent much of his life behind bars and has convictions for robbery, kidnapping, burglary and theft. Some of those convictions were for crimes against the man’s mother or people who befriended him, Zuckerman said in court papers.

"What can you say about somebody who would kidnap and rob his own mother?" the lawyer asked.

Talk to us

More in Local News

FILE - A sign hangs at a Taco Bell on May 23, 2014, in Mount Lebanon, Pa. Declaring a mission to liberate "Taco Tuesday" for all, Taco Bell asked U.S. regulators Tuesday, May 16, 2023, to force Wyoming-based Taco John's to abandon its longstanding claim to the trademark. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
Hepatitis A confirmed in Taco Bell worker in Everett, Lake Stevens

The health department sent out a public alert for diners at two Taco Bells on May 22 or 23.

VOLLI’s Director of Food & Beverage Kevin Aiello outside of the business on Friday, May 19, 2023 in Marysville, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Coming soon to Marysville: indoor pickleball, games, drinks

“We’re very confident this will be not just a hit, but a smash hit,” says co-owner Allan Jones, who is in the fun industry.

Everett
Detectives: Unresponsive baby was exposed to fentanyl at Everett hotel

An 11-month-old boy lost consciousness Tuesday afternoon. Later, the infant and a twin sibling both tested positive for fentanyl.

Cassie Franklin (left) and Nick Harper (right)
Report: No wrongdoing in Everett mayor’s romance with deputy mayor

An attorney hired by the city found no misuse of public funds. Texts between the two last year, however, were not saved on their personal phones.

Firearm discovered by TSA officers at Paine Field Thursday morning, May 11, 2023, during routine X-ray screening at the security checkpoint. (Transportation Security Administration)
3 guns caught by TSA at Paine Field this month — all loaded

Simple travel advice: Unpack before you pack to make sure there’s not a gun in your carry-on.

Heavy traffic northbound on 1-5 in Everett, Washington on August 31, 2022.  (Kevin Clark / The Herald)
To beat the rush this Memorial Day weekend, go early or late

AAA projects busy airports, ferries and roads over the holiday weekend this year, though still below pre-pandemic counts.

Logo for news use featuring the municipality of Snohomish in Snohomish County, Washington. 220118
Troopers: DUI crash leaves 1 in critical condition in Maltby

A drunken driver, 34, was arrested after her pickup rear-ended another truck late Tuesday, injuring a Snohomish man, 28.

Housing Hope CEO Donna Moulton raises her hand in celebration of the groundbreaking of the Housing Hope Madrona Highlands on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
$30M affordable housing project to start construction soon in Edmonds

Once built, dozens of families who are either homeless or in poverty will move in and receive social and work services.

Snohomish County Prosecutor Jason Cummings in an interview with The Daily Herald in Everett, Washington on Monday, May 1, 2023. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Snohomish County prosecutors declined 3,000 felony cases in 2022. Why?

A pandemic backlog and inexperienced cops begin to explain the trend, even as police raise the alarm about rising crime.

Most Read