November 28, 2023
Kaitlyn Coones, 17, allegedly strangled 53-year-old Nicole Jones to death in the kitchen of her home, after bludgeoning her with a rock, while her boyfriend, Johnathan Jones, 33, sat in the living room.
Coones, of Canton, Ohio, grew up in foster care, and was living in a group home in the custody of the Stark County Children’s Services when she went missing in April 2023.
On May 6, 2023, the U.S. Marshals Service Cleveland Twitter Account posted an alert that read: ALERT #USMS is searching for wanted fugitive Jonathan Jones (33) and missing child Kaitlyn Coones (17). Jones is wanted for pandering obscene material. Last seen in Arizona. Call USMS with any info: 1-866-4WANTED.
According to reports, Coones had given Jones an ultimatum: Kill his own mother or end their relationship.
She allegedly gave him five hours to make a decision. When Jones failed to kill his mother within the timeframe, Coones carried out the murder herself.
Sylvania Township Police Department Detective, Jake Albright, stated that Coones told Jones his mother was getting in the way of their relationship, and disproved of them being together.
Unbeknownst to the victim, Coones had been secretly staying under her roof, in her son’s bedroom.
While Nicole Jones was in the kitchen with her back turned, Coones purportedly crept up behind her and struck her multiple times with a rock that she had brought into the home from outside. She then began strangling the 53-year-old to death. Media outlets report that Jones was sitting in the living room of the home while his mother was being bludgeoned and strangled by his teenage girlfriend.
Although Jones allegedly did not assist in the murder, he left the apartment to pick up a tarp and trash bags used in the disposal of the body.
Coones and Jones then dragged the victim's body out of the apartment complex and disposed of it in a dumpster outside. The contents of the dumpster were picked up and later dumped at a landfill.
Jones, who was wearing an ankle monitor at the time, then stole his mother’s vehicle, and together with Coones, headed towards the US-Mexico border in an attempt to flee the country.
Authorities believed at the time that Coones was a victim of kidnapping and asked the public to be on the lookout. Jones was described in the statement as white male, 5'10" and 170lbs, Coones was described as a white female, 5'3" and 200lbs.
While on the way to Mexico, Coones allegedly confessed to a case worker via phone call, that she had "done something terrible." Police were informed following the confession and went to Nicole Jones’ home to perform a welfare check. There they discovered evidence supporting Coones alleged confession and timeline of events.
According to 13ABC, Johnathan Jones was considered a fugitive after he fled from the US to Mexico to evade sentencing for various sex crimes in Wood County. Jones had been convicted of having an inappropriate sexual relationship with Kaitlyn when she was just 15. He had also planned to sell sexual images of himself and Coones engaged in sexual acts.
A statement by the U.S Marshals service released May 06, 2023, stated that Jones was "wanted by the Wood County Sheriff's Office (WCSO) for pandering obscene material and child endangerment."
According to the Sentinel-Tribune, Jones pleaded guilty to endangering children and attempt to commit pandering obscenity involving a minor, for which he would have to register as a Tier II sex offender for the next 25 years of his life.
Jones "picked up a girl in Columbus" and drove her to Milbury, where they checked into a Super 8 motel. He then had sex with the minor and took various photos of the crime on his cellular device. Jones allegedly planned to "pander those photos," said Wood County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Morgan Spitler.
He was made to wear a GPS monitor and was prohibited from using the internet, documents state.
Jones was still fitted with a GPS monitor following while on the run, allowing police to track his movements. The pair were apprehended in Mexico on May 8, 2023, after being located in Ahumada, a municipality in Chihuahua, Mexico.
Kaitlyn Coones has been charged with murder and aggravated murder, as well as tampering with evidence, and abuse of a corpse.
A judge ruled last week that Kaitlyn Coones would be tried as an adult in the murder of Nicole Jones.
Media outlets report that a nurse at the group home from which Coones went missing received a text message from an unknown number, claiming to be Coones, confessing to the murder of two people. Coones attorney, Ann Baronas, said that it cannot be proven Coones sent the message and said Coones is a victim of Johnathan Jones and may be covering for him. Baronas added that Jones was not to have any contact with the teenager following his prior convictions.
Johnathan Jones will also be charged in connection with his mother’s death.
At the time of writing, Nicole Jones remains have not been found, and the likelihood that her body will be recovered from the landfill is said to be slim.
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