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Criminal Records - Most Wanted |
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Profile |
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Name: Ronald Jerome Jones
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Race: Black |
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Age Now: 53 |
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Height: 6' |
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Weight: 170 lbs. |
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Wanted for :
First degree murder, Harrisonburg, VA;
Aug 20, 1983
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Location(s) |
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Last Seen : Greensboro, NC |
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Possible Location : Florida
Virginia
Massachusetts
New York
Greensboro, NC |
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Last Known : Greensboro, NC |
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Traits |
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Case Story |
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Police: Brutal Boyfriend And The $5 Question |
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Karen Thomas had always looked up to her sister Sharon. When she met Sharon's new boyfriend, Ronald Jones, she thought he was good-looking and polite -- the kind of guy who she thought would take care of her big sister. But police say both Karen and Sharon had no idea what Jones was really like.
In August 1983, 28-year-old Sharon Johnson was living at the Campbell Hotel in Harrisonburg, Va. Police say Ron Jones and his friend, Phil Pope, had left Sharon and gone to get some beer. They jogged over to a local diner, but somewhere along the way, Jones twisted his ankle.
Jones' ankle continued to bother him throughout the day, and as it continued to swell, he realized he needed a doctor. While Jones and Sharon stayed behind in her room, Pope went to borrow some money so that Jones could get a cab to the hospital. In the meantime, cops say Pope was busy medicating himself by drinking vodka and getting high.
When Pope showed up with a five-dollar bill, Jones called a cab. But around midnight, when the cab finally arrived, witnesses say that Jones noticed his money was missing. He accused Sharon of taking it, and she denied it. Meanwhile, the driver finally gave up waiting for his passengers and drove away.
Cops say Sharon and Jones ended up in an argument about the missing money. Police say that -- driven by rage -- he beat Sharon, then kicked her in the head and face.
According to Pope, when he tried to intervene, Jones overpowered him, and returned to his assault on Sharon. As the brutal attack continued, Sharon tried to crawl behind the bed for safety, but cops say Jones grabbed her and slammed her head against the floor.
Around 1:30 a.m., Pope said he had seen enough. On his way out the door, he found the five dollars he'd borrowed for Jones: it was lying on the floor. |
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Alleged Killer Slips Through The System |
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Police say Jones chased Pope away, then returned to Sharon's room. According to cops, Jones did ask a neighbor to get help for Sharon. The neighbor found Sharon lying on the floor, blood spilling from her mouth and ears.
Police say Jones didn't bother to explain what had happened with Sharon, only that he had to split, and then he took off, limping slightly as he made his getaway.
For the next week, Sharon remained in a coma, and her sister Karen sat by her side, waiting for her to recover. But she didn't.
On August 27, 1983, Sharon Johnson died of her injuries -- injuries police say were inflicted by Ronald Jones. She left behind a 6-year-old son, Shannon, who would only have faint memories of his mother.
After Sharon's death, a judge issued a murder warrant for Ronald Jones, and the police reported that they were determined to catch him. But Karen waited for some news, and as weeks became months, she heard nothing about her sister's alleged killer. |
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A Sister's Determination Pays Off |
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Twenty years later, Karen was still hoping that Jones would be brought to justice, and she began looking into the case. She discovered to her horror that the warrant against Jones had been dropped in the early '90's for lack of evidence, even though Philip Pope and other witnesses were still in the area.
During this time, police say Jones continued to be active in his criminal career, living in Greensboro, N.C. under an alias and getting arrested several times. He was even accused of beating another woman, but the charges against him were dismissed, police say, and Jones vanished again.
After Karen learned about how Jones had slipped through the cracks in the system, she made her case to the new Commonwealth Attorney, Marsha Garst, who reinstated the charges against Ronald Jones. Police have now made finding Jones a priority, and 23 years after the crime, they've vowed to bring him to justice. |
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