District Attorney’s office seeking death penalty for man charged in half sister’s murder

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - Jahreese Jones, who is charged with the murder of his half sister, appeared in New Hanover County Superior Court at 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 16. The judge ruled that the case will proceed as a capital murder case, which means that the District Attorney’s office is seeking the death penalty.

“The decision to proceed against someone for their life is not a decision that this office makes lightly,” said District Attorney Bed David. “We know that there is no more grave decision that we have to make than speaking for the dead in a murder trial, but also in asking 12 ordinary citizens to take the life of someone else after a full hearing.”

The body of missing 16-year-old Miyonna Jones was found on the morning on Nov. 17 in Pender County after an extensive two-week search. She was reported missing on Nov. 2, and was last seen the day before in Wilmington.

David explained the approach his office takes when deciding whether to pursue the death penalty in a first-degree murder case.

“What we do is we convene a capital review committee of senior prosecutors who get around a round table and discuss the facts and circumstances of each case, look at aggravating circumstances and mitigating circumstances to determine whether or not we believe it is death penalty eligible and meets the requirements of the law,” David said.

In addition to a charge of first-degree murder, Jahreese Jones also faces the following charges:

• First-degree kidnapping
• Two counts of first-degree rape
• Assault by strangulation
• Two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon

Updates will be provided as more information becomes available.

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