Teen gave boyfriend 5 hours to kill his mom, then did it herself, Ohio officials say
An Ohio couple have been sentenced in connection to the death of the man’s mother.
Kaitlyn Coones, 18, and Jonathon Jones, 33, have both been sentenced to life in prison in connection to the death of Jones’ mother, Nicole Jones, according to WJW. The sentence came with a possibility of parole after 25 years.
On May 5, 2023, Canton police asked Sylvania Township police to check on 53-year-old Nicole Jones, according to WTOL. However, authorities did not find her at her home.
Then, on May 8, Jonathon Jones was arrested in Mexico after authorities believed he went on the run with Coones.
After speaking with the two, authorities said Coones admitted to killing Nicole Jones.
A deadly ultimatum
It began on April 19, 2023, when Coones, who was 17 years old at the time, went to her boyfriend Jonathon Jones’ house and crawled in through his window, according to a criminal complaint.
Coones told authorities that she gave Jonathon Jones an ultimatum and said she wanted him to do something about his mother, whom she accused of interfering in their relationship. She gave him 5 hours to act, the court document said.
When Jonathon Jones failed to act, Coones took matters into her own hands, officials said.
Coones told investigators she grabbed a rock from outside, and when Nicole Jones was bending down in front of a refrigerator, Coones strangled her and hit her with the rock, the complaint said. She is accused of continuing to hit her until she heard “gurgling sounds and blood” from her mouth.
Coones and Jonathon Jones then went to a store and bought a tarp and cleaning supplies, according to the court document. The two cleaned the area and wrapped Nicole Jones’ body in the tarp and threw it in a dumpster, officials said.
Jonathon Jones was wearing an ankle monitor at the time, and officials said the GPS tracking, along with surveillance video, confirmed what Coones told officials. Officials also said they found blood splatter in the home.
Pleaded no contest
According to officials, Nicole Jones’ body was never recovered because the dumpster was emptied before they learned her body was placed there.
The two pleaded no contest to charges of aggravated murder and abuse of a corpse on Tuesday, June 4, according to a news release from the prosecutor’s office, WJW reported.
McClatchy News reached out to Coones’ attorney, but they were unable to comment due to pending litigation. Jonathon Jones’ attorney did not immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment.
Sylvania Township is a 15-mile drive west of Toledo.
