![]() ![]() There has been no evidence either proving or disproving that claim. Additionally, while it is unverifiable, it is believed that Christopher Jordan told the police to search the crawl space above Julius’s room. Jones also says that Christopher Jordan slept in his room that night, while he slept on the couch. However, Jones contends that Christopher Jordan stayed the night at his house the night after the murder of Paul Howell. Police searched Jones’ home and found the gun that killed Paul Howell in the crawl space above Jones’ room. One of the largest pieces of evidence in the trial against Jones was the gun. This means that any past convictions _would not _have been presented to the jury. While Jones did have a fairly extensive criminal history, that is not something that can be considered at trial. Jones’ criminal history is often brought up when his case is discussed. Christopher Jordan was the getaway driver and his cousin, Tony Jordan, was the shooter. This armed robbery resulted in the murder of bank teller Amber Rogers. Jordan has a history of armed robberies, and pleaded no contest to a 2004 armed robbery charge. Many believe it was Christopher Jordan who killed Paul Howell. The judge did bring the juror in to question them, but did not overturn the decision. Additionally, one juror wrote to the judge after the case to report that one of the other jurors had already decided to convict before the case was completed and used a racial slur to refer to Jones. There was only 1 black juror on Julius’s case. While it may have helped Jones’ case to tell his story on the stand, it may have also led to information being revealed that would have seriously hurt his case. Jones did have a significant criminal history, and if he chose to testify, the prosecutor’s would have been able to talk about this history in front of the jury, including the 2 armed carjackings Julius had committed in the parking lot of a Hideaway Pizza only one week before the murder. While Jones’ lack of testimony has been regularly discussed, it is not uncommon for a Defendant to choose not to testify. ![]() However, the jury never heard testimony from these individuals as they were deemed by the Court to be unreliable. Many inmates claim that Christopher Jordan, the man convicted of aiding Jones in the murder of Paul Howard, confessed to the murder. The jury was _never _given this information because Julius’s defense attorney did not believe it was the truth, and therefore did not present it at trial. Jones has maintained that he was home with his family the night of the murder and his parents and siblings have all maintained this is the truth. Additionally, his co-counsel was a law student that had not yet graduated or passed the bar. Jones’ defense attorney was a public defender that had never done a capital case before. This means that if we interpret this quote to mean the hair was an inch long, then he does not fit the description of the man that killed Paul Howell. Instead, Jones had a very short fade haircut. It is undisputed that Julius Jones did not have long hair at the time of the incident. Megan Tobey, the only adult witness of the murder of Paul Howell, stated in court: In addition to the gun, they found a red bandana that matched the description provided by the witnesses at the scene. A few days later police searched Julius Jones’ home and found the gun used to kill Paul Howell in a crawl space above Julius’s bedroom. The assailant stole Paul Howell’s car and drove away. Megan Tobey grabbed both of Paul’s daughters and ran inside the home. A man with a stocking cap and a red bandana on his face approached the vehicle and shot Paul Howell. Paul Howell’s sister, Megan Tobey, was in the passenger seat. In 1999 Paul Howell pulled into his driveway after taking his two daughters to get school supplies and ice cream. So, what exactly are the facts of the case, what did each side argue, and why was the sentence commuted? The Undisputed Facts As the date of his execution approached, Jones’s case became a focal point for the debate about the death penalty and racial justice, with celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Baker Mayfield, and others advocating for clemency.Ī mere 4 hours before his scheduled execution, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt commuted his sentence to life without the possibility of parole. Julius Jones has spent nearly 20 years on death row for a crime he says he did not commit. ![]()
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