By Chuck Hustmyre
Court Documents:
State of Arkansas V Kevin Nicholas Jones
January 11, 2007
RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. (Crime Library) — The first-degree murder trial of Kevin Jones, accused of killing 19-year-old beauty queen Nona Dirksmeyer, has been postponed until July 9.
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| Nona Dirksmeyer |
State Judge John Patterson granted a prosecution motion last week to delay the trial. A few days later, the judge announced that he was retiring at the end of January.
Prosecuting Attorney David Gibbons asked the judge for the delay so that prosecutors could have time to evaluate new evidence turned over by Jones's defense attorneys.
That evidence includes a report by a private laboratory in Florida, DNA Labs International, concerning DNA material discovered on a condom wrapper found in Nona Dirksmeyer's apartment near her body. In the report, the lab said tests done on the DNA material found on the wrapper "ruled Kevin Jones out" as the source.
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| Kevin Jones |
Jones's defense attorneys also claim that a bloody palm print Jones left on the light bulb of the lamp that prosecutors believe was the murder weapon was made after he discovered Nona' body. At the time of her death, Nona had been dating Jones for nearly five years.
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| Kevin and Nona |
Then, late last week, after granting the prosecutor's motion for a continuance, Judge Patterson abruptly announced that he was retiring Jan. 31 after 24 years on the bench.
Gov. Mike Beebe will appoint someone to serve out the remainder of Patterson's four-year term, which runs through the end of 2008. Under state law, the replacement judge is barred from running for the seat in the 2008 election.
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Court Documents: State of Arkansas V Kevin Nicholas Jones
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