In a shocking case out of Ohio, a 17-year-old girl, Kaitlyn Coones, is facing trial as an adult for the murder of her older boyfriend’s mother, 53-year-old Nicole Jones. Prosecutors allege that Coones, who had recently left her foster home to live with her boyfriend, Jonathan Jones, 33, had given him an ultimatum of five hours to kill his mother, who disapproved of their relationship.
According to Detective Jake Albright of the Sylvania Township Police Department, Coones had expressed to Jonathan that his mother was an obstacle to their relationship and had given him a deadline to “do something about her.” When the deadline passed without action from Jonathan, Coones allegedly decided to take matters into her own hands.
Prosecutors claim that Coones attacked Nicole Jones in her kitchen, bludgeoning her with a rock and strangling her. Jonathan Jones, who was reportedly in the living room at the time, is accused of assisting Coones in covering up the crime. The couple allegedly purchased tarp and trash bags from local stores to wrap the body and clean the crime scene.
The pair then allegedly disposed of the body in a dumpster at a nearby apartment complex, which was later taken to a landfill. Authorities believe it is unlikely that Nicole Jones’ body will ever be recovered. Following the disposal of the body, the couple is believed to have fled to Mexico.
The crime came to light a month later when Canton Police were asked to conduct a welfare check on Nicole Jones. The request came after Coones’ foster home reported that she had sent a text to a nurse claiming she had killed two people and was on the run. The identity of the second alleged victim remains unclear.
The investigation led to the arrest of Coones and Jonathan Jones in Ahumada, Chihuahua, Mexico. The location was discovered due to Jonathan’s failure to disable his ankle monitor, a condition of his previous guilty plea to charges including child endangerment and failure to appear in court.
Upon arrest, Coones reportedly confessed to the murder. The details she provided about the disposal of the body matched GPS data from Jonathan’s phone and watch. Coones now faces charges of murder, aggravated murder, tampering with evidence, and abuse of a corpse.
Coones’ lawyer, Ann Baronas, has argued that her client was a victim of Jonathan Jones, who was not supposed to have any contact with her due to his previous charges related to their relationship. Jonathan Jones is also facing charges in connection with his mother’s murder and is currently held on a $1.125 million bond.