Barry Jones was released from prison on Thursday after spending 29 years on death row. The first thing he did was reunite with his family.
“It’s a special moment, and it’s Father’s Day this weekend, but there’s a man I didn’t get to spend Father’s Day with… I mean, his oldest daughter was 12 when he started school.” But his two sons are very young,” said former Federal Security Service agent Andrew Sowers. He represented Jones for 11 years.
In 1995, Jones was convicted of first-degree murder for murdering his girlfriend’s four-year-old daughter the previous year. Ms Jones claimed to have taken her child on several trips that day.
“According to all witnesses, she came back from every trip perfectly fine. So it was a mystery to Barry at the time. Well, he had no idea what became of her.” It hurt,” Sowers said.
He died of a ruptured bowel when he was taken to hospital, but prosecutors said that was not the cause.
“The progression of the disease has progressed so far … I think one of our specialists said it could be within a week of onset. I think it was at least two days or more. ,” said Sowers.
The Pima County Attorney’s Office issued a statement on Thursday, saying a review of evidence in the case did not prove that Jones caused blunt force trauma to the girl’s abdomen. Under the agreement, he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for failing to seek medical attention for the girl. The charge was punishable by 25 years in prison, but he was credited for having already served his sentence, which resulted in his release.
“I’ve believed in his innocence ever since I knew enough about this case to make a decision. It’s been a long time coming,” Sowers said.
The Arizona Death Penalty Alternatives, a grassroots group, says 11 death row inmates have been acquitted statewide, including Jones.
“It’s rare overall, as is the national standard, but given Arizona’s statistics, double-digit numbers are unusually suspicious. It’s the ’90s, considering we’re in Arizona,” says Katie Jutras, state advocacy director for Arizona’s death penalty alternatives.
Currently, 110 prisoners are facing the death penalty in Arizona.
