TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — A shooting at a house party near U of A left a young student dead. More than two years have passed since that night. Now, many more months could pass before there’s a trial in the killing of Erin Jones.
It was April 2024 when a roared by a crowded party on 5th Street near U of A.
Tucson Police say teenagers in the car fired more than 80 times.
Bullets hit four people. Erin Jones died of her wounds. The other three survived.
Two of the four suspects pleaded guilty to drive by shootings.
Tevion Beale was the latest.
Judge Casey Mc Ginley sent Beale to prison for 12 years. In April Judge Mc Ginley sent Marcus Williams, another defendant in the case, to prison for 14 years for his guilty plea. Two others did not take plea deals.
Estevon Garcia and Akeem Alvarez were set for separate triasl this summer but it looks like those trials will be pushed back several months.
Garcia’s attorney Dan Cooper told the Judge he needs to interview about a hundred witnesses; some have been students who have been hard to find and others do not want to cooperate. Judge McGinley said he’ll order them to cooperate if that’s what it takes.
Speaking to the court by audio link, Erin Jones’ mother Renata Long, said she feels a real need to attend the trial over the death of her daughter. She says she was able to get time off for a trial this summer but with work and another daughter to care for she can not attend if the trial slips to the Fall.
She says, “I can’t even begin the healing process until I feel this is over. October I cannot do. The beginning of the year I cannot do.”
Prosecutors told Judge McGinley they have no objection to pushing the trial into next year. Judge McGinley told attorneys for all sides to come back in about two weeks with a recommendation on when the trial should be.
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Craig Smith is a reporter for KGUN 9. With more than 40 years of reporting in cities like Tampa, Houston and Austin, Craig has covered more than 40 Space Shuttle launches and covered historic hurricanes like Katrina, Ivan, Andrew and Hugo. Share your story ideas and important issues with Craig by emailing craig.smith@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook and Twitter.
