Anthony Marcel Jones Jr., a 27-year-old African American man, was found shot to death near an abandoned house in the Kennedy Estates area just outside Jupiter, Florida, on July 6, 2015. His body was discovered by deputies who responded to the scene after receiving reports of a shooting. The investigation revealed that Jones had been involved in an argument over a cell phone, which ultimately led to his tragic death.
Jones had a troubled past, having been in and out of the Palm Beach
County Jail ten times over the previous decade. Despite his struggles with drug addiction and his attempts to leave the street life behind, he was unable to escape the violence that eventually claimed his life. His father, Anthony Jones Sr., expressed his grief and disbelief, stating that his son did not deserve such a fate.
The investigation into Jones's murder led to the arrest of Deaundre Davis, who was 17 years old at the time of the shooting. Witnesses testified that Davis shot Jones during an argument over an iPhone, which another man had agreed to pay $80 for its return. Despite the key witness being a longtime drug addict who admitted to being high at the time of the incident, the jury found Davis guilty of first-degree murder, armed robbery, and armed aggravated assault.
In September 2016, Circuit Judge Charles Burton sentenced Davis to 50 years in prison for the murder charge, with additional sentences of 40 years for the robbery and 20 years for the assault, all to be served concurrently. The judge denied a request to forgo the mandatory minimum sentences for the robbery and assault charges, emphasizing the severity of the crime. Jones's family, while acknowledging his troubled past, maintained that he was a good person who did not deserve to die in such a violent manner.
