The following is a press release issued by the Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office:
With the surviving victim watching from the courtroom gallery, defendant Thomas Dean Jones, age 66, formerly of the Talmage area, was sentenced Thursday afternoon to longest non-death prison sentence in the legal history of Mendocino County.
Defendant Jones was convicted by jury in February of the first degree murder of his step-son by use of a black powder cap-and-ball revolver, and the first degree attempted murder of the step-son’s husband by use of the same firearm.
The jury also found true sentencing allegations (Strikes) that the defendant had previously suffered three prior robbery convictions in Lake County and three prior robbery convictions in Sonoma County.
When all was said and done at the conclusion of what turned out to be a relatively brief hearing, the defendant was sentenced to state prison for a term of Life Without the Possibility of Parole, (LWOP) plus an additional 172 years to life to run consecutive to the LWOP.
The law enforcement agency that developed the evidence underlying the defendant’s convictions was the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office.
The Ukiah Police Department, the California Highway Patrol, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife provided mutual aid back on the morning of September 23, 2020. The District Attorney’s own Bureau of Investigations provided victim/witness and trial support.
The prosecutor at trial who presented the People’s evidence to the jury was District Attorney David Eyster.
Mendocino County Superior Court Judge Keith Faulder presided over Thursday’s hearing and imposed the sentence noted above.
Previous Coverage
The Ukiah Police provided “craft services” for the real investigators with the County. The doughnuts were a bit dry. The coffee was strong. Stay away from the bacon.
Ukiah Police, last time I checked, solve around 66% of the murders in town. Two out of three. If you happen to be the family of the 33%… well… you just don’t get a pastry, do you?
The Ukiah Police should be shut down. Not permanently. Merely to empty it. The City Manager should be replaced. The new City Manager should hire a respected, very senior level retired former Chief from somewhere else, who has no loyalties to folks, who can then come in and establish an organization that ISN’T managed by a guy who was a Sergeant around 3 years ago.
The city now must offer GREAT incentives to try to tempt officers to join what is known to be a corrupted department. The city is realizing that their failures to manage the UPD is costing the city a ton, just in the Murray litigations alone. These costs include these incentives also. Increased base pay. More and more… for less and less… because of bad management.
Same as it ever was. Same as it ever was.
You do realize this article is not about UPD, Murray, or the City of Ukiah?
I’m clued into your first post today on the UPD Police Log which hit on pretty much the same grievances as the above comment.
Richard, you’re more than welcome to respond to the articles on this website, given you’re actually responding to their issues discussed.
If you want your voice heard, write a letter to the editor and sign your name to it.
My comment was specifically directed at your point that, while you did not point out jurisdiction… as most would… you merely went on to state that the MCSO did the grunt work, whist the UPD merely did support.
Right. I replied with a bit of sarcasm and facetiousness. I use those to point out the obvious… that the UPD are not cutting the mustard. They aren’t leading the investigation, in their own jurisdiction.
Yes, while that point might not have been the point of your article… must all comments be directed at the limited point of your article? Is this about fostering discussion, or self-worship?
I would think that the point would be to foster discussion; and discussions generally go in many directions. I understand if you want all comments focused on you. I get it. You got it.
Okay folks… don’t mention any other points outside of the limited ones made on this website, as officially signed… by Matt! You have my sincere of apology, Matt. I will attempt to worship more appropriately.
As to my signature, A real “reporter”, you should understand the purpose of the pseudonym. Having spent much time in Master Control rooms of ALL of the major media outlets in Los Angeles, I can say that yes, media folk would understand.
Have a great day, your Highness.
Richard— Your response, interspersed with mockery of me, at least got you engaging in ideas outside your fight against all-things-Ukiah. For that, it was refreshing.
Your issues with Ukiah have some validity, but your ideas are weakened when presented as non-sequiturs, rather than a direct response to information pertaining to the City or its police. Your perspective loses credibility when perpetually repeated, almost like a Ukiah-Derangement-Syndrome.
And I’ll genuflect momentarily, in awe of your once-held position in the bastion of Los Angeles media. Now, I will respectfully stand back up and observe that you now spend your time anonymously deriding some dude that runs a goofy news blog.
Richard,
This heinous crime was perpetrated in unincorporated Mendocino County, miles outside of Ukiah city limits.
This fact was clearly expressed in the current and previous articles.
If that doesn’t blunt the noggin of your richard, then I’m not sure what will reach you.