Not guilty was the verdict the jury handed down in the first degree murder trial of Kevin Jones. Jones was accused of killing his girlfriend, 19-year-old Nona Dirksmeyer back in December 2005.
Right before the verdict was read, some of Jones' family members were in tears. As you can imagine they were anxious as was Nona Dirksmeyer's family. The mood changed after the verdict was read. When the not guilty verdict was read Kevin Jones rejoiced with family members and friends inside the courtroom.
Outside he thanked the jury and commented briefly on what the last year and a half has been like. “it's been hard," says Jones. Jones' attorney Bill Bristow said he believed his client got a fair trial that the judge allowed in evidence relevant to the case and kept out evidence that was not. But he went on to say that the prosecution failed to follow up on evidence like DNA found on a condom wrapper and a finger nail found at the scene that didn't match Jones.
“Today justice was done for Kevin Jones. Justice needs to be done for Nona Dirksmeyer and her family. I call for the Pope County Sheriff's Department, for the state police to locate the real killer of Nona Dirksmeyer," says the attorney for Kevin Jones Bill Bristow.
Prosecutor David Gibbons had this to say: "We’ll keep the file open. I don't see the evidence pointing at anyone else.”
Nona Dirksmeyer's parents say they are relieved the trial is over. But they believe Jones got away with murder and they'll seek justice elsewhere. The trial lasted 9 days and the jury deliberated
