HUNTSVILLE - An Oneida man has entered a plea agreement to charges stemming from the death of his wife.
David L. Jones, 44, of Oneida, entered an Alford (best interests) plea in Scott County Criminal Court Monday afternoon, and was sentenced to 16 years in prison.
Jones was indicted in July 2008 on charges of 2nd degree murder, stemming from the Jan. 20, 2008, death of his wife, Dewanna Jones, 44.
The plea agreement entered into by Jones included two counts of aggravated assault, a class C felony, and one count of reckless homicide, a class D felony.
Jones was sentenced by Criminal Court Judge Shayne Sexton to six years on each assault count and four years for the reckless homicide count, for an effective 16-year sentence, the maximum allowed for a first time offender.
Jones was remanded to Tennessee Department of Corrections custody upon entering the plea Monday. He will receive credit for time served since his July arrest. Under Tennessee statute, he will be eligible for parole after serving 30% of his sentence.
With an Alford plea, defendants do not admit guilt and assert their innocence, but admit that sufficient evidence exists to make an acquittal unlikely.
An Alford plea is similar to but different from a nolo contendere, or no contest, plea.
Dewanna Jones died at the couple’s Helenwood Detour Road in the early morning hours of Jan. 20, 2008, according to earlier reports. Her husband reportedly called 911, telling dispatchers his wife had stopped breathing. Sheriff’s Department deputies and paramedics arrived on scene within minutes, but efforts to revive Jones were unsuccessful, and she was pronounced dead a short time later.
Few details of Jones’ death were ever released publicly. Preliminary autopsy reports did not reveal enough evidence to charge her husband, Sheriff Anthony Lay commented at the time. An indictment was handed down later following an extended investigation by the SCSD and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
The news continues in our print edition. Board member pleads guilty to DUI; see story on page A2 of this week's edition. Subscribe Today!
