The trial of Kemond Jones

Judge Jim Chaney presided over the murder trial of Kemond Jones this week. Jones, 15 at the time of the event, is charged with murdering 18-year-old Ethan Powell early Monday morning, Labor Day, September 7, 2020.

According to testimony, about a week before the shooting Jones and Powell had a confrontation that led up to Jones slapping Powell. Reportedly Powell let his friends know he didn’t want Jones to be around them. Powell just turned and walked away from the confrontation according to sworn testimony.

A week or so later, Powell and a couple of friends drove to Abraham Drive to, according to an eye witness, buy some weed. The defense claims Powell saw Jones there and drove towards him with his truck, got out and slapped Jones.

Jones later testified that Powell was much larger than him. At the time Jones was 5’4″ and 90 lbs while Powell was 183 lbs and 5’8″ tall. Jones claims he pulled his gun in self-defense and shot Powell.

The trial began Tuesday with jury selection and testimony on Wednesday from the two Sheriff’s Deputies who showed up on the scene first. They secured the scene and then allowed paramedics in to aid Powell. Powell was transported to River Region Merit Health where he soon died.

For the prosecution on behalf of the state, District Attorney Ricky Smith and Prosecutor Michael Warren called Investigator Sam Winchester to the stand. Winchester testified he took control of the investigation and told the jury he found 8 9mm shell casings and a lot of blood at the scene. The investigation soon led to an eyewitness who identified 15-year-old Kemond Jones as the shooter. Jones was not at his home but turned himself in later to law enforcement and was given a 1 million dollar bond.

Jones was represented at the trial by Defense Attorney Mike Bonner.

A friend of Ethan Powell then took the stand to tell what they saw. The witness admitted they had gone to that neighborhood with Powell to buy “some weed.” The witness stated they went inside a house to make the purchase and while in there heard someone was shot outside. When they went to look they saw their friend, Ethan Powell, on the ground and Kemond Jones holding a gun, still shooting. They shouted at Jones to stop but he did not stop, according to the witness. While Jones ran off the witness went to their friend on the ground and kept telling him, “Get up! Get up!” Frightened, he ran from the scene.

On Thursday at 1:30 p.m. the trial resumed with the state calling expert witness and life-long pathologist, Medical Examiner Dr. Mark Levaughn to the stand. He turned his chair to the jury as he spoke and answered questions from the prosecution and the defense. He noted there were 8 shots to the body of Ethan Powell, including 4 to the back. One of which he said was most likely the “devastating” one. The prosecution claims that shot was taken after Powell was on the ground with the defense rebutting that claim. Bonner asked Dr. Levaughn directly if he could tell if that shot was after Powell was down but admitted he could not be certain.

The state rested their case and Defense Attorney Bonner began his defense. Bonner called a different eyewitness to the stand who was a friend of Kemond Jones and a witness to the entire shooting, according to their testimony. This witness told a different tale than the first witness and testified that Powell was “bloodshot” and was the aggressor. They went on to say that after the shooting a friend of Powell’s went into his pocket and grabbed something out of it. He couldn’t see clearly what it was.

The now 17-year-old Kemond Jones chose to take the stand. He testified that Powell was the aggressor and that he was defending himself. Attorney Bonner had Jones explain what happened including if he had shot Powell after he hit the ground. Jones said he wasn’t sure, but that he was scared and was just firing without aiming.

In closing arguments Prosecutor Michael Warren recapped all the points the prosecution had made and then, in a loud voice that echoed throughout the chamber, he said, “BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!” in a measured cadence that had the jury’s full attention.

Attorney Bonner pointed out the questionable parts of the investigation, in his estimation. Specifically, he was concerned about how Winchester came up with a weapon involved in the case and why the only person investigated for suspicion of committing the crime was his client, Kemond Jones. Bonner suggested that one of the witnesses should have been questioned as a suspect in the case, and not as a friendly witness. The defense then went on to point out the reality of the confrontation, that Jones was 90 lbs and facing down the angry and much larger Powell with alcohol and marijuana in his system, who had just slapped him. That Jones feared for his life and defended himself. Jones had testified that Powell had something in his pocket and Jones thought it was a gun.

Bonner then said, “Kemond Jones had no choice based on the choices Ethan Powell made.”

In the closing arguments, the state clarified that only one person said Powell had a gun and that was Kemond Jones.

The final closing statements from District Attorney Ricky Smith included the summation that street justice does not equal courtroom justice. Smith said the rules you follow in the street are not the same rules that are used in the courtroom.

After Smith spoke, Judge Cheney turned to the jury and read the instructions of how they should consider the evidence, what findings they could consider and the process of how to do those things. The jury went into deliberations at about 10:30 in the morning.

Just before 2 p.m., the jury announced they had a reached verdict.

When everyone was assembled Judge Cheney asked the jury if they had reached a verdict with the foreman confirming they had reached a verdict. The foreman handed the paper to baliff who handed it to the judge who then handed it to Circuit Clerk Jan Daige who faced the jury and read the verdict, “Guilty of deliberate design murder.”

The Vicksburg Daily News recorded the reading of the verdict.

The courtroom was silent.

Jones will go before Judge Chaney again on March 18 to face sentencing. State law calls for mandatory life imprisonment for anyone convicted of deliberate design murder. However, since Jones was 15 at the time of the shooting, state statute also says anyone tried as an adult has to be given a sentencing hearing. Judge Chaney will determine the fate of Kemond Jones, 17.