Death of Jon-Niece Jones

On March 18, 2005, a hunter discovered a small human skull in wooded undergrowth in Upper Freehold Township, New Jersey, roughly three miles from Six Flags Great Adventure. New Jersey State Police estimated the remains belonged to a girl between five and nine years old. A burned black Nike shoe, a zipper, cloth fragments, and a bag bearing a Sylvester the Cat graphic were recovered at the scene, and evidence indicated the body had been deliberately burned. No cause of death could be established, though healing rib fractures were noted, and investigators classified the case as a homicide. Estimated date of death fell between 2001 and 2004.

Because fire damage prevented recovery of a standard DNA profile, investigators used mitochondrial DNA extracted at the University of North Texas. Facial reconstructions, including a clay sculpture by artist Frank Bender and later digital renderings, were created to help identify the child. Investigators theorized that whoever disposed of the body was unfamiliar with the local area, since a nearby swamp would have offered easier concealment and the remains were left unburied. The case was featured on America's Most Wanted in 2009, generating roughly one hundred tips, none of which led to identification at the time.

In August 2012, a woman named Iyonna Jones came forward suggesting the remains might belong to her sister, Jon-Niece Jones. A DNA comparison in October 2012 confirmed the match. Investigators determined that Jon-Niece had died on August 15, 2002, in the home of her aunt, Likisha Jones, as a result of physical abuse and neglect by her mother, Elisha Jones. Elisha Jones, along with Likisha Jones's boyfriend, Godfrey Gibson, and Jon-Niece's uncle, James Jones, were alleged to have set the body on fire and disposed of it at the site where it was later found. No missing person report had ever been filed following the child's death. Elisha Jones had died in December 2002 and was never charged.

In October 2012, Likisha Jones, James Jones, and Godfrey Gibson were charged with evidence tampering, obstruction of justice, and hindering apprehension. They were indicted on January 7, 2013, and released on bail. All three initially pleaded not guilty but changed their pleas to guilty in late 2013. Prosecutors stated that Jon-Niece's mother was believed to be solely responsible for the girl's death and that the other three were not involved in the killing itself. On March 1, 2014, Likisha Jones and James Jones were sentenced to two years' probation, and Godfrey Gibson was sentenced to one year minus one day in prison. The case remains documented as a resolved identification with limited convictions related to concealment of the death rather than the killing itself.