A teenage girl and a boy almost twice her age will get life in prison after she killed his mom because he wouldn’t do it

What prompted a teenage girl to murder her much older boyfriend’s mother with her bare hands while he sat and did nothing?

The story of a pair of Ohio killers, 18-year-old Kaitlyn Coones and 33-year-old Jonathon Jones, has intrigued the general public since news of their brutal murder broke a 12 months ago. But finally a resolution was passed: on June 4, each were sentenced to life in prison with the potential of parole in 25 years – when Coones will be 43 and Jones will be 58.

According to a statement from the prosecutor’s office, Coones and Jones accepted a “no contest” plea agreement for aggravated murder and abuse of a corpse. Although he was only 17 on the time of the murder, Coones was charged as an adult. As a part of the plea agreement, most of the previous charges were dropped.

On April 19, 2023, the teenager gave an ultimatum to her boyfriend Jonathon, who’s almost twice her age. She gave him five hours to kill his mother, 53-year-old Nicole Jones, or she would do it herself. According to the grievance obtained by Court TV, when Jonathon didn’t respond, Coones grabbed a rock from outside and beat and strangled Jonathon’s mother in their kitchen while Jonathon sat in the front room.

“Kaitlyn Coones stated that she was waiting for an opportunity when (the victim) leaned in front of the refrigerator, choked Nicole Jones and hit her with a rock until she heard gurgling sounds and blood coming from (the victim’s) mouth.”

Motive for the attack? The grievance stated that Coones believed Jonathon’s mother was interfering with their relationship. The day before the bizarre murder, Coones disappeared from her foster home and reportedly sneaked into Nicole Jones’ home through Jonathon’s bedroom window. However, the couple had already been in a bootleg relationship. According to ABC 13 and News 19, Jonathon was convicted in March 2023 of getting a relationship with her when she was 15 years old. He was wearing an ankle monitor on the time of the murder.

After killing Nicole, the couple went to a local store to purchase a tarp and cleansing supplies, Coones said in a statement to police. The two then returned home and cleaned up the crime scene before wrapping the victim’s body in a tarp and allegedly throwing it into a dumpster on the apartment complex. Authorities said surveillance video from the apartment complex and GPS tracking from Jones’ ankle monitor corroborated her testimony. Unfortunately, the dumpster was emptied before police could search it, and Nicole Jones’ body was never found.

The couple then fled towards the border. Initially, authorities feared Coones had been abducted by Jones because he was wanted on child endangerment charges. The U.S. Marshals Service tracked them to Mexico, where Jones was arrested. But things took an unexpected turn when each suspects gave police details of the murder plot, Toledo station WTGV reported.

Their reference to the courts shouldn’t be over yet. According to WTOL 11, on April 18, 2024, Robert Jones – Nicole Jones’ brother and administrator of her estate – filed a lawsuit against Coones and Jonathon, demanding $25,000 and other damages.

“The agony of losing Nicki is compounded by the unimaginable betrayal we feel,” Robert said in court. “We are denied the closure that comes with burying a loved one, and we are haunted by unanswered questions and terrifying images of their final moments.”