Someone killed JaParker Deoni Jones at a bus stop in the 4900 block of East Capitol Street NE on February 2, 2012. (Photo via Google Streetview)
A jury dropped all charges on Wednesday against a D.C. man with a history of mental illness who was accused of murdering a transgender woman five years ago, according to William Miller, spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.
60-year-old Gary Montgomery will be released from St. Elizabeths Hospital where he’s been living since being arrested for the fatal stabbing of 23-year-old JaParker Deoni Jones.
Someone killed Jones at a bus stop in the 4900 block of East Capitol Street NE on February 2, 2012.
The Washington Post reports that during the week-long trial, several witnesses testified to seeing Montgomery and Jones at the bus stop that night, which was the first encounter they’d ever had. Prosecutors said that Montgomery became infatuated with Jones, but when she ignored him, he stabbed her out of rage.
Police arrested Montgomery less than a week after the stabbing and charged him with first-degree murder while armed.
But the D.C. Superior Court jury said there wasn’t enough evidence to prove that Montgomery was the murderer as none of the witnesses actually saw the attack. Jurors also said that there was no DNA evidence that linked Montgomery to the crime and a video of the scene was inconsistent with the prosecutor’s’ account, among other factors for the verdict, according to The Post.
A year after the murder, the D.C. Council passed the JaParker Deoni Jones Birth Certificate Amendment Act of 2013—a bill to make it easier for transgender people to change their names and update birth certificates with their gender identity.
Jones’ family left the courtroom distraught on Wednesday. Her mother ran from the courtroom screaming and crying, The Post reports. People nearby poured into the hallway in response to the commotion.
One juror said it was “likely” Jones was killed for being transgender, but still believed that Montgomery was not the person responsible, according to The Post.
This summer, activists have protested against several violent attacks against trans people in D.C., including an incident where a trans woman was beaten with a metal baseball bat and burned with fireworks on July 2, and another who was intentionally struck by a car on July 5. Police have made arrests in both cases.
