Beauty Queen Betrayal

Summary

48 Hours Podcast Summary: "Beauty Queen Betrayal"

Episode Title: Beauty Queen Betrayal
Host/Author: CBS News
Release Date: December 12, 2024

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Introduction

"Beauty Queen Betrayal" delves into the tragic and complex case of Nona Dirksmeyer, a 19-year-old aspiring beauty queen from Russellville, Arkansas, whose life was brutally cut short. Hosted by CBS News correspondents, this episode explores the intricate details of the investigation, the ensuing trial of her boyfriend Kevin Jones, and the eventual uncovering of the true perpetrator.

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Background

Nona Dirksmeyer:
Nona was a multifaceted individual, blending her reserved nature with the poise required for beauty pageants. At 13, she expressed a desire to sing, marking the beginning of her journey towards self-confidence. Her involvement in pageants not only enhanced her self-esteem but also fueled her passion for preventing child abuse—a cause she fervently supported.

Notable Quote:
Nona Dirksmeyer: "She was really a good kid, very thoughtful, very empathetic." (07:55)

Kevin Jones:
Kevin was a supportive 20-year-old college student who dated Nona throughout high school and their freshman year of college. Their relationship endured even after Kevin transferred to the University of Arkansas, maintaining regular communication despite the distance.

Notable Quote:
Kevin Jones: "I want to be an owner one day." (08:39)

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Personal Struggles

Nona harbored deep-seated trauma from being sexually abused by her biological father at the age of six. This traumatic experience profoundly affected her, leading to flashbacks and nightmares. However, she began to find solace and strength through her participation in beauty pageants and her relationship with Kevin, who provided unwavering support.

Notable Quote:
Nona Dirksmeyer: "She had always said, you know, I know that I need to talk about this because I know that it makes me feel better to come to terms with it and not just put it away." (11:05)

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The Crime

On December 15, 2005, Kevin returned to Russellville after failing to contact Nona following her final exam. Concerned, he enlists his friend Ryan to check on her. Upon reaching Nona's apartment, they find her brutally murdered in her living room, beaten to death with a heavy metal floor lamp.

Notable Quote:
Kevin Jones: "I didn't do it." (05:44)

Chief James Bacon, the police chief, arrives at the scene and observes Kevin covered in Nona's blood, struggling in a staged effort to revive her.

Notable Quote:
Chief James Bacon: "The only way that print could have got there, the only way that print could have got there was in the process of the crime." (21:21)

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Investigation

The investigation quickly zeroes in on Kevin as the prime suspect due to several critical pieces of evidence:

1. Blood Evidence: Kevin was covered in Nona's blood, and a palm print matching his was found on the light bulb of the murder weapon.

   Notable Quote:
   Kevin Jones: "The natural instinct is to try to grab it. In that scramble to try to grab it is when the blood print is deposited to the bulb." (31:54)

2. Condon Wrapper: An empty condom wrapper was discovered at the scene. Initial DNA testing did not match Kevin, suggesting the presence of another male.

   Notable Quote:
   Kevin Jones: "The crime lab told us you had a choice, because if we do fingerprints, we potentially are going to destroy DNA." (36:17)

3. Behavioral Suspicions: Kevin exhibited unusual behavior during his interrogation, including refusing to provide a timeline and failing a polygraph test.

   Notable Quote:
   Kevin Jones: "I didn't do it. Yes, you did. I didn't do it." (20:08)

Chief Bacon theorized that Kevin's motive stemmed from jealousy, suspecting he discovered Nona's infidelity—a theory unsupported by Nona's accounts and other testimonies.

Notable Quote:
Nona Dirksmeyer: "She deserved a lie." (15:02)

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The Trial

Eighteen months post-murder, Kevin Jones stands trial. The prosecution relies heavily on the blood evidence, particularly the palm print on the light bulb. The defense challenges the interpretation of the blood's state, introducing the term "tacky" to suggest the blood was still wet when deposited, implying it occurred during Kevin's attempt to save Nona rather than during the murder.

Notable Quote:
Defender Michael Robbins: "The state of Arkansas is attempting to get a conviction based on the blood that they have no way of proving occurred at the time of the murder." (35:23)

Despite compelling evidence, including the palm print and the initial condom DNA, the defense successfully sowed doubt, leading to a not guilty verdict.

Notable Quote:
Nona Dirksmeyer: "He was later convicted of kidnapping in an unrelated case and sentenced to 15 years." (47:15)

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Aftermath and Exoneration

Following Kevin's acquittal, new developments emerge:

1. DNA Match: Further analysis revealed that the DNA on the condom wrapper matched Gary Dunn, a neighbor with a criminal history, not Kevin.

   Notable Quote:
   Kevin Jones: "I think this person is a viable suspect and the investigation into this individual needs to go forward." (44:09)

2. Gary Dunn's Arrest: In February 2008, Gary Dunn was arrested and charged with Nona's murder, bringing closure to the case.

   Notable Quote:
   Nona Dirksmeyer: "I know in my heart my son didn't do this and I stand behind him 100%." (45:26)

Despite Kevin's exoneration, the community remains divided, with lingering suspicions and a long road toward vindication.

Notable Quote:
Kevin Jones: "Today, justice was done for Kevin Jones and his family. I just want to thank the jury for seeing the truth." (42:20)

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Conclusion

"Beauty Queen Betrayal" encapsulates a harrowing tale of love, tragedy, and the relentless pursuit of justice. It underscores the complexities of the legal system, the perils of circumstantial evidence, and the enduring quest for truth. The episode serves as a poignant reminder of the impact wrongful suspicion can have on individuals and their loved ones, while also highlighting the resilience required to navigate such profound injustices.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Nona Dirksmeyer: "She was really a good kid, very thoughtful, very empathetic." (07:55)
• Kevin Jones: "I want to be an owner one day." (08:39)
• Nona Dirksmeyer: "She had always said, you know, I know that I need to talk about this because I know that it makes me feel better to come to terms with it and not just put it away." (11:05)
• Kevin Jones: "I didn't do it." (05:44)
• Chief James Bacon: "The only way that print could have got there, the only way that print could have got there was in the process of the crime." (21:21)
• Kevin Jones: "The natural instinct is to try to grab it. In that scramble to try to grab it is when the blood print is deposited to the bulb." (31:54)
• Kevin Jones: "The crime lab told us you had a choice, because if we do fingerprints, we potentially are going to destroy DNA." (36:17)
• Nona Dirksmeyer: "She deserved a lie." (15:02)
• Defender Michael Robbins: "The state of Arkansas is attempting to get a conviction based on the blood that they have no way of proving occurred at the time of the murder." (35:23)
• Nona Dirksmeyer: "He was later convicted of kidnapping in an unrelated case and sentenced to 15 years." (47:15)
• Kevin Jones: "I think this person is a viable suspect and the investigation into this individual needs to go forward." (44:09)
• Nona Dirksmeyer: "I know in my heart my son didn't do this and I stand behind him 100%." (45:26)
• Kevin Jones: "Today, justice was done for Kevin Jones and his family. I just want to thank the jury for seeing the truth." (42:20)

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Closing Remarks

"Beauty Queen Betrayal" masterfully interweaves personal narratives with investigative journalism, offering listeners an in-depth understanding of a case that tested the boundaries of justice and truth. Through meticulous reporting and compelling storytelling, the episode not only recounts the events leading to Nona's tragic death but also highlights the systemic challenges faced in ensuring true justice.

Transcript

[Narrator]

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[Nona Dirksmeyer]

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[Narrator]

Good evening.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

I'm Nona Dirksmeyer. Ms. Pettigene Valley. She never knew how pretty she was. She was this strong person who was incredibly multifaceted. When she was 13, she came to me and she said, mom, I want to sing. She was really enjoying life for what seemed like the first time in a long time.

[Narrator]

Nona wants to break the cycle of.

[Kevin Jones]

Child abuse through prevention and awareness.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

Her helping other people gave her more self worth. Make the children want to come to school and learn and make them want to be educated. Ms. Pettigeen Valley.

[Kevin Jones]

Nona Dirksmile it never really hit me that my girlfriend was a beauty queen. She was just Nona to me.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

Nona thinks he's really fun to be with and he was very supportive of her. So I was happy about it.

[Kevin Jones]

We dated throughout our senior year of high school and our freshman year of college. And then I moved to Fayetteville and we continued to see each other on the weekends.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

She was very upset about him going to Fayetteville in the fall. I think she felt like she was being abandoned.

[Kevin Jones]

College is only an hour and a half away. That's not that far.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

Nona was telling me that they were starting to have some arguments and he was making her unhappy. I didn't know if they would stay together or not, but certainly didn't expect anything like what happened.

[Kevin Jones]

Her wounds are consistent with homicides of passion. My name is James Bacon and I'm the former police chief for the city of Russellville, Arkansas. We went over to Noah's apartment at around 6:15. She hadn't answered my phone all day. My mom was with me. We drove there together. When we pulled up to the apartment, we saw that her car was out front and her lights were on. Came around the side of the apartment to the back door. I just grabbed the door, tried to pull it open as hard as I could. Then we went inside. 911, where's your emergency?

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

My son's girlfriend. I think she's dead.

[Kevin Jones]

At that moment, I felt more alone than I'd ever had in my entire life. This was a staged crime scene. I was straddling her body, trying to find some way to save her life. At one point I even tried to give her mouth to mouth. He was not What I would have anticipated to be a distraught boyfriend that just discovered his girlfriend brutally murdered.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

If Nona was upset about something, she would raise her voice to Kevin. But I never saw him, never saw him raise his voice to her.

[Kevin Jones]

They taken him to the station, they left him in the room at one point. He does have a temper. This anger was isolated. That's something that we pay attention to.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

People portraying Kevin as this thug afterward. And I never saw any of that.

[Narrator]

I didn't do it.

[Kevin Jones]

I didn't do it. So scumbag did this to my girlfriend and I want to get put in jail for it. And I didn't do it.

[Narrator]

Who killed the beauty queen? Tonight's 48 Hours Mystery. It doesn't get much more all American than small town Arkansas football friendly, downright neighborly, and hardly any serious crime. So imagine how the town of Russellville was rocked on December 15, 2005 after this 911 called.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

Is she breathing at all?

[Kevin Jones]

No, no, she's cold.

[Narrator]

She's not breathing. She doesn't have a pulse.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

I think she's dead. Okay, what is your name, sir?

[Kevin Jones]

My name is Kevin Jones.

[Narrator]

Kevin Jones was a 20 year old college student calling from the apartment of his girlfriend nona Dirksmeyer, a 19 year old college student and aspiring beauty queen.

[Kevin Jones]

I was just trying to wake her up and I was just praying that her eyes would open.

[Narrator]

Kevin wasn't alone. He was with his friend and also his mother who was frantic with the 911 operator.

[Kevin Jones]

Okay, what kind of accident, ma'am?

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

I don't know, ma'am.

[Narrator]

It was no accident. It was murder. Nona was beaten to death and left in her blood spattered living room. As paramedics arrived, Kevin called Nona's stepfather, Duane Diepert.

[Kevin Jones]

He says you need to get down to the apartment right away. It's Nona. I think she's dead. She's cold.

[Narrator]

He then quickly called his wife Carol, Nona's mother at the local hospital where she's a nurse.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

He met me close to elevators and I was just tingling all over and I said, she's dead, isn't she? And he said, yeah.

[Narrator]

It was a grisly end to a life Nona struggled to fill with beauty.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

She was a really good kid, very thoughtful, very empathetic.

[Narrator]

Empathetic?

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

Yeah, especially with animals. She just loved her pets. I think she was just a really caring person that didn't want to see anything, go hungry or be abused.

[Narrator]

Nona's from Russellville and the 19 year old daughter of Carol and Duane Diepert, were you in favor of her entering beauty pageants?

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

I was kind of lukewarm about it at first, but I could see that it was helping her and she really liked it. It so beautiful and mesmerizing.

[Narrator]

Beautiful as she was, Nona was a most unlikely beauty queen.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

She was really shy. Like almost painfully shy. Like just very, very reserved.

[Narrator]

Adriel Churchill, Miss White River. Nona's friend Adriel Churchill had already won a beauty pageant.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

I had been Polk County Fair Queen. Big title, I know. And it was the first pageant I had ever wondered.

[Narrator]

She convinced Nona to compete as well.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

I'm not gonna lie. I wanted to crown one of my friends or at least have the chance to.

[Narrator]

Your successor as Pope County Fair Queen.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

Right, Ms. Pope. The next Ms. Pope County Fair Queen. I just thought maybe she'd have as much fun as I did.

[Narrator]

Do you remember at the ripe old age of 15, what attracted you to Nona?

[Kevin Jones]

If I didn't say her looks, I would probably be lying. Cause that's a big part of it, you know, when you're young. And her personality too.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

Oh, listen, sister.

[Narrator]

And when Nona started compet in pageants, Kevin started to notice changes in his girlfriend.

[Kevin Jones]

It did help her self esteem a lot.

[Narrator]

How could you tell?

[Kevin Jones]

Just the way she acted. And I mean, when people would tell her, you know, that she was beautiful, it would just make her happy.

[Narrator]

By the time they were in Dover High School, Nona and Kevin were inseparable.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

They were just the couple who always got along. You figured they would get married someday. I really thought that he was a good Christian young man who has a nice family.

[Narrator]

What did she tell you about Kevin?

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

That he was a kid, caring, empathetic person and gave her a lot of support. He was fun to be with. She and Kevin were very good for each other.

[Narrator]

Kevin's mother, Janice, is a school librarian.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

He gave her confidence and supported and cheered her on in her struggles.

[Narrator]

And Nona had a great deal to struggle with. She said years earlier, when she was just a child, she was sexually abused by her biological father. He died when she was just 10. And for years she told almost no one about the abuse. But she did tell Kevin just after they started dating.

[Kevin Jones]

She just told me one night over the phone. She was upset and I said, why? And then there was a pause and she said, because my dad sexually abused me when I was 6.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

She never told me.

[Narrator]

By the time you found out about it, he was dead.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

Mm.

[Narrator]

What effect do you think that had on her?

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

She would have Flashbacks and bad dreams. But I think she was starting to get better and kind of grow out of it. And I believe the pageant system helped her there and helped develop her poise and self confidence.

[Narrator]

Please welcome Nona Dirksmeyer, Ms. Pettigene Valley. In fact, Nona made preventing child abuse her cause when she appeared in beauty pageants.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

She had always said, you know, I know that I need to talk about this because I know that it makes me feel better to come to terms with it and not just put it away. And she was very strong for doing that, incredibly strong.

[Narrator]

By the summer of 2005, Nona and Kevin had finished their first year of college together at Arkansas Tech in Russellville. But Kevin was transferring some 90 minutes away to the University of Arkansas.

[Kevin Jones]

I didn't like the fact that I had to be away from her.

[Narrator]

You stayed in touch pretty?

[Kevin Jones]

Yeah, we talked text message, we talked on the phone every day. I really looked forward to going back home on the weekends.

[Narrator]

And Kevin was back home on December 15, 2005. He and Nona had already spent time together and Kevin says he expected to hear from her after she took a final exam, but he didn't. Had there ever been a time when you haven't been able to get ahold of it?

[Kevin Jones]

There hadn't ever been a time when that happened.

[Narrator]

Kevin continued to call and message nona until about 6pm when he'd promised to escort his mother to a school holiday dinner. By the time you got in the car to go to the party, what was your state of mind?

[Kevin Jones]

It was just concern as to why she hadn't called me back.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

He said, mom, I can't go to this party and wonder if she's okay.

[Narrator]

Kevin then contacted his friend Ryan, who was delivering pizza in the area. He asked him to check if Nona's car was parked outside her apartment. It was.

[Kevin Jones]

He knocked on her door and he said, she's not answering.

[Narrator]

That's when Kevin and his mother raced to Nona's apartment.

[Kevin Jones]

My level of concern had raised significantly.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

We turned and pulled in and parked there. He just hopped out.

[Narrator]

Kevin and Ryan tried but failed to open the front door. So they ran around to the sliding door in the back.

[Kevin Jones]

It was rather dim inside, but all I was focusing on was getting the door open.

[Narrator]

So when did you first see her?

[Kevin Jones]

Ryan touched me on the arm and he was just looking straight forward and he said, dude, there she is.

[Narrator]

Then Kevin forced open the sliding glass.

[Kevin Jones]

Door and I ran inside and I.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

Turned her over and Kevin was on the floor next to her hovering over her. My eyes just kind of scanned down her body and her socks were on her feet, but otherwise she was naked.

[Kevin Jones]

I wouldn't let myself think that she was dead.

[Narrator]

When police arrived, they had to make sense of the gruesome scene. Was Kevin really a grieving boyfriend? And why was he covered in so much blood?

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

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[Narrator]

And I'm Jason Kelly, chief correspondent for Bloomberg Originals. Over the next couple months, we'll hear.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

From all stars like Jay Williams.

[Kevin Jones]

I want to be an owner one day.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

Billie Jean King, learn the business and so many more. Listen to the Deal wherever you get your podcast.

[Kevin Jones]

She didn't deserve this.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

She deserved a lie.

[Narrator]

It's Detective Work 101. When one part of a couple is murdered, the survivor is usually a suspect. So when Nona Dirksmeyer was found dead on the floor of her living room, police wanted to talk to her longtime boyfriend, Kevin Jones.

[Kevin Jones]

Just to set aside my curiosity tonight.

[Narrator]

Not accusing you of anything, did you hurt her tonight?

[Kevin Jones]

I promise you I would kill myself before I hurt her.

[Narrator]

There was nothing pretty about the way this Arkansas beauty Queen died just 11 days before her 20th birthday. Police believe she was beaten to death with the heavy metal base of a floor lamp. James Bacon was the Russellville police chief and one of the first at the crime scene.

[Kevin Jones]

I walked in and saw a large pool of blood around the head, several abrasions to the neck and the shoulder.

[Narrator]

The murder weapon was a few feet from Nona's body. There were blood stains on the light bulb. There was no sign of sexual assault and no sign of a break in. But Kevin was covered in blood, Nona's blood. Kevin says he had just finished trying to revive her while his mother and his friend looked on.

[Kevin Jones]

I felt around kind of on the back of her head and her hair was matted. It was a little sticky, I guess. There was still some wet blood on the carpet. I was straddling her body at the waist and I was touching her face and talking to her and just trying to get some sort of response from her.

[Narrator]

It wasn't just Kevin's appearance. It was also his behavior that Chief Bacon thought was strange.

[Kevin Jones]

When I got to the apartment, he was standing just inside the door. He stuck his hand out like he wanted to shake hands and then said, oh, I can't. Then did his hands like this to show me. They were covered in blood.

[Narrator]

Can I get your hand real quick? That night, Kevin spent hours at the police station and never asked for a lawyer.

[Kevin Jones]

What do you think happened? Think somebody just broke in?

[Narrator]

Police paid attention to everything he said during the questioning, but they were more interested in what he did when he was alone in the interrogation room. What does it tell you about Kevin Jones?

[Kevin Jones]

Well, it tells me that he does have the capability of striking somebody or striking something, which he did at that point.

[Narrator]

Police believe it all began as a fight. And the killer says Chief Bacon struck Nona first in the face.

[Kevin Jones]

The medical examiner reports indicate that there are blows to the face above the eye and in the cheek, hit her heart that are consistent with like a palm heel slap.

[Narrator]

As the fight escalated, Bacon believes Nona tried to defend herself and the killer pulled out a knife.

[Kevin Jones]

There are hesitation marks on the neck, across the front of the neck, like.

[Narrator]

He'S going to cut her throat, like.

[Kevin Jones]

He'S going to cut her throat.

[Narrator]

He can't quite bring himself to, but.

[Kevin Jones]

I just can't bring myself to do it. And again, that's. That's consistent with crime of passion because that's a difficult thing for some people to do.

[Narrator]

Soon after that, Bacon believes the fight turned deadly.

[Kevin Jones]

The floor lamp is slammed into the back of the head and is now the fatal blow.

[Narrator]

But people who know Kevin, like Adriel Churchill, say he would never hurt Nona.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

If someone says, well, the boyfriend did it, there might be different situations where with different guys you would say, well, yeah, he always had a temper. I could just see how he snapped. But that was just never the case with Kevin.

[Narrator]

Kevin's mother, Janice.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

When Nona and Kevin were together, I always just saw him as a different person. Just a little bit kinder and sweeter and gentle because that's the way he always was with her.

[Narrator]

But the police are starting to suspect there may be another side to Kevin and they want to know everything he did the day of the murder.

[Kevin Jones]

Give me a timeline of the events that happened last night. Going into today.

[Narrator]

Kevin said he could account for his whereabouts at the time of the murder.

[Kevin Jones]

Okay, you interrupt the times yeah, please.

[Narrator]

Please say they were being careful and detailed in their investigation.

[Kevin Jones]

I think in a period of about a week, we interviewed about 50 different people.

[Narrator]

Among them a close girlfriend of Nona's.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

I've never seen them fight in my entire life.

[Kevin Jones]

I've been with them a whole lot.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

And never have they fought.

[Narrator]

Then, on the eve of Nona's funeral, Kevin voluntarily returned to the Russellville Police Department.

[Kevin Jones]

Well, my question to you is, would you be willing to take a polygraph so that we can get. I'll do anything that you guys want me to do. I'll do a DNA test. I'll do anything, Kevin. My primary job is polygraph examination.

[Narrator]

He did everything the police wanted. You intend to answer Truth Lee's question about that? Yes. He even agreed to take that lie detector test.

[Kevin Jones]

Did you cause the death of Nona Dierksmeier? No.

[Narrator]

And that might have been a big mistake. He failed it and failed it miserably. Investigators said.

[Kevin Jones]

There's no doubt in my mind that you killed her.

[Narrator]

I don't know if you killed her.

[Kevin Jones]

Because she was mad. No. That's what.

[Narrator]

Or you was mad.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

Check.

[Kevin Jones]

Check everything. Please check everything. They said you failed this polygraph test, and we know that you killed her. My gosh, man. Do you not remember smashing the back of her head in. I didn't do it. Yes, you did. I didn't do it. They turned from, we're your friend. We're trying to find out who did this to we know you did it. I know what happened.

[Narrator]

Were you scared?

[Kevin Jones]

Yeah. That was really scary.

[Narrator]

Kevin had more reason to be afraid than he knew, because by now, six days after the murder in this apartment, police had the closest thing yet to a smoking gun. Remember the blood on the light bulb found here? It turns out there was a palm print on that bulb, and it was Kevin's.

[Kevin Jones]

The only way that print could have got there, the only way that print could have got there was in the process of the crime. That is the only way. And it's yours.

[Narrator]

To the naked eye, it looked like a small bloodstain. But to crime scene investigators, it matched perfectly with Kevin's print in known as blood on the murder weapon. And police had developed a theory about why Kevin was covered in so much blood when they arrived. They believe he was trying to contaminate the crime scene.

[Kevin Jones]

He meticulously articulated everything to the nth degree so that he could come back and say, anything that you find is accountable because I went in and grabbed the body, and now look at me. Cross contamination.

[Narrator]

But why would Kevin want Nona dead?

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

With this kind of swim and. But I gotta love one man till I die can't help loving that man of mine.

[Narrator]

To hear Kevin Jones tell it, Nona Dirksmeyer wasn't just his girlfriend for now, she was his partner forever.

[Kevin Jones]

I knew I was going to marry her. There wasn't a question about it to me.

[Narrator]

How'd you know?

[Kevin Jones]

I don't know. I didn't see. I didn't see it any other way.

[Narrator]

That was why police now believe Kevin flew into a murderous rage when he found something unexpected while visiting Nona the morning of December 15, 2005.

[Kevin Jones]

He comes into the apartment, probably having a simple conversation. He finds the condom wrapper.

[Narrator]

An empty condom wrapper. The police say it was sitting on Nona's kitchen counter and it was part of Kevin's motive.

[Kevin Jones]

Did you see the condom wrapper in the kitchen? No. There was one. So she was raped? Don't know that. Did you see it?

[Narrator]

Did you ever touch it? No.

[Kevin Jones]

I didn't even know it was there. She and I never used condoms.

[Narrator]

It didn't take long for the police to find out that while Kevin might have thought he was Nona's only boyfriend, he was wrong. How many times y'all have sex?

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

I mean, maybe less than 10 times.

[Narrator]

Police interviewed her other lovers.

[Kevin Jones]

When y'all had sex, did you use a condom? Uh, no.

[Narrator]

But they cleared them. To your knowledge, was Nona seeing other.

[Kevin Jones]

Men at that point?

[Narrator]

No, she was not.

[Kevin Jones]

Or you didn't know about it at that point? I did not know about it.

[Narrator]

Do you believe she was now?

[Kevin Jones]

Yes.

[Narrator]

But the investigation kept leading back to Kevin. And just six days after Nona's murder, lead detective Mark Frost told him he was no longer just the prime suspect, he was now the only suspect.

[Kevin Jones]

You cannot deny this anymore. Okay, here's the deal. An altercation went down between you and Noah. Listen. Listen to me. It went down because she's seen other guys. No, listen to me. Listen to me. Listen to me. You do know. No, I don't. You found out.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

No, I never did.

[Kevin Jones]

And there's an altercation. I had no idea. At first I was scared and nervous because it's the police and they have a lot of power. They have the power to put someone in jail for the rest of their life if they. If they want to.

[Narrator]

Well, that is kind of where this was headed.

[Kevin Jones]

Yeah.

[Narrator]

Did that register on you that you could go to the penitentiary for the.

[Kevin Jones]

Rest of your life at that point? Yeah, it did. And then I thought No, I didn't do this. They're not going to put me in jail for something that I didn't do.

[Narrator]

The police built their case against Kevin methodically. The bloody floor lamp with his palm print on it and the empty condom wrapper would become two central pieces of evidence against him. But Kevin kept giving police information willingly. On the night, police called him a murderer, Kevin had come in on his own. Did you have a lawyer at this point?

[Kevin Jones]

No.

[Narrator]

You didn't?

[Kevin Jones]

No.

[Narrator]

It didn't occur to you that you needed a lawyer?

[Kevin Jones]

No. Again, I was slow, under the impression that I had nothing to hide. Why don't need a lawyer?

[Narrator]

But Kevin's interrogation dragged on behind closed doors for nearly seven hours. His parents became desperate to see their son.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

And I just started yelling Kevin's name, and I yelled for him to come out. I said, you can get up and leave. You don't, you know, just come on out of there.

[Narrator]

How loud were you?

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

I was as loud as I could be. And I said, I don't understand what's going on. All he's tried to do is help. That's all we've done, is try to help.

[Narrator]

After that session was over, how convinced were you that this was the guy?

[Kevin Jones]

Very.

[Narrator]

That Kevin Jones is a murderer?

[Kevin Jones]

Very.

[Narrator]

Why didn't you arrest him?

[Kevin Jones]

Uh, I wanted to, but the Pope.

[Narrator]

County prosecutor wasn't convinced he had a.

[Kevin Jones]

Case yet, and we had to let him walk out the door.

[Narrator]

How'd that feel?

[Kevin Jones]

Not very good.

[Narrator]

So Kevin Jones, by now accused but not yet charged with her murder, went.

[Kevin Jones]

To Nona's funeral, which was the next morning.

[Narrator]

What was it like for you to go to the funeral under those conditions?

[Kevin Jones]

I put it out of my head and I said, I don't care what these people think.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

Kevin was like, you know, crying. I said, don't let him sit with me.

[Narrator]

By now, Nona's mother Carol, and stepfather Dwayne knew Kevin was a suspect.

[Kevin Jones]

He was just blubbering away from uncomfortably long time. Uncomfortably.

[Narrator]

So. You think when he was crying at.

[Kevin Jones]

The funeral, it was all an act?

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

He seemed very upset. He cried a lot.

[Narrator]

Real tears. Not crocodile tears, not fake.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

If they were ever crocodile tears. I've never seen anyone do it better.

[Narrator]

According to Kevin, the pain could not have been more real.

[Kevin Jones]

Nothing at that point mattered to me.

[Narrator]

Why?

[Kevin Jones]

Because I was hollow. All I could think about were the times that she and I spent together. And that I never get to spend another time with her like that ever again. He's a con artist.

[Narrator]

Really?

[Kevin Jones]

Oh, yeah. Why do you say that he's a manipulator. I really think he ought to go into acting.

[Narrator]

You don't believe him?

[Kevin Jones]

No, not a bit. We went through a series of people and everything kept coming back to Kevin.

[Narrator]

Months passed and Kevin still had not been arrested. Winter winds and rampant rumors swirled through this small town.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

People were telling me they're saying the boyfriend did it. That's what was going around.

[Narrator]

The boyfriend?

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

The boyfriend did it.

[Narrator]

The boyfriend is your son?

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

In fact, yes. Kevin, anything to say? Did you kill Nona?

[Narrator]

It was March 31, 2006, more than three months after Nona was murdered. More than three months after the Russellville Police Department became convinced that Kevin Jones was her killer.

[Kevin Jones]

I remember my dad called me and he said, I wish I had some good news, but I don't. And I could tell he was pretty upset. And he said, they want you at the police station at 10. I said, okay.

[Narrator]

It was what the Jones family feared most. Kevin was arrested for murdering Nona.

[Kevin Jones]

That's when it really hit me that I could possibly go to jail. There were no guarantees that I had. My life, my life would be in the hands of 12 people.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

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[Narrator]

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[Nona Dirksmeyer]

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[Narrator]

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[Nona Dirksmeyer]

Mountains or conquering your daily grind. Visit Columbia.com to learn more. In here, jurors will hear the case of 19 year old Nona Dirksmeyer and man police believe is responsible for her murder. Her boyfriend, Kevin Jones.

[Narrator]

Eighteen months after Nona Dirksmeyer's death, Kevin Jones went on trial for murdering the beauty queen. Deputy prosecutor Jeff Phillips built the case on blood. Her blood.

[Kevin Jones]

Her blood. Not his, hers.

[Narrator]

Nona's blood was on the lamp used to kill her. And embedded in her blood was the palm print of Kevin Jones. Where was the palm print?

[Kevin Jones]

It was on the light bulb.

[Narrator]

The entire case came down to that bulb. It Was the best evidence discovered by Russellville Police Chief James Bacon. He believes Kevin bludgeoned Nona to death with the lamp and it breaks.

[Kevin Jones]

The natural instinct is to try to grab it. In that scramble to try to grab it is when the blood print is deposited to the bulb.

[Narrator]

The critical piece of evidence?

[Kevin Jones]

Yes.

[Narrator]

Kevin and his family steeled themselves for his trial and its outcome. Did you acknowledge the possibility that your son could go to the penitentiary?

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

No. No.

[Kevin Jones]

If I shut the lights out and tried to lay in bed, the thoughts would haunt me.

[Narrator]

But Nona's mother, Carol Diepert, thought a prison term for Kevin would not be enough.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

Kevin is a murderer. He took someone's life and he deserves to forfeit his.

[Narrator]

The courtroom was closed to cameras Kevin never took. And jurors were soon influenced by the state's most compelling evidence.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

The palm print on the light bulb.

[Narrator]

That was a big factor.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

It was a big factor.

[Narrator]

Do you remember touching that light bulb?

[Kevin Jones]

No. To this day, I don't remember touching the light bulb.

[Narrator]

Was he guilty in your mind when you first sat down?

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

You bet. Statistically, it's usually someone close to the person. And here they had the boyfriend and they had him with the bloody palm print.

[Narrator]

It wasn't just that there was blood on the bulb. It was the texture of the blood that was critical. Was it wet or dry when it was discovered? If the blood was dry, that proved it had time to harden. And that meant that Kevin left it while murdering Nona hours before police were called. But if the blood was still wet when police arrived, that meant that Kevin was telling the truth. The palm print was left when he was trying to revive Nona just before the 911 call. Words are important here. Listen to how the police and prosecutors describe the texture of the blood.

[Kevin Jones]

It could have been tacky.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

It had the appearance of tacky.

[Narrator]

Tacky. It would be a word, not a witness, that would course through the courtroom. What does tacky mean to you?

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

Appearance of wit. A witness. Sticky. Yeah. Sticky witness.

[Narrator]

Not fully dry.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

Right.

[Kevin Jones]

I certainly do believe that the word tacky creates a problem.

[Narrator]

In fact, it created a huge problem for Tom Beville, the prosecution's blood expert, because it contradicted his own theory that the blood was put on the bulb at the time of the murder.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

The blood on the bulb on both.

[Kevin Jones]

Sides was placed there at the time.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

Of the killing as opposed to some later time.

[Narrator]

If this blood is tacky, could it have been deposited on this light bulb at the time of death?

[Kevin Jones]

If the blood is tacky, it certainly could. Not have been deposited there at the time of death.

[Narrator]

No way.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

No way.

[Narrator]

But Police Chief James Bacon stands by his initial observation and his word tacky.

[Kevin Jones]

It's just an observation. It was the best way that I knew how to explain it. Five days later, when I looked at it, it had the same appearance when.

[Narrator]

It would certainly have been dry.

[Kevin Jones]

Correct.

[Narrator]

How important is in this case is the word tacky?

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

Very.

[Narrator]

Very.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

It's almost like a smoking gun.

[Narrator]

Smoking gun?

[Kevin Jones]

Why?

[Narrator]

And it's a potent weapon. For Kevin's lawyers, Michael Robbins, Kenny Johnson, and Bill Bristowe.

[Kevin Jones]

The key is going to be whether the blood impression was dry or tacky. And if any portion of it had the consistency of being tacky, then that's indicative of it being put there at the time the body was discovered. The state of Arkansas is attempting to get a conviction based on the blood that they have no way of proving occurred at the time of the murder.

[Narrator]

Bacon says he was referring to a bloodstain on another part of the bulb away from Kevin's palm print, but he says the jury never understood that. But prosecutors also have that condom wrapper. Police say Kevin found it at Nona's and it sent him into a rage. They considered checking it for DNA, but chose instead to check for fingerprints that might identify who touched it more accurately.

[Kevin Jones]

The crime lab told us you had a choice, because if we do fingerprints, we potentially are going to destroy DNA. If we do DNA, we're going to potentially destroy the fingerprint.

[Narrator]

No fingerprints were found, but it turned out there was some DNA left on the wrapper, and Kevin's legal team found it. What did you find on there?

[Kevin Jones]

Male DNA. Not Kevin Jones.

[Narrator]

Police believe that supports their theory that Kevin's motive was jealousy. But the defense charged the police work was sloppy. They also zeroed in on Nona's cell phone. Who had she been in touch with the day she died? Kevin's lawyers asked to examine that phone to the great embarrassment of the lead detective.

[Kevin Jones]

And he finally said, look, I'm embarrassed to tell you this, but the investigator gave the cell phone to the stepfather. I know what happened.

[Narrator]

It seems strange, but Mark Frost, the lead investigator, gave Nona's phone to Duane Diepert, Nona's stepfather, in the middle of the investigation. Tell me, why did you want her cell phone back?

[Kevin Jones]

First of all, I'm a cheapskate. You know, you talk to anybody, you're a cheapskate. Yeah, I'm kind of tight. I could use it at that time, you know, because everything was activated. So I started Putting my numbers in and taking her numbers off.

[Narrator]

But do you know how strange that sounds that, I mean, that you would take this cell phone because by your own admission, you're a cheapskate.

[Kevin Jones]

Why?

[Narrator]

Well, yeah, but it's a little ghoulish, I guess.

[Kevin Jones]

Well, I don't know. I guess I didn't think of it that way. I didn't think of it as ghoulish at all.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

I thought about it and I said, well, no, I don't care if you use it. I think no one would want you to have it.

[Narrator]

Do you wish he didn't give the phone back to Mr. Diepert?

[Kevin Jones]

Absolutely.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

The reality is that everything the state.

[Kevin Jones]

Could have obtained from the phone was.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

Obtained and that you should never give.

[Kevin Jones]

Evidence back on a pending case.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

Period. And that was done.

[Narrator]

What impression do you think that jury got of your department?

[Kevin Jones]

That we had no idea what we were doing.

[Narrator]

But those closest to Nona were convinced, even if the police made some mistakes, in the end, they got the right man.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

They had overwhelming evidence against him that you just can't refute, you know?

[Narrator]

For a year and a half, Kevin's life had hung in the balance. Now he waited for the jury's verdict.

[Kevin Jones]

I had a lot of dreams, and it was like Nona was right there next to me. And then I'd wake up and there would be nobody there.

[Narrator]

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[Nona Dirksmeyer]

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[Narrator]

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[Nona Dirksmeyer]

Holy smokes, that's fast. But not as fast as my service game.

[Narrator]

Hey, who's ready to get pickled?

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

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[Narrator]

When jurors began deliberating the case against Kevin Jones, the opinions in the jury room were split down the middle, and.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

It just took a while to calm everybody down.

[Narrator]

They went home the first day without reaching a verdict. How are you feeling?

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

Pretty nervous.

[Kevin Jones]

When they go into deliberation, anything can happen and there are no guarantees.

[Narrator]

But then midway through the second day, they reached a decision.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

Before we sent our verdict in, we all held hands and said a prayer.

[Narrator]

What did you pray for?

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

We prayed that we had made right decision and that there would be justice for Nona.

[Kevin Jones]

The bailiff came out and said, we got a verdict.

[Narrator]

What did that feel like?

[Kevin Jones]

Well, my heart started beating very, very fast. The judge asked the foreman if they had reached a verdict, and she said yes. And they handed the slip of paper across, and then he read it.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

Not guilty.

[Narrator]

Not guilty.

[Kevin Jones]

It felt like £10,000 had been lifted off my shoulder. I was sitting there with my mouth hanging open. Not guilty. And so I stood up and says, you got away with it, Kevin. You got away with it.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

I was in a state of shock for a few seconds. I couldn't do anything. I'm not a criminologist, I'm not a blood expert, but I looked at everything that they gave us in the jury room. There just wasn't enough to convict. There wasn't anything that pointed to Kevin as a killer.

[Narrator]

For 18 months, Kevin lived as an accused murderer. And now it's over.

[Kevin Jones]

Today, justice was done for Kevin Jones and his family. I just want to thank the jury for seeing the truth. I mean, it was a horrible thing that happened in a horrible situation. But at that point, I was just happy that I was a free man and that people would stop saying the things about me that they'd said and people would stop judging my family and me.

[Narrator]

Is Kevin innocent or is he not guilty, if you know what I mean?

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

Kevin was not proven guilty. There was not enough evidence to prove him guilty. I think he's innocent.

[Narrator]

Innocent.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

Innocent, yes.

[Narrator]

Didn't do.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

Didn't do it.

[Narrator]

Even former Police chief James Bacon told us, Kevin Jones now has the right to live as an innocent man. Janice Jones knows her son is not guilty in the eyes of the law. But she also knows in the eyes of some of her neighbors, Kevin is guilty.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

It's very hurtful. It is very frustrating.

[Narrator]

So Janice is determined to clear Kevin's name.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

I made a promise to Kevin when he was in jail and sitting at the cemetery with my hand on Nona's gravestone. I have promised both of those kids that I would keep looking and searching until we found the person who did this.

[Narrator]

And Janice Jones may get her wish. Remember that DNA they found on the condom? After the trial, Kevin's defense team continued looking for a match to another suspect. And on February 6, 2008, attorney Michael Robbins announced they had finally found a match.

[Kevin Jones]

I think this person is a viable suspect and the investigation into this individual needs to go forward.

[Narrator]

A special prosecutor was appointed and a new investigation began.

[Kevin Jones]

Hopefully it will eliminate all doubt that I was the person that did this and hope we can find the person or bring the person to justice that did do it.

[Narrator]

And just last month, our top story.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

Takes place in Russellville where there has been an arrest in one of Arkansas's.

[Narrator]

Most notorious murder cases.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

A suspect in the 2005 murder of Nona Dirksmeyer is in custody tonight at the Polk County Detention center, police arrested.

[Narrator]

28 year old Gary Dunn, charging him with capital murder. Dunn was a neighbor of Nona's. His arrest comes more than a year after Kevin Jones acquittal for Nona's murder.

[Kevin Jones]

Before the trial, during the trial and.

[Narrator]

After the trial, we worked very feverishly.

[Kevin Jones]

To try to find a match. And it took us a considerable amount of time. We were finally able to match that DNA on that condom wrapper to Gary Dunn.

[Narrator]

Nona's mother and stepfather did not want to talk to us about the arrest. Dunn's mother, Martha said that her son didn't actually know Nona even though they lived in the same apartment complex.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

I know in my heart my son didn't do this and I stand behind him 100%. And I feel sorry for Nona's parents for what they're still going through.

[Kevin Jones]

You know, they need closure, they need answers.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

But my son didn't do this.

[Narrator]

Gary Dunn does have a criminal record. He was on parole at the time of Nona's death. He'd been convicted of second degree battery after attacking a woman in 2002 on a jogging trail.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

It has been two and a half years of hell.

[Narrator]

Kevin Jones mother is hoping for vindication for her son and justice for Nona.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

Finally, our goal is to know the truth. And I felt very strongly that this young woman deserved that from the people who loved her.

[Kevin Jones]

I think that a lot of people's minds have been changed since the arrest and if there is a conviction, then I think, you know, I wouldn't have to change anybody else's mind.

[Narrator]

For Nona's family and friends, whatever happens, her death remains a painful end to a life filled with beauty and haunted by cruelty.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

She should just be remembered as this remarkable person who came through so much. If you're going to remember her as beauty queen, you should remember her as the girl who didn't win right away and kept doing it because she enjoyed it and because she wanted to make a difference. Gary Dunn was tried twice for Nona's.

[Kevin Jones]

Murder, but the jury deadlocked both times.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

He was later convicted of kidnapping in an unrelated case and sentenced to 15 years.

[Narrator]

If you like this podcast, you can listen ad free right now by joining Wondery plus and the Wondery App.

[Kevin Jones]

Before you go, tell us about yourself.

[Narrator]

By filling out a Quick [e-mail] Survey in the Pacific Ocean, halfway between Peru.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

And New Zealand, lies a tiny volcanic island. It's a little known British territory called Pitcairn, and it harbored a deep, dark scandal.

[Kevin Jones]

There wouldn't be a girl on Pitcairn once they reach the age of 10 that we're still a virgin. It just happens to all of them.

[Narrator]

I'm journalist Luke Jones and for almost two years I've been investigating a shocking story that has left deep scars on generations of women and girls from Pitcairn.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

When there's nobody watching, nobody going to.

[Narrator]

Report it, people will get away with.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

What they can get away with. In the Pitcairn trials, I'll be uncovering a story of abuse and the fight.

[Narrator]

For just justice that has brought a.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

Unique, lonely Pacific island to the brink of extinction. Listen to the Pitcairn Trials exclusively on Wandering+ join Wondering+ in the Wondering app.

[Narrator]

Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

[Kevin Jones]

Dracula, the ancient vampire who terrorizes Victorian London. Blood and garlic, bats and crucifixes.

[Narrator]

Even if you haven't read the book, you think you know the story.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

One of the incredible things about Dracula is that not only is it this wonderful snapshot of the 19th century, but it also has so much resonance today.

[Kevin Jones]

The vampire doesn't cast a reflection in a mirror, so when we look in the mirror, the only thing we see.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

Is our own monstrous abilities.

[Narrator]

From the host and producer of American History Tellers and History Daily comes the new podcast, the Real History of Dracula. We'll reveal how author Bram Stoker rated ancient folklore, exploited Victorian fears around sex.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

Science and religion, and how even today we remain enthralled to his strange creatures of the night.

[Narrator]

You can binge all episodes of the.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

Real History of Dracula exclusively with Wondry.

[Narrator]

Join Wondery and the Wondry app, Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

[Nona Dirksmeyer]

They say Hollywood is where dreams are made, a seductive city where many flock to get rich, be adored and capture America's heart. But when the spotlight turns off, fame, fortune and lives can disappear in an instant. When TV producer Roy Raiden was found dead in a Canyon near LA in 1983, there were many questions surrounding his death. The last person seen with him was Lainey Jacobs, a seductive cocaine dealer who desperately wanted to be part of the Hollywood elite. Together, they were trying to break into the movie industry, but things took a dark turn when a million dollars worth of cocaine and cash went missing. From Wondery comes a new season of the hit show Hollywood and Crime. The Cotton Club Murder. Follow Hollywood and Crime the Cotton Club Murder on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge all episodes of the Cotton Club Murder early and ad free right now by joining Wondery plus.