Defending Your Life

Summary

48 Hours: "Defending Your Life" – Episode Summary

Release Date: June 9, 2025
Host/Author: CBS News
Description: “48 Hours” delves into the gripping and prolonged legal battle of Jerry Bartlett Jones, who has stood accused of murdering his wife, Lee Jones, over a span of 17 years. This episode intricately explores the complexities of the case, highlighting multiple trials, legal strategies, and the profound impact on the families involved.

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**1. Case Background and Initial Trial

The episode opens with Ron Dersch, a seasoned deputy prosecuting attorney from Snohomish County, recounting his experience with the Jerry Jones case spanning 17 years of his career.

• Ron Dersch describes the initial shocking crime scene: “Mrs. Jones had over 60 wounds, slashes, stabs… she was battling her assailant but lost” (01:32).
• Detective Joe Ward recalls investigating Lee Jones's brutal murder, emphasizing the lack of evidence suggesting an intruder: “We don't have any witnesses that saw anybody run from the house. We don't have any DNA” (11:32).

Despite the weak circumstantial evidence, Jerry Jones was first convicted of first-degree murder in 2001, a verdict Ron found extremely satisfying. However, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals later reversed the conviction, citing ineffective legal representation, leading to a retrial.

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**2. The Third Trial: Jerry Jones Represents Himself

In a dramatic twist, Jerry Jones opts to represent himself in the third trial, asserting, “Nobody knows the case better than I do” (03:52). This decision places him directly opposite Ron Dersch, setting the stage for a high-stakes courtroom showdown.

• Jerry Jones passionately declares his innocence: “I did not murder my wife… I loved my mother very much” (05:04).
• His daughters, Kim and Beth Jones, steadfastly support him, believing in his innocence and attempting to prove that Danny Busby, a 15-year-old neighbor at the time, was the real murderer.

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**3. Courtroom Dynamics and Key Evidence

The courtroom proceedings reveal crucial evidence and testimonies that shape the jury’s perception:

• Ron Dersch presents forensic evidence indicating that Jerry’s hand cuts were inconsistent with his claim of an altercation with an intruder: “Blood on the handle of the knife… it was slippery as he” (16:39).
• Expert Testimonies from both sides debate the origins of the blood spatter and knife handling, with Jerry’s defense highlighting the lack of physical evidence connecting him to the murder weapon.

Danny Busby’s testimony introduces a contentious element:

• Danny Busby, depicted as a troubled youth with a history of violence, is accused by Jerry of being the actual murderer. However, Ron Dersch challenges this by pointing out the absence of direct evidence linking Busby to the crime scene: “There is no connection… No DNA evidence” (23:33).

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**4. Emotional Appeals and Family Testimonies

The emotional weight of the case is underscored by the heartfelt testimonies of Jerry’s daughters:

• Kim Jones confronts her father during cross-examination, highlighting inconsistencies in his previous accounts of the night Lee was killed: “You recollect testifying to that effect in 1989?” (33:50).
• The daughters passionately argue that Jerry’s actions and delay in calling 911 point to his guilt, asserting, “No father would leave his son alone during such a crisis” (18:45).

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**5. Closing Arguments and Verdict

As the trial culminates, both sides deliver compelling closing statements:

• Ron Dersch emphasizes Jerry’s manipulative behavior and presents Jerry as the primary suspect: “Exhibit one for the State is Jerry Jones. He is still here. Danny Busby is as subtle as a brick through a plate glass window” (34:53).
• Jerry Jones maintains his innocence, appealing directly to the jury’s judgment: “Prosecutor, this is outrageous. I was not a violent person… Clearly, the jury heard the truth” (35:35).

After four and a half hours of deliberation, the jury delivers a guilty verdict against Jerry Jones:

• Narrator (Jerry Jones) expresses disbelief and frustration: “You just shake your head in disbelief. And what on earth are they thinking?” (38:55).
• Ron Dersch feels vindicated, stating, “It was the right verdict” (39:25).

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**6. Sentencing and Aftermath

Five days post-conviction, Jerry Jones faces sentencing:

• Judge James Allendorfer sentences Jerry to 25 years in the penitentiary, marking his third trial ordeal.
• The Jones family's turmoil is evident, with the daughters struggling to reconcile their love for their father with the loss of their mother.

Ron Dersch, moving forward from the case, reflects on the irreversible damage inflicted on all parties involved: “I don’t think anything we can do in a courtroom can really put the dead to rest” (45:31).

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**7. Conclusion

"Defending Your Life" poignantly captures the relentless pursuit of justice, the complexities of legal battles, and the profound human impact of unresolved crimes. Through in-depth interviews, courtroom dramatics, and emotional narratives, this episode underscores the enduring quest for truth and reconciliation in the face of tragedy.

Notable Quotes:

• Jerry Jones: “I did not do it… I loved my wife” (06:17).
• Ron Dersch: “We do our best to make sure that murderers don't get away with murder” (06:43).
• Kim Jones: “Have been on a mission… No, this is wrong” (04:43).

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This detailed exploration of Jerry Jones' prolonged legal battle offers listeners an intimate look into the challenges of the criminal justice system, the resilience of the human spirit, and the enduring quest for closure in the face of unfathomable loss.

Transcript

[Narrator]

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[Kim Jones]

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[Kim Jones]

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[Ron Dersch]

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[Narrator]

All rise.

[Ron Dersch]

My name is Ron Dersch. I'm a deputy prosecuting attorney for Snohomish County. I'm trying the Jerry Jones case now for the third time. The case has spanned approximately 17 years of my career. This is a shocking scene, I think even to the veteran police officers who responded. I'm Joe Ward. I'm a homicide detective for the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office. And I was here 17 years ago to investigate the murder of Lee Jones. Mrs. Jones had received a lot of injuries to her body. She had over 60 wounds, slashes, stabs. She's in the bathtub while she is being killed and she is vocal, she is yelling, she is screaming, she is battling her assailant. It looked like she had fought for her life in that room and lost. Jerry Jones says he heard a noise and responded and found his wife stabbed. Then as he found her, someone brushed by him and pushed him against the wall and cut his hand. Jerry's story is unbelievable. Detective Ward begins to realize that it just doesn't add up and that he has the murder suspect right in front of him. It was a great relief to get that first guilty verdict in this case. We have the 9th Circuit deciding that it was a weak circumstantial case and that it should be retried. It was 2001. We did it the second time. The jury find the defendant, Jerry Bartlett Jones, guilty. The crime of murder, first serious charge Right. That was extremely satisfying. One that I hoped meant the end of the case. The court of appeals of the state of Washington reverses us again. I'm quite angry and embittered by what the court of appeals has done. As a prosecutor. There are certain cases that resound in your consciousness that affect you on some emotional level. This was one of them. So I was not looking forward to visiting that place yet again. I came to dawn. Round three.

[Narrator]

Opening statement from Mr. Jones. Thank you, your honor. This trial had a strange twist as the murder defendant acted as his own attorney. I've decided to represent myself.

[Ron Dersch]

He just keeps coming back.

[Narrator]

Nobody knows the case better than I do.

[Ron Dersch]

It's almost as though he and I were meant to show up in the same courtroom and fight this thing out.

[Narrator]

Defending your life. Tonight's 48 Hours Mystery. I loved my mother very much. And if I had any doubt whatsoever that my dad might have done it, I wouldn't be standing by him like.

[Kim Jones]

This for almost 17 years.

[Narrator]

My sister and I can come down this evening.

[Kim Jones]

Kim Jones and her younger sister Beth.

[Narrator]

Our other interview starts at about 6.

[Kim Jones]

Have been on a mission.

[Narrator]

There's no way that he did this.

[Kim Jones]

Trying to prove their father, Jerry Jones, junior.

[Narrator]

No, this is wrong.

[Kim Jones]

Is innocent of brutally killing their mother. Lee, has there ever been a moment where you've said maybe dad did do this?

[Narrator]

No. You have to know my dad. No. My dad is a very peaceful man. He never even raised his voice at anyone in the family. Jerry, how you feeling? I'm feeling great.

[Kim Jones]

48 Hours began following this story in 1999 when Jerry Jones was released from prison for the first time.

[Narrator]

This is a dream come true after.

[Kim Jones]

An appeals court ruled his lawyer was ineffective.

[Narrator]

My dad deserves freedom just like everybody else.

[Kim Jones]

His release marked the beginning of an incredible legal drama. In 2001, Jerry Jones was retried and reconvicted. And then, remarkably, an appeals court reversed that conviction because the jury didn't hear crucial evidence. Now Jones and his daughters are back for round three. And this time, Jones will be represented by the man he says knows this case better than anyone himself.

[Narrator]

All rise. Court is again in session.

[Kim Jones]

Do you have any legal training at all?

[Narrator]

No, I don't. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, if they can get a feel for me as a human being, then they'll be convinced that I am not capable of murdering anyone. The evidence will tell you that I loved my wife.

[Kim Jones]

He'll be going toe to toe with the man who has prosecuted him twice before.

[Ron Dersch]

Please listen carefully to the evidence in.

[Kim Jones]

The case Ron Dersch.

[Ron Dersch]

We do our best to make sure that murderers don't get away with murder.

[Narrator]

The prosecutor will be unable to prove to you that I murdered Lee for one very simple reason. I did not do it.

[Kim Jones]

And to ensure a fair verdict. This jury won't hear about Jerry Jones earlier trials and or convictions.

[Narrator]

I'm not perfect. I've made mistakes, but I'm not a murderer. I'd give anything if I could have her back right now.

[Kim Jones]

It was Lee's beauty that first caught his attention. Back in 1970, I encountered the most.

[Narrator]

Gorgeous creature I'd ever laid eyes on in my life.

[Kim Jones]

When Jerry was stationed in Vietnam, serving in the Air Force.

[Narrator]

She had these beautiful brown eyes and the most gorgeous smile you've ever seen. And for me, it was just love at first sight.

[Kim Jones]

They married in Vietnam and their first child, Kim, was born there. Within months, Jerry's tour ended and Lee left her family behind and moved to the US to start a new life. Two more children are born. Beth and Thomas.

[Narrator]

Yes.

[Kim Jones]

Jerry retired after 20 years in the Air Force and the family moved to Bothell, Washington, just outside Seattle.

[Narrator]

They were just in the prime of their marriage. Look at those lovebirds. Oh, how sweet. They were always hugging each other. They were always kissing and just. They were very close and very happy.

[Kim Jones]

Jerry became a successful pharmaceutical salesman. Lee was a busy housewife raising three children.

[Narrator]

Everything in our home was encouraging and positive.

[Kim Jones]

These are the last pictures of Lee taken at a Thanksgiving celebration. Nine days later, she would be stabbed 63 times in the family bathtub.

[Narrator]

When my wife needed me the most, I couldn't do it. I couldn't help her.

[Kim Jones]

On the night of December 3rd, 1988, Jerry and Lee were at home with four year old Thomas. According to Jerry, Lee had put their son to sleep, then went to the hallway bathroom to take a bath. Jazz music was playing from a radio in Jerry's study. He was across the hall in the master bedroom. His shower was running in the adjoining bathroom.

[Narrator]

I heard this horrible scream. One loud, piercing scream. I'd never heard anything like that before in my entire life.

[Kim Jones]

Jerry says he raced towards the bathroom door.

[Narrator]

This is happening so quickly, so fast. You start perceiving that something is coming out. And as I'm moving closer to the doorway, you see more and more and it's a knife.

[Kim Jones]

Jerry remembers colliding with an intruder and reaching for the knife.

[Narrator]

And in the process I suffered some cuts. I'm knocked back, I hit my head against the wall. Boom. Fall to the floor. And I'm Seeing these black and white flashing lights. And when I got up, there was nobody in the hallway any longer. They immediately went into the bathroom. And I encountered the most horrible situation I've ever seen in my life.

[Kim Jones]

911.

[Narrator]

What do you have to hurry? My wife. She has been stabbed repeatedly. I find my wife in the tub and she is struggling. I said, my godly, what happened? She was trying to speak. I'm convinced of that. I can recall the chattering sound of her teeth. Can you tell me where she stabbed? All over. Okay. Is there a knife in her anywhere? Do not remove the knife. Her eyes were wide open and she was looking right at me. And I realized that she was losing her physical life very rapidly. Will you help me help her? I'll try. What can I do? Is she breathing? I don't think so, ma' am. I think she's dead.

[Kim Jones]

Amid this blood and chaos, Thomas woke up.

[Narrator]

I went upstairs and I found my mother. She was in the bathtub and was bloody. No father on this earth would want his son to see his mother in that condition.

[Ron Dersch]

It was one of the most violent murders I've ever seen. She was viciously attacked and she fought for her life. These are all scene photographs taken the night of the investigation.

[Kim Jones]

Detective Joe Ward was the lead investigator.

[Ron Dersch]

All I could see was that I had a wet and bloody man with a hand wrapped in a towel and a dead wife in the bathroom.

[Narrator]

I think they had already made up their mind. Lee is dead. Jerry's at home. Case is closed.

[Ron Dersch]

We don't have any witnesses that saw anybody run from the house. We don't have any DNA. There's really an absence of any evidence of an intruder.

[Kim Jones]

Jerry, did you murder your wife, Lee Jones?

[Narrator]

No, I didn't, Peter. They didn't do an investigation that night. And within two hours, I found myself under arrest for something I didn't do. Making an arrest that night without talking to anybody else other than my dad was a very big mistake. I'm the one who knows what happened on that December night better than anyone else.

[Kim Jones]

As daughters, Kim and Beth listen to their father's opening statement. They know this third trial may be his last.

[Narrator]

There was no reason, no motive, and.

[Kim Jones]

His best chance to prove it was.

[Narrator]

An intruder who did it.

[Kim Jones]

Someone else murdered Lee Jones.

[Narrator]

You will hear that a disturbed teenage neighborhood boy committed this awful crime.

[Ron Dersch]

I think he's desperate, too. Sure. The finger is pointed elsewhere.

[Narrator]

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[Ron Dersch]

Lived in the shadow of the L, the J train. It ran about 10ft from my window. My mom and dad owned a delicatessen there for about 35 years.

[Kim Jones]

This Queens, New York neighborhood is a long way from Everett, Washington. But for prosecutor Ron Dersch, there's a close connection.

[Narrator]

I think that Ron saw Lee Jones as someone similar to his mom.

[Kim Jones]

Mara Rossano is Ron's wife and also a prosecutor.

[Narrator]

His mom was someone very special in his life.

[Ron Dersch]

My mother was an immigrant and she always spoke with heavily accented English. She was about 54 and her name was Elizabeth and everyone called her Leah.

[Kim Jones]

And he's determined to get justice for Lee Jones.

[Ron Dersch]

Here's the old case file.

[Kim Jones]

Even after all these years.

[Ron Dersch]

This is all Jerry Jones. These are all his. Well, there's no doubt I'm sick of the case. Not sick enough to let him go.

[Kim Jones]

As prosecutor Ron Dersch begins his case, he's feeling the pressure. He's won hundreds of trials but now faces the possibility of professional humiliation. What if Jerry Jones, a self taught lawyer wannabe who Dersh has convicted twice before, wins this case?

[Ron Dersch]

That'd be a hard one to swallow. That'd be tough.

[Kim Jones]

Is Jerry a good attorney?

[Ron Dersch]

I think he is. He's done a lot better than well than I have on occasion. Let's take you back to December 3rd of 1988.

[Kim Jones]

Dursch believes his opposing counsel is in fact his best evidence.

[Ron Dersch]

The strongest piece of evidence is Jerry Jones. He is still here. He is still alive. Her autopsy will show that he tells.

[Kim Jones]

The jury about Lee's defensive Wounds. The blood spatter in the bathroom and the cuts on Jerry's right hand that Jerry says were caused by the intruder.

[Narrator]

They're consistent with a defensive move on my part to knock the knife out of his hand when I encountered him in the hallway.

[Ron Dersch]

Showing you exhibit number 121.

[Kim Jones]

But a forensic expert expert testifies the cuts more likely occurred when Jerry's hand slid off the knife handle.

[Ron Dersch]

How so?

[Narrator]

Blood on the hand of the assailant can be transferred to the handle of the knife, making it slippery as he.

[Kim Jones]

Allegedly stabbed Lee dozens of times. Jerry counters with his own expert.

[Narrator]

It's a cut. That's all you can say? My fingerprints were not on the knife, my blood was not on the knife, and my DNA is not on the knife. How on earth is it possible to stab someone 63 times and yet leave no physical evidence whatsoever?

[Ron Dersch]

I think that he rinsed off the handle of that knife. I think he was fully aware that there would be some testing, fingerprint or otherwise.

[Kim Jones]

The jury also hears that Jerry let Crucial minutes pass.

[Narrator]

3, 5 minutes. 9. 1 1.

[Kim Jones]

Before calling 911. Jerry Lee is in the tub bleeding to death and you still haven't called 911? I don't get it.

[Narrator]

I don't get it either.

[Kim Jones]

But Ron believes he knows why, in the midst of everything, four year old Thomas comes upstairs.

[Ron Dersch]

And not just once, but several times as far as we're able to tell. And at this point, Jerry's hands are already full. He's got a dying woman, he's got cuts on his hands, and here comes his kid.

[Kim Jones]

Jerry takes Thomas back to his bedroom. If you didn't kill Lee, why in the world would you have taken your young son back downstairs and left him there when you don't know whether or not the killer is still in the house?

[Narrator]

Well, Peter, you're presuming, of course, that I'm thinking clearly, coherently and logically. At this point in time, there is.

[Ron Dersch]

No intruder in the home and there never was. The killer is Jerry Jones. He knows Thomas is safe downstairs.

[Kim Jones]

Thomas comes upstairs again. This time Jerry takes his son to Graham Smith, his next door neighbor.

[Narrator]

As I opened the door, Jerry was there on the porch.

[Kim Jones]

The judge has asked us to not show the faces of some witnesses.

[Narrator]

Jerry said that he was watching tv. He was hit over the head. And when he came to, he found Lee leading and stabbed.

[Kim Jones]

You tell your neighbor that you were struck on the head while watching tv. You tell the police that you collided with the intruder. Two separate stories.

[Narrator]

I didn't tell. Two different stories. My response to him was, I hit my head. And when I got up, I found Lee bleeding all over.

[Kim Jones]

It is only after he returns home that Jerry finally calls 911.

[Narrator]

Yes, my wife. What's the address? 190, 160.

[Kim Jones]

But he gives them the wrong address.

[Narrator]

You're going to have to help me because we have a conflict with your address.

[Kim Jones]

Lead investigator Joe Ward believes Jerry's mistake was intentional.

[Ron Dersch]

I think that's just another part of his plan to delay the response to the house just to make sure that his wife was dead.

[Kim Jones]

It took the police 10 minutes to find the house. And when they went inside, they discovered Jerry wet and bloody. A forensic scientist testifies to scenarios of how the crotch area of Jerry's jeans became stained with Lee's blood.

[Narrator]

One potential would be if the rail of a bathtub in this crime scene had been saturated with blood and an individual sat on that rail. The other object that I know is long and narrow and bloody is the limbs, the arms and legs of Lee Jones.

[Ron Dersch]

I think at some point he is sitting on her to hold her down.

[Kim Jones]

Sitting on her while he's stabbing her?

[Ron Dersch]

Yes.

[Kim Jones]

Not true, says Jerry Jones.

[Narrator]

I loved her. I did not murder my wife. I could not do it. There was no reason for me to do it.

[Kim Jones]

In fact, Jerry says if he wanted Lee dead, he had his chance right here in their bedroom. It was during a rough period in their marriage. When the couple separated. Lee attempted suicide. Overdosing on sleeping pills, Jerry found her and rushed her to the emergency room.

[Narrator]

Their separation was the best thing that ever happened to them. They really realized how much they appreciated each other. Look at those lovebirds. Oh, how sweet.

[Kim Jones]

The couple soon reconciled.

[Narrator]

In the last year, before my mom died, they were very close. Marriage was perfect. Maybe for him.

[Kim Jones]

But Lee's friends Barbara sleeper and Mary McNaughton say right before she was murdered, Lee was looking for a way out.

[Narrator]

Jerry and his daughters can say anything they want to. He can talk about how in love he was and that they were reunited and everything else. But I knew that she wanted to get divorced.

[Kim Jones]

Isn't it possible that Jerry Jones is innocent?

[Narrator]

I don't see how it's possible.

[Kim Jones]

But Jerry Jones insists he knows who really killed Lee.

[Narrator]

Elizabeth, if you would raise your right hand.

[Kim Jones]

And he's about to put him on trial. You think you'll see Busby today?

[Narrator]

Probably.

[Kim Jones]

You looking forward to that?

[Narrator]

Not looking forward to that? No.

[Ron Dersch]

Paul rised calls Daniel Busby.

[Kim Jones]

We're not allowed to show his face.

[Narrator]

You solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God? I do.

[Kim Jones]

But for more than 16 years, Jerry Jones has insisted this man is his wife's real killer.

[Narrator]

Danny Busby did it, Peter. There's no doubt in my mind about that.

[Ron Dersch]

Did you have a mouth on you back then?

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Ron Dersch]

You wise ass.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Kim Jones]

Prosecutor Ron Dursch says there is no evidence that Danny Busby, then a 15 year old teenager, was involved.

[Ron Dersch]

On December 3rd of 1988, did you murder Lee Jones in her house in bathroom?

[Narrator]

No.

[Ron Dersch]

There is no connection, basically between Danny Busby and the crime scene that night. All the DNA evidence tends to exclude Danny Busby.

[Kim Jones]

But Ron knows Danny's tough guy presence will vastly complicate his case.

[Ron Dersch]

You chewing gum there?

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Ron Dersch]

You swallow that?

[Narrator]

No.

[Ron Dersch]

He's kind of a loose cannon and I'm concerned about that.

[Kim Jones]

At the time of Lee's murder, Danny was a friend of Beth Jones.

[Narrator]

I knew he had a crush on me.

[Kim Jones]

A neighborhood loudmouth.

[Narrator]

He was always the one that would initiate something troublesome.

[Kim Jones]

Who liked to tease Thomas, growling at.

[Narrator]

Him like a lion or tiger and just scaring him.

[Kim Jones]

And antagonized Lee.

[Narrator]

He appeared to us to be just an obnoxious teenage boy. We know that he has grown and developed into a very different, disturbed, vicious, uncaring, brutal person.

[Kim Jones]

Now, for the first time in three trials, Jerry Jones is allowed to tell the jury about Danny Busby's troubled past. A history of violence that Jerry says began the night that Lee died. He'll directly confront Busby about his assaults against ex girlfriends and threats to kill people. It's evidence that Jerry Jones hopes will convince the jury that Danny Busby is capable of murder.

[Narrator]

Mr. Jones, do you have any questions of Mr. Busby? I do. I think we're going to be allowed to paint him as the monster that he is. Would you describe yourself as prone to violence? I have been in the past. Was it common for you to become so angry that you would lose control and blackout slightly?

[Kim Jones]

What's it like for you to look into Danny Busby's eyes?

[Narrator]

I see a disturbed person, a violent person. A person almost without a soul. And would you describe yourself as having an uncontrollable temper at times? Yeah.

[Kim Jones]

Jerry says it was that uncontrollable temper that exploded after Lee banned Danny from visiting and calling Beth.

[Narrator]

You continued calling Beth, did you not? Probably. You continued to come to the house asking for Beth, didn't you? It's quite possible.

[Kim Jones]

Jerry claims that an enraged Danny was looking for Beth the night of the murder, but found Lee instead.

[Narrator]

And he viciously stabbed and slashed and attacked her over and over and over again that night.

[Kim Jones]

The problem with your allegation is that there's no physical evidence that Busby was at your home. There's no witness that places him there.

[Narrator]

I think there is. I think there is. I think Thomas was awakened by a growling sound. Do you recall ever growling at Thomas like a lion or a tiger to frighten him? I don't recall. Are you saying that never happened? No, I'm saying I don't recall. Danny Busby growled at Thomas prior to going upstairs and murdering Lee. And he is the only person who ever growled at Thomas.

[Kim Jones]

Ron Dersch believes if there were any growling sounds that night, they came from Jerry himself.

[Ron Dersch]

Is there growling going on? Is Jerry Jones grunting or growling while he's stabbing Lee? This is hard work. You take a look at those autopsy photos. This is hard work. This is not easy stuff to do.

[Kim Jones]

Then there's Busby's long history of violence against his girlfriends.

[Narrator]

Did you begin physically abusing Crystal? Yeah. Did you punch Vondra on the shoulder numerous times?

[Kim Jones]

Yeah.

[Narrator]

Did you throw Joey to the ground? No, I pushed her. Your Honor, I have no further questions at this time.

[Kim Jones]

Things get even worse for the prosecution as those former girlfriends take the standard.

[Narrator]

You solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

[Kim Jones]

We can't show their faces.

[Narrator]

He was both verbally and physically mean. He could be kind and fun one minute and then freak out. He would just kind of snap and change personalities. He'd be so furious.

[Ron Dersch]

They're very sympathetic people. There's just no question that he has put them through hell.

[Narrator]

He gave me a black eye. He started kicking the crap out of me, pretty much attacked me and spit in my face.

[Kim Jones]

But Ron Dersch says Jerry is using Danny Busby as a convenient scapegoat.

[Ron Dersch]

Remember that when we look at what Danny Busby has done as an adult. He has not attempted to murder anyone on any occasion. Did he, in your opinion, seriously try to kill you?

[Narrator]

No.

[Ron Dersch]

He has not physically stabbed or assaulted anyone in the way that we have in the. Danny never threatened you with a knife or any kind of weapon, did he?

[Narrator]

No.

[Ron Dersch]

And the challenge is going to be to draw that line between Danny busby as a 15 year old and Danny Busby as an adult.

[Narrator]

Did he once tell your mother that she was dead? Yes. And has he also threatened to rape your mother? Yes.

[Ron Dersch]

If the jurors decide that Danny Busby is volatile enough to have done this, then the case is lost.

[Narrator]

All right. Defenseville calls the Next witness. On WhatsApp. No one can see or hear your personal messages. Whether it's a voice call message or sending a password to WhatsApp, it's all just this. So whether you're sharing the streaming password in the family chat or trading those late night voice messages that could basically become a podcast, your personal messages stay between you, your friends and your family. No one else, not even us. WhatsApp message privately with everyone. Now streaming. Hi again, TV's quirkiest crime solver. I'm Elspeth Tasioni. I work with the police is on the case. I like my outlandish things theories with a heavy dose of evidence and ready to go toe to toe with a.

[Kim Jones]

Cavalcade of guest stars.

[Narrator]

Are you saying that this is now a murder investigation? It's starting to look that way. Don't miss a moment of the critically acclaimed hit Elsbeth. All episodes now streaming on Paramount and return CBS fall. That sounds like fun. Obviously, murder's not fun. Summer's here and Nordstrom has everything you need for your best dress season ever. From beach days and weddings to weekend getaways in your everyday wardrobe, discover stylish options under $100 from tons of your favorite brands like Mango Skims, Princess Polly and madewell. It's easy too, with free shipping and free returns in store order pickup and more. Shop today in stores [e-mail] or download the Nordstrom app. You solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God? Yes, I do. All of them wanted to be there. I do. All of them wanted to testify, all of them wanted to tell their stories.

[Kim Jones]

And all of them want to help free their father to do that. Jerry is counting on their testimony to put then 15 year old Danny Busby at the crime scene in December 1988.

[Narrator]

Were you ever present when Danny Busby would growl and Thomas like a lion or a tiger? Yes, he did that very frequently. Did he ever growl at you? I think so, yes.

[Kim Jones]

What, asked Jones, did Thomas hear on the night his mother was murdered 16 years ago when he was just 4 years old?

[Narrator]

I remember it being more animal. Like he said he woke up when he heard growling noises and that a lion or a tiger got mom. He was repeating, a lion or tiger had gotten mom.

[Ron Dersch]

While I'm watching them testify, I'm thinking, this is amazing. These people are flawless. They are polished, they are rehearsed. You think to yourself, damn, It. Why's up?

[Kim Jones]

While Beth, Kim and Thomas lovingly stand by their father, Jerry Jones knows that it is his testimony and not his children's that jurors really want to hear. So as his own attorney, he decides to take the stand and come face to face with Ron dersh. A confrontation 16 years in the making.

[Ron Dersch]

Once I knew that the case was coming back, it was clear to me that there would be some sort of face off.

[Narrator]

I don't look at it as a match between Ron Dersh and myself. The defense would call Jerry Jones. Your Honor, I look at it as an opportunity to present the evidence to a jury of 12 people. Solemnly swear, tell the truth, the whole truth, and prove my innocence.

[Kim Jones]

But before Ron faces Jerry.

[Narrator]

Jerry, did you kill your wife? I did not kill my wife.

[Kim Jones]

A public defender assigned by the court to advise him asked Jones to explain his bizarre behavior after he discovered Lee had been stabbed.

[Narrator]

Did you at any point that evening, go and get wet? Yes. How did you do that? I ran into the master bedroom and heard the water running in the shower. And I went to turn it off and I felt a sting on my hand and I looked and saw that it was bleeding and I just ran back out.

[Kim Jones]

That's not the story Jerry told at his first trial.

[Narrator]

Mr. Dursh, cross examination.

[Ron Dersch]

Yes, you, Honor. Thank you.

[Kim Jones]

Ron believes he's caught Jerry in a lie. He whips out the transcripts and reads Jerry's own words back to him.

[Ron Dersch]

I open the shower door and instead of reaching in and turning the shower off, I step inside, clothes and all. I let the water run from the top of my head down the front of my body. You recall testifying to that effect in 1989?

[Narrator]

If that's what it says, that's obviously what I testified to.

[Ron Dersch]

I have no further questions.

[Kim Jones]

After just a handful of questions, Dersch retreats.

[Narrator]

I was amazed at the how few questions Ron Dersch asked me. I believe he was fairly convinced that he had lost the trial.

[Kim Jones]

I expected you to take off the gloves, that this was going to be a bare knuckle confrontation with Jerry. And it seems like you played a little patty cake. Was that a strategy?

[Narrator]

Were you.

[Kim Jones]

Did you choke?

[Ron Dersch]

I couldn't get mad at him at that point. Just because I have a stick to hit him with doesn't mean I'm going to hit him with it.

[Kim Jones]

But Ron uses that stick in his closing statement.

[Ron Dersch]

Exhibit one for the State is Jerry Jones. Because he is still here. He is still alive. Danny Busby is as subtle as a brick through a plate. Glass window. Do you think having listened to Danny Busby on the stand, having seen his behavior here, he could keep his mouth shut? Danny Busby is offered up as the boogeyman and he was not. He did not kill Lee Jones. We know who did. And it's Jerry Jones.

[Kim Jones]

For Jerry and his family, their long battle to win his freedom comes down to one final argument.

[Narrator]

The prosecutor has failed. Prove that I murdered my wife, Lee Jones for one reason. I did not do it. As you know, I'm on trial here. You're going to go into that room soon and deliberate. And you're going to vote either guilty or not guilty. Jerry Jones name is on that ballot. Danny Busby's name is not there. It's outrageous. Just doesn't add up. I had no motive. I was not a violent person. I was not an explosive person. I'm the person you see standing before you today.

[Ron Dersch]

I think what the jury got to see was Jerry Jones acting in closing.

[Kim Jones]

The crying.

[Ron Dersch]

Yeah.

[Kim Jones]

Rehearsed.

[Ron Dersch]

Absolutely. Yeah.

[Kim Jones]

Genuine.

[Ron Dersch]

No.

[Kim Jones]

For the third time, Jerry Jones Fate is in the hands of a jury. In a scant four and a half hours, the jury reaches a verdict.

[Narrator]

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[Kim Jones]

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[Narrator]

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[Ron Dersch]

She's made up her mind to live Pretty smart. Learn to budget responsibly right from the start. She spends a little less and puts more into savings. Keeps her blood pressure low and credit score raises she's curtained debt right out of her life.

[Kim Jones]

She tracks her cash flow on a spreadsheet at night.

[Narrator]

Boring money moves make kind of lame.

[Ron Dersch]

Songs but they sound pretty sweet to your wallet.

[Narrator]

PNC bank brilliantly boring since 1865. All rise. Court is again in session.

[Kim Jones]

After a grueling three week trial.

[Narrator]

All parties are here. We have a verdict. Please bring in the jury.

[Kim Jones]

Jurors reach a verdict in just four and a half hours.

[Ron Dersch]

I'm thinking they came back too soon. They're going to walk it.

[Narrator]

Mr. Jones, if you please stand for the reading of the verdict. Oh, I'm expecting a not guilty verdict. We all took it very seriously. Just the weight of it.

[Ron Dersch]

It was Almost overcoming.

[Kim Jones]

Jurors remember a tense courtroom as they filed in with their verdict.

[Narrator]

I looked at Jerry Jones and I looked at Ron Dersh. I think both of those guys have had a very personal role in this thing for the last six, 16 years. We, the jury, find the defendant, Jerry Bartlett Jones Jr. Guilty of the crime of murder in the first degree as charged.

[Kim Jones]

When you hear the word for the third time, guilty. What was that moment like for you?

[Narrator]

You just shake your head in disbelief. And what on earth are they thinking?

[Ron Dersch]

When I hear the word guilty, I'm thinking, this is over for now. This is over.

[Kim Jones]

For prosecutor Ron Dersch, winning a third conviction is a tremendous relief. Was justice served here today, Ron?

[Ron Dersch]

Absolutely. It was served in 2000. It was served in 1989. It's the right verdict.

[Narrator]

All right. Yeah.

[Kim Jones]

36 jurors from three trials have now heard the evidence in this case, and not one believes that you are innocent.

[Narrator]

Yeah, that's very disappointing. I don't have an explanation for it. Do you think you should have done anything differently? I think I did everything humanly possible. I can't imagine anything more I could have done. Tell me what the evidence is that convinces you that I murdered my wife. We went through everything and it just didn't fit. A lot of us looked through every single piece of evidence, including the clothes, the knife, every single picture, making sure there wasn't something that we were missing. That's why we took four and a.

[Ron Dersch]

Half hours, or else we could have.

[Narrator]

Came out of that jury room in 45 minutes.

[Kim Jones]

Jurors didn't buy Jerry's version of events.

[Narrator]

He had a lot of inconsistencies with.

[Kim Jones]

His stories or his explanation for the cuts on his hand.

[Narrator]

It looked like there was at least two contacts with the knife that we could tell which didn't match up with him telling us that he had a run in with an assailant and knocked that knife out of his hand.

[Kim Jones]

They also didn't believe Jerry's story of only hearing a single scream as his wife was being stabbed 63 times in the next room.

[Narrator]

I've lived in a split level house myself. I could be downstairs and hear stuff going on upstairs in the bathroom. I think there was a terrible struggle, and I think you would have heard that all over that house. Can you tell me where she stabbed? All over.

[Kim Jones]

And after listening to the 911 tape several times.

[Narrator]

On the whole 911 tape, he never cried? No, never. I thought that was odd. And then he would put down the phone and run and go do this and put down the phone and run and go do that. Hello? When you're on the phone with 911, you stay on the phone. He solemnly swear to tell the truth.

[Kim Jones]

And what about Danny Busby, the person Jerry Jones claims is the real killer?

[Narrator]

There was no evidence that Danny Busby was in that house that night. There was no DNA evidence. There was no blood evidence. Right. There was nothing that put Danny Busby in that house except Jerry Jones wanting him to be in that house. And he wasn't.

[Kim Jones]

Jurors found Danny Busby unlikable. Busby is a really nasty human being, but believable.

[Narrator]

He was being very honest about the fact he had hit the woman. He had pushed their head into the steering wheel. He had admitted to everything. But when it came down to, did you kill Lee Jones? No, I did not kill Lee Jones.

[Kim Jones]

It was Jerry Jones they didn't believe.

[Narrator]

Every move, every emotion he made seemed planned out. I'm sure he's loving with his children and his grandchildren, but I think his wife was a whole nother matter. He looks nice on the outside and he speaks with a soft tone, but he gives me the creeps.

[Ron Dersch]

He could not hide himself from the jury.

[Narrator]

I did not murder my wife.

[Ron Dersch]

They saw through to him. To his essential core.

[Narrator]

All rise.

[Kim Jones]

Five days after being convicted, State versus Jerry Bartlett Jones. Jerry Jones is back in court for sentencing.

[Ron Dersch]

He is present here.

[Kim Jones]

He is in custody and for the third time.

[Narrator]

We stand up for him because we believe in his innocence. Absolutely.

[Kim Jones]

His daughters ask for compassion.

[Narrator]

Everyone talks about how much we love our dad. But they seem to forget how much we loved our mother. You can send him to prison, but prison isn't going to make us suffer any more than we already have in these last six years.

[Kim Jones]

But for Pam o' Keefe, Danny Busby's mother, Jerry Jones doesn't deserve any sympathy.

[Narrator]

The evil started the night Jerry Jones murdered his wife. And the next day when he accused my son of doing it.

[Kim Jones]

No one knows how years of being vilified affected Danny Busby's life. But his mother believes Jerry Jones needs to be punished for all the lives he's damaged.

[Narrator]

I hope a day doesn't go by for the rest of your life that you don't think of your wife. How you took her life away from your children. And then you accused a 15 year old innocent boy. You have ruined so many lives.

[Kim Jones]

When it's Jerry's turn, he seems remorseful.

[Narrator]

I wish Danny Busby's name had not come to mind. I have no reason to Bring his name into these proceedings. Stop damaging Danny Busby.

[Kim Jones]

Jerry is chastised one last time and.

[Narrator]

Let him heal and grow the best he can.

[Kim Jones]

Before Judge James Allendorfer sentences him, I'm.

[Narrator]

Going to sentence you for the third time in your life to 25 years in the penitentiary.

[Ron Dersch]

Got anything in your pockets at all?

[Kim Jones]

But just a few months later, back in prison, Jerry Jones is defiant once again. Do you owe Danny Busby an apology?

[Narrator]

No, I do not owe Danny Busby an apology. And none will be forthcoming.

[Ron Dersch]

I think it's entirely likely that at this point he's managed to convince himself that he did not commit this murder.

[Kim Jones]

For Ron Dersch, the battle against Jerry Jones is finally over. He's moving on, but not to another case.

[Ron Dersch]

I, Ronald Dursch, swear that I will support, defend and obey.

[Kim Jones]

Instead of prosecuting, he'll be enforcing the law.

[Narrator]

You sure you want to do this?

[Ron Dersch]

Yes, sir.

[Kim Jones]

Welcome aboard as a deputy sheriff. But the case that has consumed his life for so many years will be much more difficult to leave behind.

[Ron Dersch]

I don't know that anything we can do in a courtroom can really put the dead to rest. Clearly, the family has been damaged, I think beyond repair by what jury Jones did. So in terms of whether Lee Jones can rest, I hope she can rest. The rest of us, I don't think can.

[Kim Jones]

In 2005, Jerry Jones began a three year sentence, bringing his total prison time to 616 years. Jerry Jones was released from prison in 2008. This summer, Pluto TV is exploding with.

[Narrator]

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[Ron Dersch]

Can I take your order?

[Narrator]

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[Kim Jones]

And Beverly Hills Cop 1, 2 and 3.

[Narrator]

How you doing?

[Ron Dersch]

All for free.

[Kim Jones]

Get ready to feel the free with.

[Narrator]

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[Kim Jones]

And keep up with the action from virtually any of your devices. Summer will never be the same.

[Narrator]

Pluto TV Stream now pay. Never get ready to laugh until it hurts.

[Ron Dersch]

You're going to love this.

[Kim Jones]

Novocain is now streaming on Paramount.

[Narrator]

Plus I got this condition.

[Ron Dersch]

I don't feel pain.

[Narrator]

You're a superhero.

[Kim Jones]

Yeah, it's an adrenaline rush of fun.

[Narrator]

Whoa. This is the best. And a bloody good time. Almost got the best part. It's the first great action comedy of the year. Let the magic happen.

[Ron Dersch]

That's good. Looking forward to it.

[Narrator]

Novocaine. Rated R. Now streaming on Paramount plus.