Jones
A formal burglary charge has been filed against a man who allegedly participated in a home invasion that led to a shooting in Greenwood on May 15.
Marcus D. Jones, Jr., 20 of Greenwood, is charged with burglary with a deadly weapon as a level 2 felony and is being held at the Johnson County jail.
When Greenwood police arrived at the home in the 1200 block of Odell Lane at around 2:45 p.m. that afternoon, they found the body of Jerimiah S. Martin, 20 of Greenwood, who was dead of multiple gunshot wounds. An Indianapolis 16-year-old told police he shot him and said Martin and Jones threatened and attempted to rob him, according to a probable cause affidavit filed with Johnson County Circuit Court Monday.
Greenwood police found the juvenile and the Greenwood woman who rents the home at the scene when they arrived, though the woman says she was not there when the shooting happened, the affidavit says.
A neighbor told police they heard banging sounds that might have been gunfire and saw a Black or Asian male run from the house and get in a black car with tinted windows. The male was carrying something black in one hand and his thumb was wrapped around the object, court documents say.
The juvenile’s account
The incident allegedly began as a drug deal turned robbery, people involved with the incident told police.
During questioning, the woman who rents the home said she had received a call from someone she knew only as “Black Boy” who wanted to drop off money and purchase marijuana from her that afternoon. “Black Boy” was later identified as Jones, with the woman and the juvenile both picking his photo out of a lineup, the affidavit says.
The woman was not at home at the time Jones wanted to complete the transaction, so she allegedly asked the juvenile to do it in her place. The juvenile said they stay with her sometimes and complete drug transactions on her behalf when she’s not home.
Jones arrived at the house and tried to complete the transaction, but the juvenile allegedly didn’t sell to him because he was $8 short. The juvenile said Jones left and promised to return with the money, the affidavit says.
Jones returned with Martin and knocked on the door. The juvenile told police they were not tall enough to see through the peephole so they cracked the door. At that time, the two allegedly forced their way into the home and Martin brandished a pistol, demanding to see where the drugs are kept, court documents say.
The juvenile said he feared for his life, so he complied with the order. The juvenile took them to the home’s master bedroom, where a struggle allegedly ensued, the affidavit says.
The juvenile told police Martin put down the handgun after Jones allegedly handed him an AK47 that was in the room, which Martin stuck into his waistband. The juvenile then reportedly picked up the handgun and fired at least one shot at Martin, court documents say.
After the shot was fired, the juvenile said Jones ran away, while Martin punched and kneed him in the face, shoving him up against the wall. That’s when the juvenile reportedly noticed the AK47 in Martin’s pants, grabbed it and shot him, causing him to fall to the ground, the affidavit says.
The juvenile then called the woman and she came home from a family member’s home in Indianapolis. Upon arrival she told the juvenile to call 911, they both told police.
Jones’s account
The neighbor who said they witnessed a man matching Jones’s description flee the scene also managed to take down the plate number and provided that to Greenwood police. With that number, police were able to locate the vehicle using FLOCK cameras. Greenwood police asked Indianapolis police to pull over the vehicle, as it was located in Indianapolis, the affidavit says.
When the vehicle was located after 8 p.m. the same day, Jones was in the passenger seat while his girlfriend was driving. He told police they were fulfilling DoorDash orders at the time.
The stories that Jones and the juvenile allegedly told police differ.
Jones’s account aligns with the juvenile’s story in that he had to leave to get more money for the alleged transaction. He told police he came back to the home after picking up Martin from Polo Run Apartments.
Jones told police he brought Martin along because they were going to trade marijuana for money from Martin’s food stamp card. The intention was for Martin to stay in the car, but he allegedly ran up behind Jones as he was walking to the door, court documents say.
Brandishing the gun, Martin allegedly forced both of them upstairs to the bedroom, Jones told police. He also alleges he ran away as soon as he could, the affidavit says. No mention of the AK47 is contained in the affidavit’s account of Jones’s statements to police.
Jones told police he did take a gun from the bedroom before he departed. That gun was found in the car when he was pulled over in Indianapolis, along with marijuana and Jones’ identification. The gun found in the car matches the serial number of one that was missing from the home following the incident, court documents say.
More charges?
Johnson County Prosecutor Lance Hamner said the incident is still under investigation and he can’t comment on any other charges that may be filed at this time. This applies to the Daily Journal’s questions regarding charges for the juvenile and the woman who rents the home.
