Man gets life for Painesville murder

Euclid resident Demarco Jones sentenced for 2019 killing of Timothy Meola

Euclid resident Demarco Jones was sentenced to life in prison with the eligibility of parole after 25 years for the 2019 murder of Painesville resident Timothy Meola.

According to a news release from the Painesville Police Department,

Lake County Common Pleas Judge Patrick Condon handed down the sentence on March 2. Jones had previously changed his original plea to guilty to the charge of aggravated murder and the set bond of $2 million was revoked.

Jones was arrested on July 28, 2022, for the 2019 murder of Meola, a 65-year-old Painesville resident and Ashtabula business owner who was found dead in his Mentor Avenue residence on Sept. 7, 2019.

The Lake County grand jury indicted Jones on 19 counts on Sept. 27, 2022.

Jones was charged with five counts of aggravated murder and six counts of murder. Even though there was only one victim in this case, multiple charges of aggravated murder and murder were filed because each count involved alternative theories of how the murder could have been committed.

Jones was also charged with two counts of aggravated robbery, two counts of robbery, aggravated burglary, burglary, grand theft of a motor vehicle and tampering with evidence, according to court documents.

The murder took place while Jones was 17 and the case was originally heard in the Lake County Juvenile Court. But it was eventually bound over to the general division of Common Pleas Court.

Details of the investigation highlighted at an Aug. 10 hearing in Lake County Juvenile Court indicated that Jones killed Meola after the two engaged in sex in a loft above the upstairs bedroom at Meola’s home.

According to the investigation, Jones became angry at Meola for

violating a rule they had agreed on regarding sexual activity.

Investigators learned that after the sexual activity, Jones was asked by Meola to retrieve marijuana from another part of the house and bring it into the loft. However, Jones came back with a knife and stabbed Meola multiple times, causing his death.

An autopsy revealed that Meola was stabbed 30 times. He also suffered blunt-force injuries from some type of object that fractured his skull.

Jones also was accused of stealing Meola’s cellphone and 2018 Jeep Cherokee, which contained other property belonging to Meola.

Jones