Man accused in laundromat killings says, ‘I’m innocent’
The murder defendant accused of fatally shooting two people inside a Del City laundromat told news reporters Friday, “I’m innocent.”
“I didn’t do it. And they’ll find out at the end of the trial. I will be not guilty,” Roshaun Bernard Jones said as he was escorted out of an Oklahoma County courtroom.
Jones, 34, of Midwest City, is charged with two counts of firstdegree murder. Prosecutors allege Jones, a cage fighter, shot the manager of the Laundry Station and a customer early Jan. 23 during a robbery.
Only about $200 was stolen, an owner of the laundromat said.
At the conclusion of a preliminary hearing Friday morning, Special Judge Lisa Hammond found enough evidence to send Jones to trial. During a formal arraignment in August, prosecutors will announce if they plan to seek the death penalty against Jones.
Prosecutors allege Jones robbed the laundromat because he was upset the manager had fired a longtime employee. Jones also is charged with robbery with a firearm and a firearm possession
offense.
Three days before the robbery, Jones told another laundromat employee “maybe he should rob this place”
after they talked about the firing being “not right,” police reported in a court affidavit.
That employee, Kortney Connelly, testified during the preliminary hearing about the conversation she had with Jones. She said she thought Jones was “joking.”
“I never thought it was for real,” Connelly told the judge. “He was just upset.”
Police reported surveillance video from inside the laundromat recorded the shooting. The video wasn’t played during the preliminary hearing but a police detective described it during his testimony.
About 6:45 a.m. that day, an individual entered the business with a white plastic bag over his shoulder, the detective testified. After placing the bag on the counter, the individual rushed around the counter and attacked the manager, Nekia Jackson, 42, the detective said.
The individual appeared to be firing shots at Jackson during an initial struggle over a purse or money bag, the detective said.
A customer, Russ Roberts, 60, attempted to intervene. Roberts was shot twice, and Jackson was shot multiple times during the altercation, according to the state medical examiner.
Police said the robber grabbed a green bank bag and store cash before exiting the laundromat.
The shooter left behind the white plastic bag he had brought. The clothing in the bag was “linked” to Jones, the detective testified.
A T-shirt for an Oklahoma City boxing club where Jones trained was found in the bag. Another piece of clothing in the bag was a memorial T-shirt for a murdered Illinois man who Jones described as his “big bro” on his Facebook page, police reported.
Clothing belonging to Jones’ girlfriend also was recovered in the bag, according to prosecutors. His girlfriend testified she identified the shooter on the surveillance video as Jones.
According to a mixed martial arts website, Jones has won two professional fights and lost six. Jones would place posters in the laundromat when he had upcoming fights, police reported.