Life in Prison!

[Dwayne Wilder]

D.J. Jones' killer gets Life in Prison

In a disposition hearing this morning in Bryan County Court, Harold Hass, alleged shooter in the D.J. Jones murder case, accepted a plea bargain for Life in Prison. He will be eligible for parole in 38.5 years.

"I am so relieved," said LaTonya Walker, Jones' mother. "I didn't want to go through what we did with that four year thing (Ahlora Hix - accessory prison term). This is right."

According to Walker, who was at the hearing, there were two plans on the table: Life without Parole and Life in Prison. Walker decided to let Jones' younger sister, Taylor Bogan, choose which to offer the defense.

"I was happy and I decided she (Bogan) should have a say. She was upset and didn't want to go with the more harsh sentence," explained Walker. "I was okay with that. She made a good choice."

After the prosecution offered the deal to defense attorneys, the word came back that Hass would take it.

As part of the hearing, Walker got to address the man who shot and killed her son.

"I got to say my piece," said Walker, obviously happy. "He wouldn't look up at me; and I said, 'Hey, you look at me!' He looked up and I finished what I wanted to say."

Jones had just turned 19 years old when he was lured to a Cartwright convenience store on the morning of August 5, 2011 where Hass and three others confronted him about an illegal drug deal. Jones ran and was shot in the back. An all day man-hunt began for the fugitives, but all were caught by that night.

Jones is the all time leading rusher for the Denison High School Yellow Jackets Football Team. He had planned to enroll and play football at Prairie View A&M that fall, according to Walker.