The Murder of Jonelle Melton
For this case, I watched an episode of Cold Case Files. It’s season 2 episode 11, titled ‘A Lesson in Homicide.’
A beloved teacher is found dead in her apartment.
Background
Jonelle Melton worked as a social studies teacher at Red Bank Middle School in New Jersey. She lived in the Brighton Arms apartment complex in nearby Neptune City.
Jonelle Melton
Jonelle had a passion for history, and knew how to get her students into it. Her enthusiasm for history was passed down to her students. Jonelle had even attended Barack Obama’s inauguration in January 2009. A photo of her was taken in the crowd, which she shared with her students and colleagues.
Jonelle met her future husband, Michael Melton after college. He said he used to flirt with her a bit. They started dating, and got married in Jamaica in August 2003. They both became teachers at Red Bank Middle School.
The marriage was good for about 3 years. Michael said he wasn’t used to so much affection or having someone love him so much. He had started a basketball company, and was gone a lot. Michael eventually filed for divorce. Jonelle eventually became comfortable having her own space. They were still cordial and spoke on the phone everyday.
The Murder
On September 14, 2oo9, Jonelle still hadn't shown up for school by 8am. It was an important day as she had a guest speaker lined up for her students.
The school secretary asked Michael to go check on her at her apartment, which was 20 mins away in Neptune City.
Michael pulled up to the house, and saw Jonelle’s car in the driveway. Michael tried the door, and it was open. He entered the house and called out her name. He walked into her bedroom, and saw her on the floor.
Jonelle had her nightgown on, and Michael saw what looked like blood on it. Jonelle looked like she had fallen while she was putting on her makeup. He called 911. Michael said he remembered asking Jonelle what she had done. He thought maybe she couldn’t handle the separation and had harmed herself.
The paramedics arrived to Jonelle’s house around 9:20am. Jonelle was pronounced dead at the scene. Michael called the school to notify their co-workers.
The Investigation
The Brighton Arms apartments were a “garden style,” or 2 story buildings. Jonelle’s was on the first floor. The police believed that they were looking for 2 killers due to the brutality of the crime.
The kitchen window was the point of entry. There was a footprint impression on the chair below the window inside the apartment. A pink lighter was also found near the chair. The kitchen had been ransacked. The cabinets were open and it appeared as if someone had been searching through cereal boxes. It’s believed that Jonelle had been killed during the night of September 13 in her bedroom.
Jonelle had been beaten and tortured over a period of time probably to get information from her as to what the killers were searching for. She had also been shot in the head.
There was a frayed piece of duct tape, which probably was used as some kind of binding. The duct tape had blood on it, and there were latex gloves found near Jonelle’s body. The evidence was collected.
Michael was interviewed by the police as he had found her body. Michael said the police first were trying to collect any information about his relationship with Jonelle. Michael admitted that they were sometimes still having relations. He said he felt like the questions were very evasive, but the police needed as much information as they could.
Michael said he was visiting a friend on the night of Jonelle’s murder. Michael consented to a DNA swab. Michael’s alibi was looked into. The police spoke to Michael’s friend. His phone records didn’t put him anywhere near Jonelle’s apartment on the night of the murder.
The First Suspect
Two days after Jonelle’s murder, a newspaper article came out. In the article, it said Michael was her estranged husband and Jonelle was found slain in her home. The article also mentioned that the divorce was to be finalized on October 6. Michael realized that people thought he killed her.
Michael said everyone turned on him. Jonelle’s family and their colleagues believed he had killed her.
Michael’s friend was an attorney, and agreed to defend him pro bono. Michael was told not to speak to anyone. When he returned back to work, he had a memo on his desk saying he couldn’t teach or have any contact with students.
Michael met with the school officials with his attorney. It was recommended that he take a desk job while the investigation was going on.
On November 10, 2009, 2 months after the murder, the DNA came back from on the duct tape. The DNA had Michael’s DNA on it. Jonelle’s DNA was also found on it from the blood that was left behind. The police believed that Jonelle had been duct taped to a chair before the attack.
Michael said the tape had been stuck to his shoe when he found Jonelle, so he used his hand to pull it off.
There was also DNA found on the lighter, but it came back as inconclusive. The evidence was transferred to the New York City Medical examiner’s Office for additional analysis.
The police were also receiving tips. One neighbor believed he had heard a loud noise. One woman said her dogs were awoken by the noise. A tall black male was spotted near the apartment. No one had called the police. Many people close to Jonelle were angry that these neighbors had been sitting on this information for months.
Michael said he turned to alcohol, and even contemplated taking his life.
The Informant
On December 3, 2012, 3 years and 3 months after the murder, the police learned that they had a DNA match from the lighter. It came back as belonging to Gregory Jean Baptiste, a Bloods gang member. He was questioned by the police. He said he had never seen Jonelle before and had never been at the apartment.
The police went in circles with Baptiste as he wouldn’t confess to anything. After 27 minutes, he refused to talk anymore. Jonelle’s case went cold, but the case was reassigned to two new detectives.
Michael reached out to a friend to help clear his name. The friend went out to talk to people in the area. The killer’s name wasn’t revealed, but there was crucial information given.
Michael told the police about what he had heard. Apparently, gang members were looking for a drug dealer named David James aka ‘Munch.’ David lived directly next to Jonelle. It was rumored that David had $15,000 in a freezer. He also had drugs in his apartment. His girlfriend was overheard by these people talking about the drugs at a party. They ended up at the wrong apartment, and assumed Jonelle was the girlfriend of David.
The police were out searching for anyone who would talk. Finally, an informant gave them 3 names. A 4th person, a woman, was their getaway driver. The men were identified as Ebenezer Byrd, Gregory Jean Baptiste and Jerry Spaulding. All 3 were part of the Bloods gang. The woman was later identified as Elizabeth Pinto, a former girlfriend of Ebenezer Byrd.
On December 1, 2015, a woman named Narika Scott identified Elizabeth Pinto as the getaway driver. Narika had been Ebenezer Byrd’s current girlfriend. She went to the police after hearing his confession during one of their prison visits. It was clear to the police that she had been very afraid to come forward.
The Arrests
Elizabeth was interviewed. She was also afraid to talk. She finally said Jonelle deserved justice, and admitted that she was the getaway driver. She said all 3 men dressed in black, and told her where to drive. Elizabeth was shown photos of all 3 men, and she was able to identify them by name. She said she didn’t know where she was driving to. She agreed to show where she had dropped them off. She pled guilty to conspiracy, and agreed to testify against all 3 men.
Elizabeth was also able to tell the police that all 3 men had put on latex gloves. Pinto dropped them off nearby, and watched them walk across the street towards the apartment.
On March 23, 2016, all 3 men were charged with first degree felony murder, 2nd degree robbery, conspiracy and unlawful weapons charges. They all maintained their innocence.
Justice For Jonelle
The trial began on January 17, 2019.
Elizabeth Pinto was the star witness for the prosecution. The defense argued that Michael was the real killer. The defense claimed that there was still a lot of evidence that hadn’t been tested.
The prosecutors believed that Jonelle was home alone on September 13, 2009. Elizabeth went to the home of Byrd’s mom, and found all 3 men there. They had her drive them over to the Brighton Arms apartments. Baptiste went in through the window, and dropped his lighter. He then opened the sliding door to let the others in.
Jonelle was in her bedroom. Before the attack, they taped her to a chair. They were searching for the money and drugs, but realized they were in the wrong apartment. They shot Jonelle, probably so she wouldn’t identify them.
The phone records of all 3 men placed them at Jonelle’s apartment.
They were all found guilty of first degree murder, robbery, conspiracy and weapons charges. A 4th man, James Fair was also found guilty of conspiracy to commit burglary. He had been the one to spread the word that David kept money in his freezer.
They were all sentenced to life in prison. Elizabeth Pinto pled guilty to conspiracy and was sentenced to probation.
James Fair is serving an 82 year sentence from unrelated charges.
Ebenezer Byrd
Gregory Jean Baptiste
Jerry Spaulding
James Fair
FINAL THOUGHTS
All 3 of these men are absolute scum. They killed an innocent woman because they heard a rumor about some money and drugs. Jonelle was killed over $15,000 dollars. These rotten pieces of shit are also still maintaining their innocence, but I hope they die in prison. I also really feel bad for Michael, but he proved that he really did care and love Jonelle and didn’t hurt her.
Sources
https://people.com/crime/new-jersey-teacher-murdered-robbery-wrong-apartment-killer-gets-life/
