Murder Case Against Elwood Jones Dismissed After 30 Years

Prosecutor dismisses murder case against Elwood Jones due to lack of evidence.
Jones spent 27 years on death row before being granted a new trial in 2022.
Prosecutor creates Conviction Integrity Unit to examine claims of wrongful convictions.

Fading light across the prison cell bars at Alcatraz — Source: Photo by Sam Scholes / Getty

Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich has dismissed the murder case against Elwood Jones. This wraps a prosecution that sent him to death row more than three decades ago for the killing of Rhoda Nathan.

Jones was convicted in 1996 of murdering 67-year-old Nathan, who was staying at a Blue Ash hotel in 1994 where Jones worked. He has maintained his innocence since the beginning, repeatedly saying, “I’m not guilty.”

Pillich said the decision to dismiss the case came after months of intensive review of trial transcripts, court filings and physical evidence. She said the evidence does not support the claim that Jones committed the crime and that more modern forensic analysis now excludes him as a suspect.

According to Pillich, a coroner’s report showed Nathan had Hepatitis B. A modern medical review determined the disease is extremely contagious and that Jones never contracted it, which ruled him out.

“I did not take this extraordinary step lightly,” Pillich said. “But after reviewing the evidence, I am not convinced that Mr. Jones killed Rhoda Nathan.”

Pillich also said there was potentially exculpatory evidence that was never presented during the original trial. The case was dismissed with prejudice, which means the charges cannot be refiled.

“This case is over and it won’t come back to bother him again,” Pillich said.

Jones spent 27 years on death row before being granted a new trial in 2022:

“I’m blessed in a way that I can’t even begin to say,” Jones said. “All I can do is like I’ve been doing. I’ve always believed in law and order. If you get caught, pay the price, but when you lie and cheat and put someone in jail for something they didn’t do, then you’re not following the rules. That bothers me more than anything.”

Pillich said she has notified Nathan’s family of the dismissal. She said the children expressed grief and anger, believing their mother did not receive justice. While the criminal case against Jones is closed, Prosecutor Pillich said the matter could be reopened if law enforcement identifies new suspects.

The dismissal also follows years of legal battles over withheld evidence. Jones had been released after a judge ruled prosecutors failed to turn over key materials to the defense. Appeals under the previous administration were still moving through the courts before Pillich took office.

Pillich said retrying the case without reliable evidence, witnesses or updated science would be futile.

As a result of the review, Pillich announced the creation of a Conviction Integrity Unit within her office to examine claims of wrongful convictions and unjust sentences.

“Had such a unit existed years ago, this decision may have been reached much sooner,” she said.

Jones is among a small number of death row inmates in Ohio whose convictions have been overturned. This story like many others continues to highlight ongoing concerns about errors within the state’s capital punishment system.