Man authorities considered one of Louisville's 'most dangerous' criminals dies of suspected drug overdose at 33

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A man authorities once considered one of Louisville’s "most dangerous" and notorious criminals has died.

John “Hot Boy” Jones escaped so many high profile murder and shooting cases in the city he started marketing himself as Mr. Not Guilty.

Police confirmed Jones, 33, died Monday at Louisville’s Southwest Medical Center of a suspected drug overdose.

The substance that killed Jones is unclear, as the coroner’s office said toxicology results could take up to 12 weeks.

Between 2005 and 2012 Jones was the defendant in two murder cases, three murder trials and one for attempted murder. Each time, he was found not guilty or pleaded guilty to lesser charges.

Jones was charged in the June 16, 2005 death of Christopher Harrison, who was shot at 39th and Main streets. Prosecutors said problems with evidence led them to offer the then 18-year-old Jones a deal in which he pleaded guilty to reckless homicide.

Jones was released from jail less than a year after the shooting but quickly accused in another death: the April 2007 murder of James Bland, who was shot at a gas station off Broadway.

Jones twice stood trial for Bland’s murder. The first ended in a hung jury, the second in an acquittal.

Prosecutors said Jones' clout on the streets and in the gang community in Louisville left a key witnesses afraid to testify.

Jones also was charged with attempted murder in the New Year’s Eve 2010 shooting of a 19-year-old. She was shot in the face at the Jamestown Apartments in Saint Matthews, but survived.

In 2012 Jones was acquitted of the most serious charge, but convicted of tampering with a witness and being a persistent felony offender. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison, but released in 2016 according to court records.

Former assistant commonwealth attorney Jon Heck, who prosecuted three murder cases against Jones, said he gets no joy out of the criminal's death.

“While I stand by my position that John Jones was one of the most dangerous people in the city and a killer, I think any overdose is sad," he said. "I don’t know where he was in his life now, but when people die young it takes away their chance for redemption. I don’t ever bask in anyone’s untimely death.”

Assistant Commonwealth Attorney Elizabeth Jones Brown said Jones won several court cases although authorities had good evidence against him.

According to court records, Jones' last criminal case in Kentucky was in December 2018. He was accused of drug trafficking but the case ended in a plea deal that saw him convicted of possession of a controlled substance, tampering with physical evidence and being a convicted felon with a handgun. He was sentenced to two years in prison.

This week, messages of grief filled Jones' Facebook pages. He had gained a following under the "Not Guilty" banner and started marketing himself with songs, T-shirts and other merchandise.