The Outrageous Truth of Kevin Neri's Murder
On the evening of May 16, 2016, Kevin Neri opened his front door and confronted his soon-to-be murderer, Earl Jones. While many independent eyewitnesses state that Kevin Neri didn’t attack Jones, Mr. Jones called 911, said he’d shot Kevin in self-defense, and asked to turn himself in to the nearest sheriff’s station.
Video of Daneal Neri, speaking about what Kevin meant to the family and how his death has hurt them.
The history between the two men that led up to Kevin’s murder was commonplace in some ways. Earl Jones was the ex-boyfriend of Kevin’s current girlfriend. He was jealous that his ex was dating Kevin and that Kevin was helping to raise Earl’s son. From December 2015 until May 2016 when Earl killed Kevin, he harassed both Kevin and his ex-girlfriend continuously. Because Kevin was black, Earl threw many ugly epithets at him, including the “n” word. He showed up repeatedly at Kevin’s job. He didn’t want his son being raised by a black man, who was younger and more successful than he was. The murder was the gruesome intersection of racism mixed with domestic violence and sexism.
Video of Mario Martone, speaking about why Earl Jones’ claim of having black friends doesn’t lessen the racist nature of his crime.
Nearly a year later, Kevin Neri’s family is still seeking justice for his murder. While Hamilton County DA initially charged Jones with aggravated murder, the prosecutor handling the case, Amy Trainter, decided in February of 2017 to float the idea of Earl Jones pleading down to manslaughter. Kevin’s family and friends are firmly against Mr. Jones getting a plea deal. They want him to be tried in court under the original murder charge, and the trial is scheduled to begin on April 5th. Through Black Lives Matter: Cincinnati, there is a push to call the Hamilton County prosecutors and demand that Earl Jones face trial for murder. You can reach Joe Deters or Amy Trainter at 513-946-3000 to make your request for a trial.