Elwood Jones, a former death row inmate who spent nearly 30 years in prison for a murder he says he did not commit, has filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Blue Ash and several former police officers.
Background
Jones was convicted of killing Rhoda Nathan at a Blue Ash hotel in 1994 and spent years on Ohio’s death row, facing six execution dates. Four years ago, a judge granted Jones a new trial, ruling that prosecutors had failed to share certain evidence with his defense team. In December, the case against Jones was dismissed.
The lawsuit alleges that Blue Ash investigators suppressed and planted evidence and ignored alternative suspects in Nathan’s murder. It seeks compensatory damages, with Jones aiming to recover money he says he would have earned had he not been imprisoned for nearly three decades.
Blue Ash officials, including the city’s police department, declined to comment on the specifics of the lawsuit. A spokesperson said the city cannot discuss the matter because the lawsuit is pending and involves an investigation and prosecution from decades ago.
Original reporting: WLWT Cincinnati — read the source article.
