Anthony D. Jones Jr. Sentenced to 45 Years in Prison for Fatal Carjacking

ST. LOUIS, Missouri – United States District Court Judge Stephen R. Clark sentenced Anthony D. Jones Jr. to 45 years in prison for fatally shooting a St. Louis woman in 2019 before stealing her car.

Jones, 29, of Northwoods, pleaded guilty in December to felony charges of carjacking resulting in death, discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death, and two counts of witness tampering.

The crime occurred on May 4, 2019, in an alley in the 5300 block of Vernon Avenue. Jones befriended the victim, Jessica Vinson, earlier that morning outside of a club in St. Louis and then gave her keys to associates, who burglarized her home in the 5300 block of Maffitt Avenue.

Jones shot Vinson in the head and back, dragged her out of her car, and fired another shot at her head. He then stole her 2015 Dodge Charger and drove over Vinson’s arm. Two days later, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers spotted Vinson’s car and attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but Jones fled from police at a high rate of speed and crashed near an Interstate 70 exit ramp at Grand Avenue.

Jones fled from the vehicle, leaving a gun behind, but was found hiding in a garage and arrested. While in jail, Jones threatened to kill two witnesses to his crime.

A Vinson relative told Judge Clark that the 32-year-old was a ‘kind soul’ who was a nursing student and had a promising future. Judge Clark called Jones an ‘exceptionally ruthless person’ and ‘a danger to society.’

Jones’ sentence will run consecutive to any prison time he receives if convicted of charges related to an April 15, 2019 shooting as well as for violating his parole in a 2013 gun case. Two others involved in the carjacking, Robyn Harrison and Tyeishia Adail, were sentenced to two and one-half years and four years in prison, respectively, in January.

The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Jen Szczucinski is prosecuting the case.

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