GUILTY FL - Naomi Jones, 12, Pensacola, 31 May 2017 *Arrest*

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Tuesday, August 10th:
*Trial continues with Jury Selection (Day 2) (all charges) (@ 9am ET) - FL - Naomi Jones (12) (May 31, 2017, Pensacola; found June 4, 2017) - *Robert LeTroy Howard (38/now 42) arrested & charged (6/8/17) & indicted (6/30/17) for 1st degree murder, kidnapping, false imprisonment, exploitation of a child & failure to register as SO. Plead not guilty. Held without bond. DA will not seek DP.
*Charged (6/8/17) with sex offender violation. $600K bond.
A convicted sex offender, Howard served 15 years in prison for two counts of sexual assault & rape after a 1999 conviction in Escambia County, Alabama.
Jury selection began on 8/9/21. Will be 12 jurors & 3 alternates.
Court info from 6/15/18 thru 8/6/21 reference post #517 here:
Found Deceased - FL - Naomi Jones, 12, Pensacola, 31 May 2017 *Arrest*
8/9/21 Monday, Jury selection Day 1: Howard will be represented by Assistant Public Defender Spiro Kypreos. Chief Assistant State Attorney Bridgette Jensen, who will prosecute the case for the state, is seeking a sentence of lifetime imprisonment. Circuit Court Judge Gary Bergosh will preside over the trial's proceedings. No info on jury selection. Trial continues on 8/10/21.
 
Wednesday, August 11th:
*Trial continues (Day 3) (all charges) (@ 9am ET) - FL - Naomi Jones (12) (May 31, 2017, Pensacola; found June 4, 2017) - *Robert LeTroy Howard (38/now 42) arrested & charged (6/8/17) & indicted (6/30/17) for 1st degree murder, kidnapping, false imprisonment, exploitation of a child & failure to register as SO. Plead not guilty. Held without bond. DA will not seek DP.
*Charged (6/8/17) with sex offender violation. $600K bond.
A convicted sex offender, Howard served 15 years in prison for two counts of sexual assault & rape after a 1999 conviction in Escambia County, Alabama.
Jury selection began on 8/9/21. Trial began on 8/10/21. 12 jurors & 3 alternates.
Court info from 6/15/18 thru 8/6/21 reference post #517 here:
Found Deceased - FL - Naomi Jones, 12, Pensacola, 31 May 2017 *Arrest*
8/9/21 Monday, Jury selection Day 1: Howard will be represented by Assistant Public Defender Spiro Kypreos. Chief Assistant State Attorney Bridgette Jensen, who will prosecute the case for the state, is seeking a sentence of lifetime imprisonment. Circuit Court Judge Gary Bergosh will preside over the trial's proceedings. Howard appeared in court Monday & was allowed to wear civilian clothes instead of a jumpsuit, and was not shackled or handcuffed. Nearly 100 potential jurors filled the room. Judge Bergosh & the attorneys in this case will select 12 jurors, with 3 alternates. The first half of Monday was spent bringing back many of the people in private to ask questions, and the other half asking questions in front of the whole group. Judge Bergosh also mentioned sequestering the jury, which means they will stay in a hotel the whole week to avoid becoming a close contact or test positive themselves for COVID-19. Judge Bergosh says they need to finish selecting a jury tonight so they can start opening statements Tuesday morning. No info on jury selection. Trial begins on 8/10/21.
8/10/21 Tuesday, Trial Day 1: Opening statements. No other info available. Trial continues on 8/11/21.
 
Ah - an article!

Trial begins in the murder of 12-year-old Naomi Jones

August 11, 2021
PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Witnesses began taking the stand Tuesday in the trial of Robert Howard including the mother of the 12-year-old murder victim, Naomi Jones.

The prosecution focused on the timeline of Naomi's disappearance and Howard's incriminating statement, while the defense focused on the difference between premeditated murder and felony murder.

Witnesses Tuesday told the jury everything from when they last saw Naomi Jones up to finding her body, and even who interacted with Robert Howard during the day she went missing.

Prosecutors played a 30-minute recording of Robert Howard's initial statement -- before making another nearly 4-hour statement.

Over a dozen different people testified; from law enforcement, to family and neighbors of Naomi Jones — even Howard's co-worker out of Brewton, Ala.

Naomi’s mother Shantara Hurry was the first to testify.

more in article.
 
Thursday, August 12th:
*Trial continues (Day 3) (all charges) (@ 9am ET) - FL - Naomi Jones (12) (May 31, 2017, Pensacola; found June 4, 2017) - *Robert LeTroy Howard (38/now 42) arrested & charged (6/8/17) & indicted (6/30/17) for 1st degree murder, kidnapping, false imprisonment, exploitation of a child & failure to register as SO. Plead not guilty. Held without bond. DA will not seek DP.
*Charged (6/8/17) with sex offender violation. $600K bond.
A convicted sex offender, Howard served 15 years in prison for two counts of sexual assault & rape after a 1999 conviction in Escambia County, Alabama.
Jury selection began on 8/9/21. Trial began on 8/10/21. 12 jurors & 3 alternates.
Court info from 6/15/18 thru 8/6/21 & Trial Day 1, 8/9/21 reference post #525 here:
Found Deceased - FL - Naomi Jones, 12, Pensacola, 31 May 2017 *Arrest*
8/10/21 Tuesday, Trial Day 1: Prosecutors played a 30-minute recording of Howard's initial statement -- before making another nearly 4-hour opening statement. And opening states by defense attorney (no name given). State witnesses: Shantara Hurry, Naomi's mother. One of two fisherman who found the girl's body days later also shared what happened when they arrived at 8 Mile Creek. Prosecutors showed photos captured where fishermen found Naomi's body in 8 Mile Creek days after she went missing--showing the 12-year old wearing a red tank top & no shorts or underwear. Witnesses (no names given) told the jury everything from when they last saw Naomi up to finding her body & even who interacted with Howard during the day she went missing. Over a dozen different people (no names given) testified; from law enforcement, to family & neighbors of Naomi, even Howard's co-worker out of Brewton, Ala. Trial continues on 8/11/21.
8/11/21 Wednesday, Trial Day 2: A jury in his criminal trial heard in a recorded interrogation video shown in court Wednesday. "I really didn't mean for things to go where they did, I didn't mean to hurt the child, but I choked her out," Robert Letroy Howard told investigators at the end of the three-hour video. "I didn’t mean to do it. I didn’t mean for it to happen.” Howard's admission came toward the end of the three-hour video played in court, when he finally told investigators "it ain't nobody's fault but my own" before launching into an explanation of what took place. In addition to the video, prosecutors called another 11 witnesses to testify in court Wednesday. The witnesses were all either current or former law enforcement professionals who participated in the 2017 investigation. Alex Geise, who worked as a trial support expert in 2017, testified that surveillance footage taken from businesses near where Naomi's body was found showed that a Nissan Altima. Florida Dept. of Law Enforcement Special Agent Brian Whittaker, an electronic surveillance expert, testified that Howard's cellphone records indicated that he was in the general area surrounding Naomi’s apartment complex between 12:30 p.m. & 1:45 p.m. on the day she went missing. Prosecutors made it a point to show jurors a photo of a small pile of cleaning supplies inside the trunk of Howard’s car before calling a fingerprint expert to testify that investigators could only find a single one of Howard’s fingerprints on the interior of his car after it was seized as evidence. Forensic investigators testified that while samples of male DNA were found on Naomi’s body — including an oral swab collected during an autopsy — the sample sizes were too small to accurately analyze. Trial continues on 8/12/21.
 
Friday, August 13th:
*Trial continues (Day 4) (all charges) (@ 9am ET) - FL - Naomi Jones (12) (May 31, 2017, Pensacola; found June 4, 2017) - *Robert LeTroy Howard (38/now 42) arrested & charged (6/8/17) & indicted (6/30/17) for 1st degree murder, kidnapping, false imprisonment, exploitation of a child & failure to register as SO. Plead not guilty. Held without bond. DA will not seek DP.
*Charged (6/8/17) with sex offender violation. $600K bond.
A convicted sex offender, Howard served 15 years in prison for two counts of sexual assault & rape after a 1999 conviction in Escambia County, Alabama.
Jury selection began on 8/9/21. Trial began on 8/10/21. 12 jurors & 3 alternates.
Court info from 6/15/18 thru 8/6/21 & Trial Day 1-3 (8/9/21 to 8/11/21) reference post #529 here:
Found Deceased - FL - Naomi Jones, 12, Pensacola, 31 May 2017 *Arrest*
8/12/21 Thursday, Trial Day 3: No info available yet. Trial continues on 8/13/21.
 
After the jury brought back their verdict, Noami’s mother, Shantara Hurry, and Naomi’s brother, 14-year-old Emmanuel Hurry, were given an opportunity to speak to the court and directly to Howard.

“What I lost is indescribable. I lost a daughter, a sister, a granddaughter, a great-granddaughter,” said Shantara Hurry, through tears. “I am thankful for justice being served on my daughter's behalf today, and I will never forgive him for what he did to my child and I hope he lives with it every day of his life. Christmas and birthdays for the past four years, nothing has been the same. My family has been torn apart, and I’ve been trying to keep it together all these years. The missing piece to the puzzle is gone.”

Emmanuel Hurry said of Howard, “I have no sympathy for him today.”

Directly addressing Howard, Emmanuel continued, “If you’re a real man, why would you do that to a 12-year-old. You ain't nobody, and you don’t scare me. You hear me?”
Robert Letroy Howard guilty of murder of Naomi Jones of Pensacola area
 
Update!

Thursday, August 12th:
*Trial continues (Day 4)-VEDICT REACHED! (all charges) (@ 9am ET) - FL - Naomi Jones (12) (May 31, 2017, Pensacola; found June 4, 2017) - *Robert LeTroy Howard (38/now 42) arrested & charged (6/8/17) & indicted (6/30/17) for 1st degree murder, kidnapping, false imprisonment, exploitation of a child & failure to register as SO. Plead not guilty. Held without bond. DA will not seek DP.
*Charged (6/8/17) with sex offender violation. $600K bond.
A convicted sex offender, Howard served 15 years in prison for two counts of sexual assault & rape after a 1999 conviction in Escambia County, Alabama.
Jury selection began on 8/9/21. Trial began on 8/10/21 & ended on 8/12/21. 12 jurors & 3 alternates. Jurors deliberated on 8/12/21 for 90 minutes & finding Howard guilty of 1st degree murder.
Court info from 6/15/18 thru 8/6/21 & Trial Day 1-3 (8/9/21 to 8/11/21) reference post #529 here:
Found Deceased - FL - Naomi Jones, 12, Pensacola, 31 May 2017 *Arrest*
8/12/21 Thursday, Trial Day 3: Medical examiner (no name give) was the only new witness called to the stand Thursday before the State rested its case. Defense attorney Kypreos did not call any witnesses & informed the judge that Howard had chosen not to take the stand at trial & defense rested their case. Closing arguments by Chief Assistant State Attorney Bridgette Jensen & Assistant Public Defender Spiro Kypreos. Jury instructions read. Jurors went to deliberate @ 4:35pm & returned to the courtroom just 90 minutes after closing arguments at the conclusion of three days of testimony, which included video of Howard's confession. Howard was found guilty of first degree murder in her death. After the jury brought back their verdict, Noami’s mother, Shantara Hurry & Naomi’s brother, 14-year-old Emmanuel Hurry, were given an opportunity to speak to the court & directly to Howard. No sentencing date yet.
 
Naomi's mother woke up Friday morning with a lot of feelings. Lying in bed with her eyes still full of sleep, Hurry felt relief the trial was over. She felt a newfound sense of security knowing that Howard received a mandatory life sentence in prison — never to be free to hurt anyone, ever again.
…
"Even now, there are certain streets I still can’t drive down. When I think about how he might have taken her body down Johnson Avenue, from Johnson Avenue to across Highway 29 or down Detroit (Boulevard) to get to the bridge, I can’t travel down those ways. I can’t travel on those sides of town,” Hurry said. "I deal with a lot every day mentally — just with the possibilities of what he could have done and how it transpired with him taking her body.”
…
Hurry and her children all feel better now that Naomi’s murderer has been sentenced.
…
“Not having this court date being held over our heads and to know the verdict, I think what it is going to do for my family is that we will be able to smile again,” Hurry said. bbm
…
Robert Howard trial: Naomi Jones' mom, Shantara Hurry, says thank you

Howard was sentenced to life in prison without any chance of parole.
Jury Finds Robert Howard Guilty In 2017 Murder Of Naomi Jones : NorthEscambia.com
 
I wonder why they dropped the death penalty. I suppose maybe they didn’t have enough direct evidence? I hope we hear more on other crimes he may have committed. I was hoping to hear from this guys girl friend at the trial. I feel for her if she didn’t know about this and/or the other rapes.
 
The full interrogations of him and his girlfriend are posted on YouTube. It has no opinion. No commentary. Just a little news piece and then hours of interrogation. It's very interesting to watch. But it's also disturbing, when you get to the admission part. I don't know if I can link jt, but uts blue dot investigations Naomi Jones, if you search. I had not heard of her case until then.

Rest easy, sweet responsible girl.
 
Just a word of warning. I just read the whole thread. The details of what happened are far more graphic and intense than anything I have seen. Please be aware, before you decide to watch.
 
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