Eric Braxton, a 41-year-old Black / African American male from Philadelphia, was killed in the early morning hours of October 19, 2019, during what had begun as an annual camping trip among friends and relatives at Homestead Family Campground in West Rockhill Township, Bucks County, near Green Lane, Pennsylvania. The gathering included a group of campers who had come together for recreation and bonding outdoors.
Braxton was described by loved ones as a teacher who enjoyed nature, camping, and the camaraderie of bringing people together away from the streets of Philadelphia.
The violence unfolded around 2 a.m. after Miles K. Jones, a Philadelphia man who had joined the trip as the boyfriend of one of the campers, got into an argument with his girlfriend, Kristen Wright. According to prosecutors and later court records, Wright told Jones to leave the tent they were sharing. The confrontation escalated when Jones flipped the tent while Wright was still inside. Other campers stepped in to protect her and calm the situation, including Arthur Hill, who placed himself between Jones and the tent. During the confrontation, one of Hill's sons punched Jones after Jones shoved Hill.
After that initial fight, Jones reportedly warned the group that the matter was not over and that they would pay. He went to Wright's car, where he had a handgun, and then returned to the campsite armed. When Braxton gestured for Jones to go back toward the car, Jones shot him in the chest from close range. Braxton was killed at the campground. Jones then fired more shots as campers ran into the woods and called for help. Arthur Hill, 46, was struck in the back and also died from the shooting.
Authorities said the victims and Jones were among a group of friends and relatives on the camping trip. Police quickly identified Jones as the suspect, and he was taken into custody after the double shooting. Prosecutors charged him in connection with the deaths of Braxton and Hill, as well as the danger posed to the other campers who fled as shots were fired.
Jones went to trial in Bucks County, where prosecutors presented the shooting as a deliberate act after he became enraged during the dispute with his girlfriend and the intervention by others at the campsite. His defense argued self-defense, but the jury rejected that claim. On November 15, 2021, Jones was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder for killing Braxton and Hill. He was also convicted of 13 counts of recklessly endangering another person, along with firearms not to be carried without a license and possession of an instrument of crime.
At sentencing, relatives and friends of Braxton and Hill spoke about the loss of two men remembered as caring, generous, and deeply connected to the people around them. Braxton's loved ones described him as someone who wanted others to experience more of life through the outdoors and shared experiences. On November 18, 2021, Jones was sentenced to two consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole for the murders, with additional punishment tied to the related firearms and reckless-endangerment convictions.
