On July 2, 2007, William Jones, a 25-year-old man from Walpole, Massachusetts, became the victim of a horrific triple homicide at an Army Barracks military surplus store in Conway, New Hampshire. What began as an ordinary trip with a close friend ended in tragedy when the two men encountered a violent criminal in the middle of a multistate crime spree.
William and his friend, Gary Jones, had been enjoying time outdoors in the mountains of Maine and were traveling home when they stopped at the store. Neither could have anticipated that their brief visit would place them in the path of an armed killer.
William and Gary, who was from Plymouth, Massachusetts, were not related despite sharing the same last name. They were close friends who enjoyed spending time together, particularly on outdoor adventures. According to William's father, Kenny Jones, the two young men were hardworking, fun-loving individuals who were like brothers. Their friendship had brought them to the mountains for a camping trip, and they were returning home when they made the fateful decision to stop at the Army Barracks store, located at 347 White Mountain Highway in Conway.
Inside the business was 34-year-old store manager James Walker, a father of two from Denmark, Maine. Also present was Michael Woodbury, a 31-year-old man from Windham, Maine, who had recently embarked on a violent crime spree across several states. Woodbury had a lengthy criminal history and had spent much of his adult life incarcerated. After being released from prison in May 2007, he became involved in a series of alleged crimes, including burglaries, arson, vehicle thefts, and robberies. By the time he reached New Hampshire, authorities in multiple states were already searching for him.
Investigators determined that Woodbury entered the Army Barracks store intending to commit a robbery. Reports indicated that he was attempting to obtain money to support his movements while traveling in stolen vehicles. The confrontation inside the business quickly escalated into deadly violence. Woodbury shot James Walker, and when William Jones and Gary Jones encountered the unfolding crime, they apparently attempted to interfere with Woodbury's efforts to steal money or escape. Rather than surrender or abandon his plans, Woodbury turned his weapon on the two friends.
William was shot multiple times, suffering fatal gunshot wounds to his head and chest. James Walker was also fatally wounded, and both men died at the scene. Gary was critically injured in the attack and was transported to Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine, where he later died. Within a short period, three lives had been taken in an act of violence that devastated their families and shocked the surrounding communities. The killings were particularly disturbing because two of the victims were customers who had simply stopped at the store while returning from a recreational trip.
Following the shootings, Woodbury fled Conway, triggering an intensive manhunt involving law enforcement authorities in New Hampshire and neighboring Maine. Investigators were already familiar with his criminal activities and believed he posed a serious danger to the public. His movements had previously taken him through several states, including Georgia, Kentucky, and Tennessee, where authorities wanted him in connection with other offenses. In Tennessee, he had reportedly escaped police officers while driving a stolen vehicle, further demonstrating his determination to avoid capture.
The search ended on July 3, 2007, when Woodbury surrendered to a police officer in Fryeburg, Maine. He was located along a wooded stretch of a former railroad corridor approximately one day after the Conway shootings. His arrest brought an end to the immediate danger he presented, although investigators still faced the responsibility of reconstructing the events inside the store and establishing the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Woodbury was subsequently charged in connection with all three killings. During his initial court appearances, prosecutors outlined the allegations against him, including the evidence indicating that the victims had been shot during an attempted robbery. Family members of William, Gary, and James attended proceedings as the criminal case moved forward. William's father spoke publicly about his son's close friendship with Gary, offering a glimpse into the lives of two men whose futures had been abruptly taken away.
During the investigation and subsequent legal proceedings, Woodbury made statements acknowledging responsibility for the shootings. While being transported for court proceedings, he admitted to reporters that he had killed the three men during the robbery. He initially faced the prospect of a lengthy criminal trial, but the case ultimately concluded without a jury having to determine his guilt.
On August 17, 2007, Woodbury pleaded guilty to the murders of William Jones, Gary Jones, and James Walker in New Hampshire. The guilty pleas formally established his responsibility for the triple homicide. During the sentencing hearing in Merrimack County Superior Court, Judge Edward Fitzgerald heard statements from the victims' families before imposing three mandatory life sentences without the possibility of parole. The punishment ensured that Woodbury would never be eligible for release based on the Conway murders.
The proceedings also brought attention to Woodbury's history of mental health problems, including a reported diagnosis of bipolar disorder. His public defender and the judge discussed his psychiatric history and whether he understood the consequences of entering guilty pleas. Despite those concerns, the court accepted his admissions and imposed the life sentences. The outcome provided a measure of legal accountability for the victims' families, although no sentence could restore the lives that had been lost.
The violence associated with Woodbury did not end with his incarceration. After being transferred to Florida's correctional system, he committed another murder while serving his sentences. On September 22, 2017, Woodbury attacked fellow inmate Antoneeze Haynes at the Okeechobee Correctional Institution. He used a combination lock as a weapon, repeatedly striking Haynes during a brutal assault. Haynes was transported for medical treatment but died from his injuries.
Florida prosecutors pursued a separate murder case against Woodbury. In May 2018, during the third day of his trial, he pleaded guilty to first-degree premeditated murder in Haynes's death. A jury subsequently recommended the death penalty, and Woodbury was sentenced to death later that year. In April 2021, the Florida Supreme Court upheld his death sentence. By December 2021, his attorneys were seeking review by the United States Supreme Court. That Florida sentence concerned the later prison killing and was separate from the three life sentences imposed for the Conway murders.
For William Jones's family, the events of July 2, 2007, represented far more than a criminal case or a series of court proceedings. William had been returning from an enjoyable trip with one of his closest friends when their lives intersected with a dangerous fugitive. His father remembered the two men as hardworking and full of life, emphasizing a bond that went beyond friendship. The fact that William and Gary died together during what should have been an ordinary stop on their journey made the tragedy especially painful.
The murders also left a lasting impact on Conway and the surrounding communities. The Army Barracks store, ordinarily a place where customers purchased camping supplies and outdoor equipment, became the scene of an act of violence that claimed three lives. James Walker's children lost their father, while William's and Gary's families were left to confront the sudden deaths of two young friends who had simply been enjoying the outdoors.
The investigation into William's death was ultimately resolved through Woodbury's arrest, confession, guilty plea, and conviction. There has been no indication in the reporting that another individual was charged with participating in the Conway killings. Although Megan Reeves, a young woman connected to Woodbury during his multistate crime spree, faced allegations involving other offenses, those allegations were separate from the murders at the Army Barracks store.
William Jones is remembered as a young man whose life ended because of a chance encounter with an armed criminal. His death, together with those of Gary Jones and James Walker, became one of the most disturbing violent crimes in the Conway area's history. The convictions established responsibility for the killings, but the passage of time has not diminished the loss experienced by the families. What should have been the conclusion of a memorable camping trip instead became a devastating tragedy, leaving William's loved ones with memories of a son and friend whose life was taken far too soon.
