On a Friday afternoon in Benton Harbor, Michigan, the life of 64-year-old Robert Lee Jones came to a sudden and violent end. On May 26, 2023, police responded to a report of a man down in the 1700 block of Plimpton Avenue and discovered Jones deceased outside his residence. He had sustained a fatal gunshot wound to his neck.
Known affectionately as 'June Bug,' Jones was a lifelong resident of Benton Harbor, having been born in the city on April 19, 1959. A 1977 graduate of Benton Harbor High School, he had retired in 2001 after a career as a forklift driver. Those who knew him described him as an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed fishing and grilling. He was remembered as a man who didn't mince words but also had a knack for making people laugh. He was a father to four children and had a common-law wife of 22 years.
In the wake of the shooting, Benton Township police began an investigation that quickly pointed to a suspect thanks to the cooperation of the community. Witnesses who heard gunshots reported seeing a man matching the description of 83-year-old Julius Oats leaving the scene. Later that evening, police located and arrested Oats, a fellow Benton Harbor resident.
Following his arrest, Julius Oats was charged with open murder and other firearms offenses. While a motive for the shooting has not been publicly disclosed, the arrest brought a small measure of relief to a grieving family and a community shocked by the violent death of a familiar face. His fiancée expressed both her profound loss and her desire for justice and an understanding of why his life was taken.
