LaRhonda Antoinette Jones, a 48-year-old Black / African American female, was discovered deceased in her Waterbury, Connecticut condominium on November 21, 2019. Concern arose when she did not arrive for her job as an executive assistant with HAI Group, prompting a welfare check by police at her Perkins Avenue residence. Officers found a tragic scene inside, with both LaRhonda and her 54-year-old husband, Eric Jones, deceased in their bed from apparent gunshot wounds.
A handgun was recovered at the scene.
Subsequent investigation by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner brought clarity to the devastating event. It was determined that LaRhonda's death was a homicide, caused by gunshot wounds to the head, neck, and torso. Her husband, a retired New Haven police officer who had served for 20 years before retiring in 2012, died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Authorities concluded that Eric Jones fatally shot his wife before taking his own life in a murder-suicide.
The news of LaRhonda's violent death sent shockwaves through the community, particularly because she was known as a survivor of domestic violence who had dedicated her life to her faith and helping others. A New Haven native and graduate of Wilbur Cross High School, she was an associate pastor at RIM City Church. Friends and community members expressed profound grief and disbelief at the loss of a woman remembered for her kindness and commitment to her ministry. The tragic circumstances of her death have since been used by local organizations to highlight the pervasive issue of domestic violence and the critical need for community awareness and support systems.
