In the early morning hours of January 6, 2018, the life of 36-year-old Levon Jones Jr., a Black male from Greenville, Mississippi, was tragically cut short. Responding to a call, officers from the Greenville Police Department discovered Jones unresponsive in his vehicle in the 300 block of North Street. He had sustained apparent gunshot wounds to his chest and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The subsequent investigation into the homicide led authorities to a suspect, Jonathan Cooper, a 39-year-old resident of Greenville. Approximately two weeks after the shooting, Cooper was apprehended by law enforcement. The diligent work of the Greenville Police Department and cooperation from the community were instrumental in his swift arrest.
Just days before his trial was scheduled to commence in August 2020, Jonathan Cooper entered a guilty plea to the charges of Second Degree Murder and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. In court, he admitted his role in the death of Levon Jones Jr. Following his plea, the court sentenced Cooper to 40 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. It was stipulated that 30 of those years would be served as a Habitual Offender, in line with the recommendation from the District Attorney's office.
