In the early morning hours of September 21, 2019, the life of 20-year-old Antonio Dewayne Reese-Manley was tragically cut short in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Officers from the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety were dispatched to the Fox Ridge Apartments on the city's northwest side around 7 a.m. following reports of a man down with gunshot wounds. Upon arrival, they discovered Reese-Manley in front of the apartment complex, having been struck by gunfire.
He was rushed to a local hospital but ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
The initial investigation into the shooting death of the young Kalamazoo resident began without immediate arrests, prompting law enforcement to appeal to the public for any information that could lead to a breakthrough in the case. Investigators worked to piece together the circumstances that led to the fatal encounter. Their efforts eventually led them to identify a suspect in the homicide.
A week after the shooting, a warrant was issued for the arrest of 36-year-old Scott Kenneth Jones. However, he was not apprehended until the following January when he was located in Montgomery, Illinois. Jones was subsequently charged with open murder and felony firearms in connection with Reese-Manley's death. The legal proceedings faced delays, largely attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In August 2022, a jury convicted Scott Kenneth Jones of first-degree murder for the death of Antonio Dewayne Reese-Manley. The trial was held in the Kalamazoo County Circuit Court, and following his conviction, Jones was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. During his sentencing, Jones maintained his innocence, asserting that the case against him was a sham.
