On the night of December 7, 2022, a burst of gunfire shattered the evening calm in a Newport News, Virginia neighborhood. Responding to a ShotSpotter activation, police were dispatched to the 2100 block of Oak Avenue. In their search of the surrounding area, they made a grim discovery outside a home on Hampton Drive. There, they found 32-year-old James Curtis Jones, a male, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
Despite the immediate medical attention he received at the scene, his injuries proved to be fatal, and he was pronounced dead.
The investigation into the shooting of James Curtis Jones, affectionately known as Jay, stretched on for nearly three years. Described as a man full of energy, life, and excitement, his sudden and violent death left a void in the lives of his family and loved ones. He was a father to James Curtis Jones, Jr. and Isabella Jones. The case remained open as detectives worked to piece together the events of that tragic night.
A significant breakthrough in the cold case came in November 2025 with the arrest of 33-year-old Michael Tavon Moore. Law enforcement officials credited a combination of technological assets and crucial assistance from citizens in identifying Moore as the primary suspect. His arrest brought a renewed sense of hope for justice for the family of James Curtis Jones. Moore was subsequently charged with first-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and a probation violation on a prior felony offense. While the arrest marked a critical turning point in the investigation, the legal proceedings that will follow will ultimately determine the final outcome of this long and arduous case.
