In the early moments of March 8, 2013, a sense of grim familiarity returned to the streets of Roanoke, Virginia, as the city recorded its first homicide of the year. McArthur David Jones, a 33-year-old male, was found lying on the front porch of a residence in the 1000 block of Rugby Boulevard, having been shot multiple times. The call came in to police at 12:01 a.m., and upon their arrival, the scene told a grim tale of violence that had shattered the late-night quiet. Jones had sustained five gunshot wounds—two to the chest, one to the shoulder, and two in the back—injuries that proved to be fatal. He was transported to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The investigation into the shooting began immediately, with officers quickly obtaining a description of the suspect and the direction in which he had fled on foot. Their search led them to the intersection of 11th Street and Rugby Boulevard, where they located an individual matching the description. This man was identified as 34-year-old Tron Lamar Seaborn, also of Roanoke. A subsequent search of the area near the intersection uncovered a firearm. The investigation revealed that Seaborn and Jones were known to each other. Further details emerged, indicating that Seaborn had been dating the sister of Jones's girlfriend and had gone to the Rugby Avenue house, which the two sisters shared, late on the evening of March 7th.
Tron Lamar Seaborn was taken into police custody and subsequently charged with murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. In the ensuing legal proceedings, Seaborn entered an Alford plea to the charges. This type of plea allows a defendant to maintain their innocence while acknowledging that the prosecution has enough evidence to likely secure a conviction. Seaborn was sentenced to a quarter-century in prison for his role in the death of McArthur David Jones. The sentence consisted of 22 years for the killing and a mandatory minimum of three years for the use of a gun in the commission of the crime, bringing a close to the case that had marked the city's first homicide of that year.
