DNA fails to exclude convicted Oklahoma killer from crime
OKLAHOMA CITY — Testing funded by attorneys for an Oklahoma death row inmate who was featured on the ABC television documentary series “The Last Defence” found his DNA matches that recovered on key evidence in the case.
An attorney for Julius Jones said the test results do not mean his client was rightfully convicted in the 1999 slaying of Paul Howell, 45, and that investigators need to investigate other DNA profiles found on a red bandanna believed to have been worn by the killer.
The bandanna — wrapped around the handgun used to kill the Edmond insurance executive in front of his of his 7- and 9-year-old daughters following a back-to-school shopping trip — was found in the attic of the home of Jones’ parents.
“We have always known that Mr. Jones’ DNA could be on the bandanna because his DNA was present in his parents’ home where the red bandanna was planted,” federal public defender Dale Baich said in a statement.