Murder of Jared Plesec

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The murder of Jared Plesec was the murder of 21-year-old Salvation Army worker Jared Plesec in Lakewood, Ohio. Plesec was a Bible study teacher at the Salvation Army. He was holding a copy of the Bible when he was shot in the head by 27-year old William Jones.[1]

Trial[]

Jones was sentenced to life without parole at the conclusion of his trial in 2018. The sentencing judge described the crime as a "senseless act of random violence".[2]

At his sentencing, he read a statement invoking the names of black persons who had been killed by police (Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, and the shooting of Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams).[3][2] He said "It just seems, when a white life takes a black life, it's justified. Today you seek justice. I can't help but wonder if the shoe was on the other foot, would it be justified instead?".[4] He also invoked the slogan "Black Lives Matter".[2]

Perpetrator[]

After murdering Plesec, Jones was involved in several carjackings before he was apprehended by law enforcement. At the time of the murder, he was on a released supervision from prison after serving nearly two years for a previous armed carjacking.[2]

After the shooting, a witness filmed a four-minute video where Jones screamed "Fuck Trump" and "They're going to kill us all". He also yelled "A life for a life" and "I did it fo y'all, man."[4]

Victim[]

Plesec was recognized by community members for his devout faith and outreach work in the community. He worked with young people, encouraging them to attend church.[5]

Legacy[]

In 2019 a lawsuit was filed against the management of the apartment complex where Plesec was shot. An attorney for the plaintiffs issued a statement that the Euclid Beach Villa Apartments where the crime took place had a record of "vicious assaults and other crimes". The plaintiffs say the buildings should have had more security.[6]

New York Times journalist Alex Berenson argued in his new book that cannabis-dependent patients with psychosis were "four times as likely to be violent". The murder of Jared Plesec and the crime spree that followed in December 2017 is one of several crimes Berenson cites in the book where the perpetrator had been under the influence of marijuana. No other drugs were found in Jones' system.[7]

External links[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Local Salvation Army employee killed with Bible in hand". December 3, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d "Man who killed Salvation Army worker gets life in prison". May 21, 2018.
  3. ^ "Man who shot Salvation Army worker in cross-Cleveland crime spree is sentenced to life in prison".
  4. ^ a b "'63 minutes of mayhem': killer of Cleveland Salvation Army worker cursed Trump in Facebook Live after murder". May 21, 2018.
  5. ^ "Shooting victim remembered for his dedicated work with Salvation Army". December 3, 2017.
  6. ^ "I-TEAM: New push to get justice for man murdered while praying". April 5, 2019.
  7. ^ Berenson, Alex (February 18, 2020). Tell Your Children: The Truth About Marijuana, Mental Illness, and Violence. Free Press. p. 185.
Retrieved from ""