Serial Killer Jeremy Bryan Jones

Who was Jeremy Bryan Jones?

Jeremy Bryan Jones was born on April 12th, 1973 in Miami, Oklahoma. He was the oldest of two boys and soon became a child of divorce. His mother remarried, but the family dynamic was reportedly still a stable one. Though the Jones family seemed relatively normal, Jones’ behavior was concerning from a young age. He had aggressive behavior, which neighbors noticed. They avoided him, clearly sensing that something wasn’t right. 

Jones didn’t care about school, despite often being disciplined for skipping class and his poor grades. As a teenager, he began using alcohol and drugs frequently, and was ultimately expelled from Miami High School. He transferred to Quapaw High School, but was also expelled from there in 1991, just prior to his graduation. 

Jones was known locally as someone who couldn’t be trusted. Everything that he did, every friend he made, was with the intention of getting something from them. Whether it was drugs, money, or someone who Jones thought he could steal from, he was always thinking about how he could benefit, regardless of who it might hurt. It wasn’t long before Jones’ violent behavior and disregard for anyone but himself made him dangerous to those around him, even deadly. 

How it Started

On September 21st, 2004, a man named John Paul Chapman was arrested in Mobile, Alabama. A few days earlier, on September 18th, Jennifer Murphy and Amber Nichols went to their mother’s home in Turnersville, Alabama after they’d found she hadn’t shown up to work and wasn’t answering phone calls. 43-year-old Lisa Marie Nichols was single and living by herself, so it was very concerning when they couldn’t get in touch with her.

Police were called while Lisa’s son-in-law Todd searched her home. Inside of the house, he found Lisa’s lifeless body inside her bathtub. Her remains had been burned. Neighbors were devastated to hear that Lisa had been murdered so brutally. However, some of the neighbors had an idea of who might have done this. 

As investigators looked through Lisa’s home for evidence, they found three .25 caliber bullets lodged into one of the walls. Neighbor Mark Bentley told police he had a gun that may match those bullets, and immediately turned it over to them. Investigators found that the gun had been fired recently and it did in fact match the bullet casings found in Lisa’s wall. 

They also found an empty Bud Light can in one of the rooms in Lisa’s home. Fingerprints were lifted from the can, and the neighbors gave investigators the name of a man who could’ve murdered Lisa. His name was simply, “Chapman”.

On September 15th, just a few days prior to Lisa’s murder, Mark Bentley and his wife Kim hired John Paul Chapman to help with some construction and renovation work. In exchange, the Bentleys would let Chapman stay in their trailer with Mark’s cousin, Scooter Coleman. Coleman told investigators that he’d accompanied Chapman into the Bentley’s house to find a radio and batteries. Chapman found a .25 caliber handgun in the house and took it for himself, telling Coleman that it was to protect himself from looters after the hurricane. 

The following day, the family, along with Chapman, was outside, working on the house and doing repairs that had been caused by the recent Hurricane Ivan. Lisa, who had returned to the area while she waited for the hurricane to pass. Chapman reportedly overheard a conversation where Lisa mentioned that she was single and living alone. 

The next day, the group continued repairs in the yard. Kim Bentley left the house with her children, leaving Mark and Chapman a case of Bud Light. Several hours later, Mark left the house to get dinner. After returning home, Mark heard some strange noises through an open window, along with the smell of gasoline. He looked through his yard and found Chapman walking around with four cans of gasoline. Chapman explained that he was going to use them to put gas in his car. By now, Mark had become suspicious of Chapman and told him that he couldn’t use his gas cans. The two men then went to bed. 

It seemed like Chapman was very likely the person behind Lisa’s murder. During the Mobile County Sheriff’s Department’s search for Chapman, they shared his information with neighboring jurisdictions. The Missouri Attorney General’s Office noticed that they had an inmate at their prison with the same name, birthday, and social security as the man that Mobile was searching for. 

Sheriff’s Deputies immediately went to speak to the man in prison to find out what was going on. The imprisoned man’s mother admitted that her son was the real John Paul Chapman. She’d sold her son’s identity to a man in 2000 in Joplin, Missouri. The man’s real name was Jeremy Bryan Jones. 

Well, how the hell did this happen?

Fingerprints were obtained from the Miami Police Department in Oklahoma and it was confirmed that the man who’d been arrested in connection with Lisa Marie Nichols’ murder was not John Paul Chapman, he was Jeremy Bryan Jones. 

Detectives’ first priority was to figure out what happened with Lisa. Jones initially claimed that he was innocent, that he hadn’t had anything to do with the Bentleys, Lisa’s murder, or anything that had happened in Mobile. Detectives told him that they found his fingerprints on the Bud Light can at the scene and that the Bentleys’ gun was the murder weapon, and Jones finally admitted that he’d been with Lisa. 

Jones said that he’d been invited to Lisa’s house and that the two used meth together, then had sex. Afterwards, Lisa began complaining of chest pain and cramps before dying in her bathroom. Jones, who said he was very stressed by her sudden death, then shot her three times in the head and set her body on fire. Makes complete sense.

About a month later, Jones changes his story. He admitted to breaking into Lisa’s home and holding her at gunpoint, while he attempted to sexually assault her. He was unable to get an erection, so he shot Lisa. Shortly after, he changed his story once more, claiming that Lisa had tried to flee, after which he accidentally shot her. He panicked, then set her body on fire. 

It was obvious that Jones was a liar and investigators felt that he was responsible for more violent crimes that he hadn’t yet been apprehended for. When authorities in Mobile found out Jones’ true identity, they learned that he had several arrests before he changed his identity. 

On November 5th, 1995, Jones was charged with raping a woman. Less than three months later, on January 10th, 1996, Jones was charged for a second rape and the unlawful possession of methamphetamine. He also held a gun to another woman and threatened to rape her. On March 3rd, 1997, he pleaded guilty to three charges of sexual battery and was sentenced to five years of probation. He begrudgingly attended court-mandated sex offender counseling sessions, but ended up being kicked out. The court twice requested DNA samples from Jones, but he ignored them. 

Finally, on October 19th, 2000, Jones’ probation was revoked and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Jones left Oklahoma, searching for a way to get away from his past. He met Chapman’s mother, who sold him her son’s identity, and Jones became a new man. He worked odd jobs on his way from Oklahoma to Atlanta, successfully avoiding a bounty hunter in Tuscaloosa. He ended up in Mobile, Alabama. 

Those who knew Jones, either as Jones or Chapman, saw that he had a real issue with women. He believed that he was able to charm any woman and get exactly what he wanted. At the same time, he was constantly making derogatory comments about women, strongly believing that they should be submissive to men. In a later interview, Jones referred to himself as “a likable guy…I’m the guy next door”.

Now, Jones was finally identified correctly and in custody for the murder of Lisa Marie Nichols. It wasn’t long before detectives began connecting Jones to other crimes, either from tips or from Jones actually confessing. 

Jennifer Judd

Back in 1992, Jones moved to Baxter Springs, Kansas with his girlfriend at the time. They moved next door to engaged couple, Justin and Jennifer Judd. Justin and Jones had actually attended school together at one point. Justin recalled that as soon as Jones and his girlfriend moved in, they started fighting and it didn’t seem like they ever stopped. Justin and Jennifer called the police multiple times because of their neighbors fighting, but it never really did anything.

On May 2nd, 1992, Jennifer and Justin finally tied the knot. The two were high school sweethearts and their families were so happy to see the couple walk down the aisle. 

On May 11th, Justin became worried when his wife didn’t bring him lunch at work. He drove home at 2:30PM, hoping to find that Jennifer had just forgotten and was safe at home. When he walked inside his house, he saw his bagged lunch and Jennifer’s car keys sitting on the counter. Jennifer was lying on the floor in a pool of blood. The 20-year-old brand new bride had been stabbed to death in her home.

There was no evidence of sexual assault or having been bound. Jennifer had defensive wounds on her hands. The knife handle had been broken off, and was never located. Mobile county Sheriff Burch spent several hours questioning Jones about multiple murders after his arrest for Lisa’s murder. 

Burch said that Jones knew things about Jennifer’s murder, including the location of her body and exactly how the duplex was laid out. He’d watched her husband leave for work that morning. Jones reportedly confessed to her murder while being interrogated, but later recanted his confession. He was never formally charged with Jennifer’s murder, though detectives believe that it fit his patterns of murders and that he was likely responsible. 

Confessions…true or false?

Jones also confessed to the 1996 murders of a couple in Delaware County, Oklahoma. 38-year-old Daniel Oakley and 41-year-old Doris Harris. They’d been shot to death and their mobile home was set on fire. Another man, Dennis Ray Hunnicutt, was arrested after being found driving Oakley’s vehicle. Fingerprints found on scene belonged to the arrested man and two others. There were reportedly other finger and palm prints found that didn’t match any of the three.

Jones said that he broke into the couples’ trailer, robbed the two, then shot them to death before setting the trailer on fire. Hunnicutt was never charged with the murder and continued to deny involvement. He died in 2006. Jones later recanted his confession. 

19-year-old Justin Hutchings was found dead in Picher, Oklahoma following a drug overdose. Jones said that the two drank together at a nearby bar, both becoming extremely intoxicated. Jones said that he purposely injected Hutchings with a massive amount of methamphetamine and another chemical.

Jones then confessed to a quadruple murder that seemed to fit with his MO. In December of 1999, 40-year-old Danny Freeman and his wife, 38-year-old Kathy, were found shot to death inside of their mobile home in Welch, Oklahoma, which had been set ablaze. Their 16-year-old daughter, Ashley, and her best friend, Lauria Bible were missing. **We covered this case on a Mixtape in May of 2021, if you want to hear the full story**

 Jones said that Danny owed him drug money and he went to the residence to collect. He said that he shot Danny and Kathy, but was shocked to find Ashley and Lauria in the home too. He said that he’d sexually assaulted one of the girls, then shot them both, dumping their bodies in an abandoned mineshaft in Kansas. Officials searched the mineshaft, but found no sign of the two teenagers. 

Afterwards, surprise, surprise, Jones recanted his confession. Years afterwards, it was determined that three different men were responsible for the murders. Two of them were already dead, but the one who was still alive was sentenced to 10 years in prison on the charge of accessory to the murders of Kathy and Danny. He told them where to find the girls’ bodies, but detectives found nothing. Unfortunately, neither Ashley or Lauria have ever been found and the case is still open.

In October of 2000, just 10 months after the Freeman/Bible fire was set, Jones’ probation was revoked and he became a fugitive, taking on the name of John Paul Chapman.

More Murder

On Halloween night in 2002, Jones reportedly ended up at a bar named Gipson’s in Douglasville, Georgia. There was a Halloween party going on and everyone was in costume and drinking. Around midnight, 38-year-old Tina Mayberry stumbled back inside the bar, bleeding from multiple stab wounds. She collapsed and ended up succumbing to her injuries. Jones told investigators that he’d killed Tina.

Not long after Tina’s murder, he met a young woman named Vicki Freeman. She described him as “kind, gentle, very loving”. The two began dating and eventually moved into an apartment together in Villa Rica, Georgia. Jones seemed normal to Vicki and their neighbors. He barbecued and made friends with neighbors, even introducing himself to everyone who lived nearby. 

18-year-old Brittney Godfrey lived on the street with her parents, and was immediately weirded out by Jones. He seemed to know so much about her already. When she asked her mother why she’d told Jones about her already, her mother said that she hadn’t. 

Meanwhile, the relationship between Jones and Vicki was spinning out of control. She called the police on him several times, worried that he’d hurt her, but didn’t press charges. A neighbor called police to report that Jones was “wigging out”. Jones admitted to investigators that he was on a two-week meth bender and that he was trying to kill himself. 

Jones was eventually arrested for exposing himself to Brittney in October of 2003. She told police that he often came to her apartment after her parents left for work. He’d try turning the doorknob of the front door, then try the back door. Her parents later told police that they found a box containing rope, tape, and binoculars outside of Brittney’s bedroom window. 

Jones later said that everytime he was apprehended, he worried that his true identity would be discovered, however, “John Paul Chapman” continued to make bond and be released. 

On February 14th, 2004, the body of 47-year-old Katherine Collins was found in a vacant lot. She’d been raped and stabbed to death in New Orleans. Jones later confessed to murdering Katherine.

Two months after Jones was arrested as Chapman and released just after, in March 2004, 16-year-old Amanda Greenwell disappeared from her mobile home in Douglasville, Georgia. Amanda lived in the Arbor Village mobile home park, just a few trailers down from Jones and his girlfriend. A month later, Amanda’s decomposing body was found in a nearby area of woods, with a broken neck and several stab wounds. 

On April 15th, 2004, 38-year-old Patrices Endres disappeared from her hair salon in Forsyth County, Georgia. **We covered this case on a Mixtape in July of 2022 if you want to hear the full story** Several months after Patrice disappeared, after his ultimate arrest for Lisa Marie Nichols murder in September of 2004, Jones confessed to Patrices’ kidnapping and murder. He told investigators that he’d forced Patrice to help him jumpstart his car outside of her salon. During the interview, Jones said “she said she had a family that loved her very much. She started crying which made me start to cry.” He said that he’d disposed of her body in a river. Two years after Patrice disappeared, her remains were located in a wooded area. 

This may come as a shock to you, but Jones recanted his confession. He told the media that he made up stories to get better food, more visitations in jail, and phone privileges. All but one investigator marked Jones off their list of suspects. The remaining investigator strongly believes that Jones knew things about Patrice’s murder that only the murderer would have known. Patrice’s murder remains unsolved. Though there have been several suspects in Patrice’s murder, after an episode about her case was aired on the reboot of Unsolved Mysteries, suspicions grew around Patrice’s husband. Jones’ name fell to the wayside in regards to Patrice’s murder.

On June 15th, 2004, Jones was arrested yet again for possession of methamphetamine, marijuana, obstruction of justice, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was again released. Just over three months later, Lisa Marie Nichols was found shot to death in her home.

Okay, so WHAT?

One of the biggest questions that plagued investigators and the families of Jones’ possible and confirmed victims was how was he released back into the public THREE TIMES? During that time, it was believed that Jones had killed AT LEAST four women. The FBI said that the error occurred within their Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System. 

When Jones was first arrested as Chapman, his fingerprints were run through the system. An error occurred and his prints were not connected with the prior crimes Jeremy Bryan Jones had committed, a new profile was made with his prints underneath the name John Paul Chapman. Each time he was arrested again, his prints came up with the new profile. 

The FBI reported that it was not human error, that it was the program. FBI Supervisory Special Agent Joe Parris said that “the system makes 50,000 fingerprint comparisons a day, with a 95% accuracy rate…nobody did anything wrong…we can’t make systems work 100% of the time. There was no lapse; there was no inattention. It’s just that the system missed it.”

Though it provided an explanation, it provided no solace to the families and loved ones of the people who Jones had murdered or confessed to having murdered. It just didn’t make sense as to how this man was able to avoid being identified by police three times and be released back onto the streets to kill again.

Jones’ victims weren’t limited to those who were close to people he’d murdered; the people who he’d been taken in by felt incredibly betrayed. The Bentleys, who housed Jones in Alabama when he murdered Lisa Marie Nichols, said that he’d never trust anyone the same way again. 

Another person who’d provided Jones with housing said that he couldn’t believe who he really was, calling him a monster. He also theorized that Jones enjoyed making confessions, whether they were false or true. He believed that it made him feel powerful.

The Trial

While in custody, Jones confessed to killing at least eight women in Atlanta, including five sex workers. Eventually the number rose to 21 people in five states. He drew maps of locations where he said that he’d committed crimes. Now that Jones was in custody, it seemed like he couldn’t shut his trap. 

His court-appointed attorney, Habib Yazdi, was adamant about all of his confessions being dismissed. He said, “He will talk to anyone and confess to anything if they’ll let him talk to his mother and girlfriend for hours. He’s getting fancy lunches with crab claws and dinners and drinks. Then he later says it’s all false.” He was agreeing to interviews with media outlets, eager to talk about what he’d done.

Jones’ girlfriend, Vicki Freeman, stood by his side.She didn’t believe that he’d hurt anyone, saying that Jones was “caring, considerate, loving, gentle…he’s a wonderful man.”

She admitted that she’d been physically abused by Jones in the past, but was adamant that he always made up for it.

Jones’ murder was set to start in August of 2005, but was delayed due to his attorneys requesting a mental evaluation. Though it was found that Jones had mental health issues, however he was found sane to stand trial 

On October 19th, Jones went on trial for the murder of Lisa Marie Nichols. He said that one of Lisa’s neighbors was responsible for her murder, that he had nothing to do with it. This conflicted with other statements that Jones had previously made, recalling how he’d assaulted Lisa, shot her to death, then burned her body while high on methamphetamine. He said, “It was like a nightmare. I was in a movie. I was higher than I had ever been in my whole life.”

The trial lasted for one week, and the biggest pieces of evidence against Jones were his confession, his fingerprints on the beer can, the handgun used to murder Lisa, and DNA evidence confirming that bloodstains found on Jones’ clothing belonged to Lisa. 

His confessions weren’t only heard by law enforcement, but also in a jailhouse phone call. When Mark Bentley, Lisa’s neighbor and the man who’d housed Jones when he murdered Lisa, confronted Jones over the phone about the evidence against him, Jones admitted that he’d murdered Lisa while high on meth.

The jury ultimately found Jones guilty of capital murder in the case of Lisa Marie Nichols. The Mobile County Prosecutor’s Office wanted the death penalty, while Jones’ attorneys asked for life without parole due to Jones being reportedly “intoxicated and mentally impaired at the time of the murder”. On December 1st, 2005, Jones was sentenced to death.

While Jones had been charged with the murders of 16-year-old Amanda Greenwell and 47-year-old Katherine Collins, the charges were dropped after Jones’ conviction, due to lack of evidence. 

Jones’ girlfriend, Vicki Freeman, said that she was with him at the time of Katherine’s murder, as well as when Patrice Endres was abducted. 

During the punishment phase of Jones’ trial, Jones revealed that he had been diagnosed with hepatitis c about four years prior. Hepatitis C is a viral infection that attacks the liver, sometimes leading to severe liver damage. He said that he’d asked for medical attention for his diagnosis at the jail, but that they refused. A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said they were unable to comment on someone’s private medical treatment, but that no inmate is refused medical care. 

In 2010, Jones’ attorneys filed an appeal to overturn his conviction and death sentence. Attorney General Troy King and the Alabama Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal. His conviction and sentence to death was upheld, and Jones remains in prison at Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama.

The Attorney General, Troy King, began pushing for the ‘Lisa Marie Nichols Justice for Victims Act’. This would mean that prosecutors could present evidence about a suspect’s previous crimes, even if they’d pleaded no contest. (No contest means that they didn’t plead guilty to the crime, but they accepted a conviction by not denying the charges)

Jones remains on death row in Alabama, with no date set for his execution. He still seems to believe that he will be found innocent. Jones said, “One day I’ll be a free man…I’ll write me a book and laugh my ass off.”

Unfortunately, there hasn’t been enough evidence to concretely tie Jones to any of the other murders that he confessed to. Though he recanted most of them, he remains a suspect in several cases. If you have any information regarding the unsolved murders mentioned in the episode, please contact the local authorities.