A man whose previous conviction had been tossed out by a U.S. District Court judge has been found guilty in his retrial for the kidnapping, rape and murder of a woman in Pasadena in 1988.
Ronald Anthony Jones, 54, was found guilty by a jury Monday in the brutal killing of 26-year-old Lois Haro.
On Oct. 18, 1988, Jones, who was 18 at the time, and his accomplice, George Marvin Trone, were at a Pasadena shopping mall when they spotted Haro and followed her to her parked car.
The two men held her at gunpoint and forced her into her car where they took her to a remote area in Pasadena where they raped and ultimately killed her, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said.
Haro, according to the Los Angeles Times, was shopping for baby gifts when she was kidnapped by the men.
In 1991, Jones was convicted of murder and other charges and was sentenced to death, but in 2021, the United States District Court reversed the decision. The original trial was found to have issues with the jury selection process, including the exclusion of potential jurors based on their race, ethnicity or other “protected characteristics.”
In 2023, Jones’ DNA was identified on the victim’s clothing and on evidence in the sexual assault kit, officials said.
Decades later, Jones was sent to trial again, this time being found guilty of first-degree murder, four special circumstances and an enhancement for using a firearm during the crime.
He had previously admitted to the kidnapping, robbery and rape of Haro, but denied being the gunman responsible for taking her life.
Jones is due back in a downtown L.A. courtroom on Oct. 22 to face his sentence, which is expected to be life in prison without the possibility of parole. He had previously been sentenced to death, but California has enacted a moratorium on executions in the state, the last having taken place in 2006.
His accomplice, Trone, pleaded guilty in the case in 1991 and was convicted of the robbery, kidnapping and killing of Haro. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole the following year.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said Monday’s verdict was a “crucial step in bringing closure to a case that has weighed heavily on the hearts of her loved ones and our community for more than three decades.”
Gascón said the case was “incredibly difficult and complex” due to the reversal of the previous conviction. He thanks the prosecutors assigned to the case and the jury who chose to convict Jones for “ensuring that the person responsible for this heinous crime has been held accountable.”
The murder of Lois Haro was investigated by the Pasadena Police Department. She is buried at Forest Lawn in Covina.