Detective: Murder suspect Gary Jones talked on phone with victim before shooting
Murder suspect Gary Jones and shooting victim Robert Earl Bolden talked on the telephone before a fatal Nov. 5 shooting outside Riverwind Apartments in Oakland Park, a Columbus police detective testified Tuesday in Recorder’s Court.
Jones, 22, pleaded not guilty to one count each of murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime in the parking lot shooting death of Bolden on his 44th birthday. Judge Mary Buckner ordered Jones held without bond in the Muscogee County Jail on the murder charge and set a $10,000 bond on the firearm possession charge.
Police Sgt. Andrew Tyner said cellphone records between Bolden and Jones show the two talked before they ended up at Hawthorne Drive and Riverland Drive. A witness told police that Jones arrived in the area in a Geo Metro before the two men engaged in some type of physical confrontation.
During the fight shortly after noon, Jones is accused of firing three shots at Bolden and one struck him in the upper torso. “There was some type of fight,” Tyner said. “A weapon was pulled out.”
Some bullets and a gun were found at the scene but police don’t believe it is the gun that killed Bolden.
After the shooting, Tyner said a witness saw the suspect jumping over fences to flee from the area. A witness said Jones eventually left the area in the same Geo Metro in which he arrived. Tyner said a witness copied the tag number of the car with two other occupants.
With the tag number, police were able to talk to the owner who said Jones and another person were passengers in the car. Jones has denied being in the area at the time of the shooting, Tyner said.
Jones was represented by public defender Charles Lykins who asked Tyner if the caliber of the weapon is known that killed Bolden. Tyner said police have an idea but he didn’t identify the weapon type.
Facing more questions about the Geo Metro, Tyner told Lykins the car initially left the scene without the owner and Jones. The investigation is still ongoing. “Everybody in the vehicle are suspects,” the detective told the court.
Police said there is some indication on why the fight occurred. “It may have been something previously,” Tyner said of the dispute. “I do believe there was a meeting and they agreed to meet there.”
A cellphone that belonged to the victim was recovered by police but Tyner couldn’t recall where it was found.
Jones stood silent during the court hearing and didn’t testify.
Buckner bound both charges over to Muscogee Superior Court.
This story was originally published January 20, 2015 at 3:52 PM with the headline "Detective: Murder suspect Gary Jones talked on phone with victim before shooting."