UPDATED 11:54 A.M.
PEORIA, Ill. – Testimony is underway in the trial of one of two people accused of killing eight-year-old Navin Jones more than a year and a half ago.
Brandon Walker, 42, is being prosecuted for two of the six First Degree Murder counts he faces for Jones’ death in March of 2022.
Jones was found to be 30 pounds, beaten, malnourished, and locked in his bedroom most often at the time of his death.
A paramedic testified Tuesday that young Navin was found in a bathtub not breathing on arrival.
25 News reports a police detective claims a smell in a closet and in a basement was, “like something I’ve never smelled before.”
Navin’s mother Stephanie pleaded guilty to one murder charge last week, and is expected to testify against Walker.
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PEORIA, Ill. (25 News) – A jury has been picked to try a Peoria man accused of killing his son, eight-year-old Navin Jones.
A jury of eight men and four women were selected Monday along with four alternate jurors to decide Brandon Walker’s fate.
Walker and the boy’s mother, Stephanie Jones, were arrested for a crime that Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood described as one of the worst cases of abuse and neglect that he had ever seen.
Stephanie Jones pleaded guilty to first degree murder last week. Under a plea agreement, she cannot be sentenced to life in prison, but could receive up to 100-years for her conviction. The deal also requires her to testify truthfully against Walker.
Navin was 30 pounds when he died. His body was covered in bruises, scars, and lacerations at various stages of healing. He also showed evidence of being tied up.
During a hearing that preceded jury selection, the Peoria County State’s Attorney’s Office announced it would try Walker on two of the six charges against him. Both are first-degree murder charges.
Prosecutors believe Walker qualifies for a natural life in prison sentence, if convicted, because he allegedly exhibited “brutal” or “heinous” behavior indicative of “wanton cruelty.”
