Couple Plead Not Guilty in Death of Missing Girl

A Pomona woman and her live-in boyfriend pleaded not guilty Friday to murder charges in connection with the disappearance of the woman’s 3-year-old daughter, Alicia Versluis.

Simona Denise Demery, 19, and her boyfriend, Jeffery Jones, 24, reported that one of Demery’s twin girls had vanished while on a visit to Ganesha Park in Pomona on May 7, triggering a widespread search and investigation that has led to the murder charges.

The two were jailed last month on charges of child endangerment for what authorities said was allowing the twins to live in a filthy former herb store with dog feces on the floor, marijuana within reach and no running water.

While incarcerated, the two wrote letters and had conversations--apparently intercepted by authorities--that led to charges of murdering the 23-pound girl and concealing her death, which is believed to have occurred between May 4 and May 7.

“The district attorney’s office believes Alicia is dead and the defendants killed her and conspired to cover it up,” said Sandi Gibbons, a spokeswoman for prosecutors.

At the couple’s arraignment in Pomona Superior Court, Commissioner Wade Olson set their bail at $1 million each.

Demery kept her head down during much of the proceeding while Jones sat in front of her in the jury box, showing little emotion as his relatives watched.

The couple face possible life in prison on seven felony counts, which include murder, assault on a child causing death and conspiracy to commit a crime.

Although prosecutors acknowledge that they do not know the whereabouts of the little girl’s body, they say there is more than ample evidence in letters, conversations and other witnesses to support their case.

Demery’ attorney, however, said the fact that the girl’s body hasn’t been recovered is important. Prosecutors have yet to establish that the 3-year-old is dead or how she died.

“Without a body, you aren’t able to determine a cause of death,” said attorney Michael Coghlan.

He added that the alleged conversations and letters excerpted in the complaint did not amount to an admission of murder.

“It’s not a confession. It is not clear what [my client] is referring to,” Coghlan said of the excerpts. “There isn’t anywhere near sufficient evidence for murder.”

Jones’ attorney couldn’t be reached for comment.

In an 11-page court complaint, prosecutors accused the couple of numerous acts of child abuse, including whipping Alicia. They accused Demery of attempting to treat an unidentified injury to her daughter on May 4--and Jones of dumping a garbage bag into a dumpster May 7.

The bag, prosecutors allege, contained the girl’s body. It has yet to be recovered and they say they suspect it ended up in a local landfill.

The complaint filed by prosecutors includes excerpts of the letters and conversations between the defendants from May 7 to June 27.

In one letter, Jones cautioned Demery to keep her mouth shut and be careful about what she wrote because authorities were intercepting their messages.

“The Bible says to let a secret between friends die with you. . . . Stop using the word ‘body.’ That doesn’t sound right,” he allegedly wrote. “You make it your business to keep your mouth shut.”

Demery later allegedly wrote to Jones, “If they find her body, you have to do what you said you would do from the begging [sic], witch [sic] is say you did this, so that we both won’t be in jail. . . . I love you with all my heart.”

The teenage mother also allegedly wrote that she told authorities her daughter died in her sleep and the couple buried her.

Later in a June 16 conversation, prosecutors allege, Demery told Jones: “I messed up one time and told my family the truth. . . . I can easily just say I was telling them what they wanted to hear.”

She also allegedly told Jones her lawyer had said that if authorities couldn’t recover a body, they wouldn’t be able to file murder charges.

“They can find her and then try to charge somebody with murder,” she is quoted in court papers as saying.

Outside court, Jones’ mother said her son wasn’t a murderer.

“Jeff was the one hope for these kids,” she said, declining to give her name. “[Demery] killed her girl. I wished she’d never come into my son’s life.”

After Demery and Jones were arrested in May, Alicia’s twin sister, Ebony, was placed in foster care.

While in custody, Demery gave birth to another child, Destiny Itisha Jones. The child has since also been placed in protective custody.