Stepfather pleads not guilty to killing 2-year-old boy in 2002

The stepfather of Jahi Turner — a 2-year-old boy who went missing in 2002 — made his first court appearance Tuesday in San Diego, where he faces charges of murder and felony child abuse resulting in death.

Tieray Jones, 37, pleaded not guilty to the charges, which carry a possible sentence of 25 years to life. He was extradited to San Diego County last week after being arrested in North Carolina.

Prosecutors had asked for Jones to be held in jail in lieu of $5 million, but a judge ordered him to remain on a no-bail status, given his ties to the East Coast and the seriousness of the charges.

“He has every reason to disappear” now that the investigation into Jahi’s disappearance has focused on him, Judge David Szumowski said during the brief hearing in San Diego County Superior Court.

Deputy Public Defender Peter Will had asked the judge to set “reasonable bail,” noting that Jones had cooperated with investigators 14 years ago and remained cooperative now.

When Jahi was reported missing April 25, 2002, Jones told police he had taken his stepson to a playground near Balboa Park, then left him alone for 15 minutes when he walked to get a soda from a vending machine 100 yards away.

He said the boy was gone when he returned.

San Diego police launched a massive search, but Jahi was not found. Investigators later revealed there was no evidence that Jahi was ever at the playground the day he was reported missing. Still, no one was charged.

Outside the courtroom Tuesday, prosecutors Nicole Rooney and Bill Mitchell did not reveal any new information about what led to Jones being charged with murder.

“Cold cases are always an ongoing investigation, and the [San Diego police] homicide team never gave up on it,” Rooney said. “And we finally developed evidence sufficient to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Rooney, a deputy district attorney, said Jones had not been back in San Diego since 2003. She said he has ties to Maryland and North Carolina, where his family lives. Since he left San Diego County, Jones has had convictions for assault with a firearm, trespassing and drug crimes, the prosecutor said.

He was given a five-year prison sentence.

Jahi’s mother, Tameka Jones, was deployed on a Navy ship at the time her child disappeared. She and Tieray Jones separated in 2004 and divorced years later.

dana.littlefield@sduniontribune.com

Littlefield writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.