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13-Year Mysterious Death Of Cape Fear Police Woman
Bald Head Island lies on the southern tip of North Carolina’s Cape Fear Coast. Only accessible by ferry from nearby Southport, the island boasts a small population of the area’s rich and powerful. Massive beachfront homes line the island where travel is only allowed via golf carts or bicycles. With only several hundred year-round residents, crime is almost non-existent.
Dee Jones, 33, was a nine-month rookie with the Bald Head PD. Her short career had not been pleasant. Upset with her enforcement of the law, locals on the island regularly complained. She was treated badly by the residents as well as her employers. At one point, she filed a sexual harassment complaint against an emergency medical services worker, which further angered the small village.
At the time of her death, Dee had been looking for another job. On the night of October 22, 1999, Dee worked routine patrol. At 11:48 p.m., she advised the dispatcher that she was out with three people near the Bald Head Island light house. These are the last words she spoke over her handheld radio:
"10-4 . . . show me out with three. Stand by, stand by, please."
Then, her voice came across the radio again because she was on an open mic: “There ain’t no reason to have a gun here on Bald Head Island, okay? You want to put down the gun. Come on, do me the favor and put down the gun... ."
A high-pitched squeal was then heard over the radio.
After Dee failed to respond to repeated check-ups, her partner, Officer Keith Cain, left the police station and arrived at Dee’s location just 15 minutes later. Cain found Dee on the ground next to her truck. She'd been shot in the back her the head, and she was dead.
Her .40 caliber Glock duty pistol lay near her right hand. Officer Cain moved the gun closer to the truck and called for back-up. The only back-up available was volunteer fire chief, Kent Brown, and two EMS workers, including the one Jones had filed a sexual harassment complaint against. The men lifted her body onto a gurney and transported it to the ferry dock. The body was left there, uncovered, for all of the public to see as they went on or off the ferry. The death was immediately determined to be a homicide.
But that was just the beginning.
What did Brunswick District Attorney Rex Gore determine the cause of death to be two weeks later?
A suicide.
To make a horrifically long story short, the crime scene wasn't contained. A bloody palm print on the back of Dee’s truck, drag marks, and blood splatters were not only ignored, but they were hosed away at the fire chief's orders.
A wedding of a prominent Bald Island family was scheduled to start just a few short hours later, and it was determined the newlyweds shouldn't have to look at the mess. So, Police Chief Karen Grasty ordered the scene contained until the state bureau of investigation could arrive, but the chief was reportedly told twice to “go home and shut up.”
Brunswick County Sheriff Ron Hewitt arrived before Grasty and ordered Dee’s body locked inside an office (yes, my stomach continues to churn over that choice). At a later hearing held before the North Carolina Industrial commission, which deemed the death a homicide, the commission stated that “the crime scene had been annihilated, was annihilated. It was destroyed.” After a gag order was lifted years later, Chief Grasty came forward with her own thoughts of the case:
“I was horrified by the way the body was handled, but the way the investigation was handled was equally horrifying. . . . I was shocked -- totally shocked. I raised hell and was sent home.”
Grasty is no longer the police chief. He said the suicide ruling was based on a recommendation by Sheriff Hewitt, who later, in 2007, was indicted and found guilty of federal obstructing charges. He had been under investigation for several crimes, including embezzlement, sexual harassment, and showing up at crime scenes intoxicated.
The list of suspects is lengthy. Allegations of large drug transactions on the island had plagued the community for months. At 6 a.m. the morning after the murder, three men were discovered trying to sneak off the island via the ferry. They were briefly questioned and released. When Chief Grasty attempted to re-interview the men in Charlotte, she was given a stern warning to “just let it lie.” She was further told the men were good Christians and not considered suspects. Doing her own investigation, Grasty found the men had criminal records over 48 pages long. To this day, Grasty firmly believes Dee interrupted a drug transaction and was killed as a result.
Four local, state, and federal independent hearings, which included extensive testimony by experts, ruled the manner of death as homicide. One member of the commission wrote:
“To self-inflict a gunshot wound to the posterior mid-line of her head and accomplish a slight upward projector, she would have had to have aimed the gun at the front of her face with her thumb on the trigger, then raised her arms over her head so that the gun would be in mid-line, and upside down. ... Even in this position, the casing would have been ejected to the left. ... The casing was found to the right.”
Essentially, the commission called the ruling of suicide by District Attorney Gore ridiculous. Even so, these rulings were not enough to sway Gore. He closed the case in November 2001, calling it a suicide, and refused to re-open it. Although he admittedly confided to an investigator that he "has some questions" about the death, he publicly stated, "Only God and Officer Jones know what really happened."
Some say the campaign-contributing residents of Bald Head Island and their fear of property value decline from a murder and drug rumors were the most encouraging factor in the district attorney's decision.
The intricate details of the murder, the crime scene, and the investigation are equally disturbing.
Since the time that District Attorney Rex Gore made his initial determination, several questions have arisen regarding the cause of death. There are many people, including the family members of Officer Jones, who believe that Officer Jones was murdered. Their primary concerns are whether there was a rush to judgment in this case and whether those responsible for the investigation were thorough in their analysis. After District Attorney Rex Gore closed the criminal investigation, the Buff family filed a civil action for the purposes of determining the cause of death. In 2003, a N.C. Industrial Commission hearing resulted in a finding that Officer Jones’ death was a homicide.
Furthermore, subsequent legal rulings have reinforced this opinion. Despite these findings, District Attorney Rex Gore was unwilling to change his initial determination or rule the cause of death as undetermined. Unfortunately, this action on Mr. Gore’s part lead many to conclude that he was not acting in a fair and impartial manner. Regardless of the truth of this assertion, such a perception is damaging to the Office of the District Attorney.
Anyone with information regarding the death of Davina Buff Jones in encouraged to contact the Brunswick County District Attorney’s Office at 1-910-253-3910.
Lloyd Ruby (#7) and Carl Williams (#33) follow Dee Jones (#87) during practice at Phoenix. USAC Championship Car Series, Phoenix International Raceway, 1965 Jimmy Bryan Memorial (Practice)
Be not afraid, lol
Sammie Okposo Memorial Legacy Praise Party | Nov; 25th 2023
Commemorating 1 year since the transitioning of The Icon, The Music Legend, Sammie Okposo, A tribute event is being organised by his dear wife, Ozy Okposo, His friends and family to honour his legacy. The Sammie Okposo Memorial Legacy Praise Party holds on Saturday, November 25th, 2023 and features performances by top Gospel Artists including Tim Godfrey, Gabriel Eziashi, Nikki Laoye, Henrisoul,…
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[ALBUM] Dee Jones Releases LIVE Recorded Album, "Break Out"
[ALBUM] Dee Jones Releases LIVE Recorded Album, “Break Out”
Worship leader, producer and songwriter, Dee Jones is back with his first live recording project, “Break Out”; recorded just before the COVID-19 pandemic. “Break Out” is an incredible body of work recorded live in Houston, in a sold out concert. The album features spirit-filled praise worship anthems with singles like “Marvellous”, and “Imela”. The album was released on February 20th with the…
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[VIDEO & AUDIO] "Heaven’s Song (Hosanna)"- Dee Jones
[VIDEO & AUDIO] “Heaven’s Song (Hosanna)”- Dee Jones
Worship leader, producer and songwriter, Dee Jones releases an awesome single and a beautiful video titled “Heaven’s Song (Hosanna)”; off his latest album project tagged “Break Out”. The awesome worship anthem and video offer an unforgettable encounter as the song draws one into worship and creates an atmosphere for the presence of God. Speaking about the song and album “Break Out”, Dee Jones…
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