Special prosecutor appointed to Dirksmeyer case

Defense team says DNA found on condom wrapper matched to “viable suspect”

More than two years after her murder — and nearly seven months after a Franklin County jury found her longtime boyfriend, Kevin Jones, not guilty of the crime — a special prosecutor has been appointed to investigate the death of Nona Dirksmeyer, according to a press release issued Friday by Dennis C. Sutterfield, administrative judge for the 5th Judicial District.

Dirksmeyer, an Arkansas Tech University music major and the reigning Miss Petit Jean Valley at the time of her murder, was found bludgeoned to death inside her South Inglewood Avenue apartment by Jones, his mother, Janice Jones, and Ryan Whiteside on the evening of Dec. 15, 2005.

The appointment of the special prosecutor, Jack McQuary of Little Rock, came at the request of 5th Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney David Gibbons, according to the release, which did not specify when McQuary was appointed, other than to say the action was “recent.”

Gibbons on Thursday declined to comment on the appointment, or any other aspect of the case, other than to say the matter was under “active” investigation. He did not specify what agencies might be involved in the investigation.

McQuary, a deputy prosecuting attorney for the 6th Judicial District, also declined comment when contacted Thursday, saying he could not confirm whether an investigation was ongoing due to ethics concerns.

“What I can [say] is that, yes, as a special prosecutor I’ve been asked to look at certain things dealing with [the Dirksmeyer] case,” he said.

On Wednesday, Michael Robbins, one of three attorneys who represented Jones during his trial for Dirksmeyer’s murder, issued a press release to several media outlets in which he claimed the defense team — in conjunction with ongoing efforts to realize “Justice for Kevin Jones,” in addition to Dirksmeyer — recently received information that DNA found on a condom wrapper at the scene had been matched to a “viable suspect” in the case.

During Jones’ trial, prosecutors argued the condom wrapper — on which experts previously found Y-chromosome DNA exclusive of Jones — may have been a “trigger,” sending Jones — who told police he and Dirksmeyer did not use condoms — into a fit of rage.

Following McQuary’s appointment, Sutterfield ordered the record surrounding the matter sealed “subject to further order of [the] court following completion of [the] investigation,” citing the possibility that “the premature release of sensitive information surrounding [the] investigation” might jeopardize both McQuary’s and law enforcement’s ability to effectively proceed with the investigation, according to his release.

http://www.couriernews.com/story.php?ID=17620