Robert Glen Jones

Case information

• Defendant: Robert Glenn Jones (ADC#070566)
• Co-defendant: Scott Nordstrom (ADC#086114)
• Jurisdiction/county referenced in sentencing: Pima County; Maricopa County (for other unrelated charges)
• Presiding judge: John S. Leonardo
• Prosecutor: David White
• Defense counsel: Eric Larsen and David Braun

Timeline

• May 30, 1996 — Robert Jones and Scott Nordstrom entered the Moon Smoke Shop in Tucson; Thomas Hardman and Clarence O'Dell were murdered and other employees were shot; money was taken and shared with lookout David Nordstrom.
• June 13, 1996 — Robert Jones and Scott Nordstrom entered the Firefighters Union Hall in Tucson; multiple customers were executed with shots to the head; money was taken and the bartender was shot dead after being unable to open a safe.
• June 17, 1998 — Start of trial.
• June 26, 1998 — Verdict.
• December 7, 1998 — Sentencing.
• February 17, 2000 — Sentenced to death.
• September 11, 2003 — A Warrant of Execution was issued by the Arizona Supreme Court for the execution of Robert Glen Jones on October 22, 2003.
• September 22, 2003 — A stay was issued in the scheduled October 22 execution; inmate Jones had not exhausted his appeals process.
• October 23, 2013 — Executed by lethal injection in Arizona.

The offence

Moon Smoke Shop incident (May 30, 1996)

• On May 30, 1996, Robert Jones and Scott Nordstrom entered the Moon Smoke Shop in Tucson.
• Jones immediately shot a customer in the head; one employee escaped; two others were shot at by Jones behind the counter (one was injured but survived and the other was not hit).
• Another employee was executed by Scott Nordstrom with two shots to the head.
• Money was taken and was shared with lookout David Nordstrom.
• The case described entry at the Smoke Shop at Grant and First Avenue in Tucson, AZ.
• One victim (a customer standing inside the door) was shot once in the back of his head with a handgun by Jones.
• Three employees were ordered to the floor where they were shot by Jones:
  • One victim was “shot at by Jones behind the counter” and another was not hit.
  • One victim was struck twice.
  • Another victim was ordered to open both registers; this victim heard the shots when Jones shot the others; the victim fled upon hearing the shots out the front door of the business without injury.
• A fourth employee (victim one) was on the opposite side of the room; it was believed he fled to a back room when the shooting started.
• Scott Nordstrom followed that employee, made him lay face down on the floor, and shot him twice in the back of the head with a .380 caliber handgun.
• Robert Jones and Scott Nordstrom left the shop, got into a waiting truck parked behind the business, driven by David Nordstrom.

Firefighters Union Hall incident (June 13, 1996)

• On June 13, 1996, Robert Jones and Scott Nordstrom entered the Firefighters Union Hall in Tucson.
• Three customers were executed with shots to the head by Jones, and a wallet was taken from one of them.
• The bartender was shot dead by Scott Nordstrom after being unable to open a safe; money was taken from a cash register.
• This case was solved when David Nordstrom contacted the police.
• The case described entry into the Union Hall on East Benson Highway between 9:15 and 9:30 p.m.
• Victim twelve was the bartender and three customers (victims 9, 15 and 17) were seated at the bar.
• Jones had the customers bend forward with their faces flat on the bar and shot each one once in the back of the head with a nine millimeter handgun.
• Victim 15 showed evidence of being struck with a blunt object in the face, and his wallet was stolen.
• Victim twelve was taken to the back room to open the safe; she did not have the combination.
• Victim twelve was struck or kicked in the face; her blood was found on the safe.
• Victim twelve was found behind the bar shot once in the back and once in the head by Nordstrom with a .380 caliber handgun.
• The victims were found by customers arriving approximately 9:30 p.m. after the defendants had left.

Investigation and identification

• Both cases were solved when David Nordstrom contacted the police.

Trial

• Start of trial: June 17, 1998
• Verdict: June 26, 1998

Sentencing

Capital counts (December 7, 1998; consecutive death sentences)

Robert Jones (ADC#070566) was sentenced on capital counts as follows:

• Count I: First Degree Murder as to Thomas Hardman, committed on 5/30/96 — DEATH
• Count 2: First Degree Murder as to Clarence O'Dell, committed on 5/30/96 — DEATH
• Count 8: First Degree Murder as to Maribeth Munn, committed on 6/13/96 — DEATH
• Count 9: First Degree Murder as to Carol Lynn Noel, committed on 6/13/96 — DEATH
• Count 10: First Degree Murder as to Arthur Bell, committed on 6/13/96 — DEATH
• Count 11: First Degree Murder as to Judy Bell, committed on 6/13/96 — DEATH
• These sentences were CONSECUTIVE, one to the other.

Non-capital counts (December 7, 1998; sentencing relationships as stated)

• Count 3: Attempted First Degree Murder as to Steve Vetter, committed on 5/30/96 — 15 years
  • Sentenced to 15 years concurrent with counts 4 & 13, consecutive to all other counts
• Count 4, 5, 6: Armed Robbery, committed on 5/30/96 — 15 years each count
  • Count 4 concurrent with counts 3 & 13, consecutive to all other counts
  • Count 5 concurrent with count 14, consecutive to all other counts
  • Count 6 concurrent with count 15, consecutive to all other counts
• Count 7: Burglary in the First Degree, committed on 6/13/96 — 15 years consecutive to all other counts
• Count 12: Burglary in the First Degree, committed on 5/30/96 — 15 years consecutive with all other counts
• Count 13, 14, 15: Aggravated Assault, Deadly Weapon/Dangerous Instrument, committed on 5/30/96 — 10 years each count
  • Count 13 concurrent with counts 3 & 4, consecutive to all other counts
  • Count 14 concurrent with count 5, consecutive to all other counts
  • Count 15 concurrent with count 6, consecutive to all other counts

Other unrelated charges (Maricopa County CR 1996-012723; sentencing)

Robert Jones also received sentences in Maricopa County CR 1996-012723:

• Count 1: Burglary in the Second Degree, committed on 8/18/96 and 8/19/96 — 3.5 years
• Count 3: Armed Robbery, committed on 8/20/96 — 10.5 years consecutive to count 1
• Count 4: Burglary in the Second Degree, committed on or between 8/22/96 and 8/23/96 — 3.5 years consecutive to count 3
• Count 6: Burglary in the Third Degree, committed on or about 8/23/96 — 2.5 years consecutive to count 4
• Count 8: Burglary in the Second Degree, committed on or about 8/23/96 — 3.5 years consecutive to count 6
• Count 10: First Degree Murder, committed on 8/23/96 — Natural Life consecutive to count 42
• Count 16: Fraudulent Schemes and Artifices, committed on or about 8/23/96 — 5 years consecutive to count 8
• Count 18: Armed Robbery, committed or about 8/24/96 — 10.5 years
  • concurrent with counts 21 & 41
  • consecutive to count 16
• Count 19: Aggravated Assault, committed on or about 8/24/96 — 7.5 years
  • concurrent with counts 20, 22, 25, 26 & 27
  • consecutive to counts 18, 21 & 41
• Count 20: Aggravated Assault, committed on or about 8/24/96 — 7.5 years
  • concurrent with counts 19, 22, 25, 26 & 27
• Count 21: Armed Robbery, committed on or about 8/24/96 — 10.5 years
  • concurrent with counts 18 & 41
  • consecutive to count 16
• Count 22: Aggravated Assault, committed on or about 8/24/96 — 7.5 years
  • concurrent with counts 19, 20, 25, 26 & 27
• Count 23: First Degree Burglary, committed on or about 8/24/96 — 7.5 years consecutive to counts 19, 20, 22, 25, 26 & 27
• Count 24: Attempted Armed Robbery, committed on or about 8/24/96 — 7.5 years
  • concurrent with count 28
  • consecutive to count 23
• Count 25: Aggravated Assault, committed on or about 8/24/96 — 7.5 years
  • concurrent with counts 19, 20, 22, 26 & 27
• Count 26: Aggravated Assault, committed on or about **8/24