Taking the stand on her on behalf, Felicia Jones told jurors at her murder trial that she killed Jodie Ward out of fear that he would rape or kill her when he attacked her in a PCP-fueled daze.
Jones, 30, attempted to explain to jurors at trial Monday the series of events that led to Ward’s death that Oct. 2011 day at her Eaton Road Southeast home.
Jones testified that the pair had a brief romantic relationship in 2008. When the relationship ended, the pair developed a platonic friendship centered around shared PCP use, Jones said.
Ward helped Jones move into her home and stopped by when he felt like it, Jones said. Ward told her he was homeless, and she would sometimes let him shower and give him deodorant, socks and grooming supplies, she said.
But when Ward showed up in Aug. 2011, he looked haggard, Jones said.
Jones said she was looking to get her life together that fall. She wanted to find a job and stop using PCP, she said.
Ward dropped by again Oct. 20, 2011 with two capsules of PCP. Jones let him into the house; she said he looked like he had been smoking already.
Jones made chips and dip for the pair and they sat in the living room to smoke the drug.
At some point, she said, Ward began acting erratically. He said he was having negative thoughts but promised he wouldn’t hurt her, Jones said. She said she lit a scented candle in the hope of soothing him.
Ward went upstairs, and Jones began doing dishes in the kitchen. That was when she heard “a whole lot of noise” coming from upstairs. Ward had thrown a table down the flight of stairs, Jones said.
Jones said Ward came downstairs and grabbed her from behind, pulling her upstairs. She had two kitchen knives in her hand that she had taken for protection while she was washing the dishes.
She said she asked Ward, “Jodie, what’s wrong? What was all that noise?” but he said nothing.
Ward dragged her upstairs, where she said she found a scene of destruction. Ward had trashed her bedroom, her daughter’s bedroom and another room used as a playroom.
“I couldn’t even recognize it,” Jones said. “I have never seen anything like that, ever.”
Jones said Ward pulled her into the playroom. The two of them fell to the ground, and Jones ended up on top of Ward, dropping the knives in the process. Ward began “bucking” to throw Jones off, she said.
That was when she saw Ward reaching for one of the knives, Jones told the jury. She said she grabbed it first and, fearing for her life, stabbed Ward in the ear and ran downstairs to call police.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Liebman argued Jones didn’t show enough remorse in a videotape recorded as she waited in a police interrogation room the night of Ward’s death, making phone calls to her boyfriend where she discussed the case. She didn’t say anything on the phone about fearing for her life, only that she was upset Ward “ransacked” her bedroom, Liebman said.
But Jones said she was saddened by Ward’s death.
“I miss Jodie. I care about him. I wish he was still alive,” Jones said. “He was my friend.”
Closing arguments are scheduled for Tuesday in the case.
