Greenville, MS— Ariana Jones, 28, of Greenville pled guilty to Second Degree Murder for the January 2023 killing of Willie Green, in Washington County last week, District Attorney Dewayne Richardson announced today.
In late January of 2023, officers of the Greenville Police Department responded to South Cornell Street in reference to a vehicle striking a pedestrian. They arrived to find the victim Willie Green underneath Jones’ vehicle with fatal injuries to his head and body.
Detectives with the department’s Criminal Investigation Division arrived on scene and learned from witnesses that Jones and Green had just ended an argument and that Green began walking to his vehicle before Jones, who had driven off in the opposite direction, made a u-turn and struck Green with her vehicle. Due to the rapid response of the Greenville Police Department, Jones was identified and captured near the scene while attempting to flee in Green’s vehicle.
Jones was later indicted and pled guilty in Washington County Circuit Court last week. She was sentenced to the recommendation of thirty-five (35) years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections with twenty-five (25) years to serve. The last ten (10) years will be suspended if she successfully completes five years of Post-Release Supervision.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Kaylon McCou and Austin Frye. “Emotions can run high in relationships but, no matter the issue, violence should never follow. There is no excuse for this defendant’s actions and her selfish unwillingness to walk away robbed both the victim and his family of years spent together. Nothing we do can bring Willie back. We can only hope that her conviction and sentence gives his family some measure of justice and closure,” McCou added.
The Office of the District Attorney is thankful for the quick and thorough work of the Greenville Police Department and the care and concern of the citizens who witnessed this crime and cooperated with law enforcement to ensure justice was served.