Burke man sentenced to life for murder
By Anne Marie Kyzer annemariek@thetruecitizen.com

A Burke County man was sent to prison for life plus 20 years for the murder of a suspected Athens drug dealer.

Last week, Michael Bernard Jones, 37, was convicted of murder, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon following a four-day trial.

Superior Court Judge Michael N. Annis handed him the mandatory life plus 10 years for the murder charge and five additional years for each of the latter charges.

According to assistant district attorney John Markwalter, Jones shot Curtis Howard Jr., 41, during a botched robbery in August 2006. Jones and three others, Michael Fields, Michael Thomas and Anthony Herrington, then loaded Howard's body into his own pick-up truck and drove it to a rental property in Hephzibah. When authorities recovered the body, they also found a large amount of cocaine in the truck.

Thomas, Fields and Herrington were all taken into custody within three days of the murder, and Jones was apprehended in Amarillo, Texas, shortly after.

In his defense, Jones' cousin and aunt testified that he was at their house the day of the murder, but they were not able to recall when he arrived or when he left. His attorney, Clay Jolly III, said Jones had been set up.

Thomas and Fields have already pleaded guilty to their roles in the crime. Thomas was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 10 years on probation for concealing the death of another and criminal attempt to commit robbery. Fields received the same split sentence after pleading guilty to aggravated assault.

Though Herrington's trial was set to begin last week, it was rescheduled after Jones' trial lasted longer than expected.