Trials
A St. Mary's County judge found Djhonna Mari Jones guilty of first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Carl Carpenter.
Southern Maryland News Net and The Enterprise / SoMdNews reported that Circuit Court Judge Joseph Michael Stanalonis on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, found Djhonna Mari Jones, 47, of Lexington Park guilty of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, use of a firearm in a violent crime, and unlawful transfer of a regulated firearm. The convictions stem from the Oct. 27, 2025 shooting death of Carl Joseph Carpenter, 38, outside a Bellevue Court residence. Sentencing has not been set.
By Crime Talk Network Staff Writer ·
A bench guilty verdict is the court's judgment after a trial. It is not a sentence. Prosecutors argued Jones handed her husband a loaded Smith and Wesson 9 mm after a driveway confrontation, and that she joined the assault. Her husband, David Scott Jones, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder on June 30 and is set for sentencing Dec. 4. Djhonna Jones remains in custody pending a pre-sentence investigation.
Southern Maryland News Net and The Enterprise / SoMdNews reported that St. Mary's County Circuit Court Judge Joseph Michael Stanalonis on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, found Djhonna Mari Jones, 47, of Lexington Park guilty of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a violent crime, and unlawful sale or transfer of a regulated firearm. The bench trial concerned the Oct. 27, 2025 fatal shooting of Carl Joseph Carpenter, 38, outside a residence on Bellevue Court in Lexington Park. A guilty finding after trial is a conviction. It is not yet a sentence.
Reporting said surveillance video captured a driveway confrontation after Carpenter arrived to pick up a household member for work. According to the prosecution account summarized in court coverage, David Scott Jones confronted Carpenter; Carpenter briefly held a Kimber 1911 handgun that was later emptied of its magazine; Djhonna Jones went inside, returned, and handed her husband her Smith and Wesson 9 mm; and David Jones then shot Carpenter multiple times as Carpenter tried to leave in a Ford Ranger. Charging documents cited in The Enterprise said David Jones was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of a prior conviction for a crime of violence.
Defense attorney Brendan Callahan argued Jones did not intend murder and tried to de-escalate, including telling Carpenter to leave and attempting to move a car. Senior Assistant State's Attorney Donna Pettersen argued that handing a prohibited person a loaded gun and joining the physical fight made Jones an accomplice who never withdrew. Judge Stanalonis said he did not believe Jones intended murder when she produced the firearm, but that she did not withdraw from the crime.
The court ordered a pre-sentence investigation. No sentencing date for Djhonna Jones was listed in the available reporting. David Jones pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and a firearm count on June 30, 2026, with sentencing scheduled for Dec. 4. The Oct. 14 verdict is the judgment against Djhonna Jones on the counts tried. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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