Rodney Jones‘s death has always deeply unsettled me. It is probably one of the first cases that I stumbled on accidentally that got me into true crime. I think Rodney Jones deserves his name back – because Rodney Jones is just a guess at his real name.
Rodney Jones is a John Doe. His well-decomposed remains were chained and padlocked by the neck to a utility pole about four tenths of a mile from Highway 180, which connects Deming and Silver City. He was found on May 27, 1999, by crews patrolling electric poles in the area. By that time, he was mummified. He had graying brown hair and a graying brown beard, and appeared to be between 30-50 years old. He was wearing tan denim Penny mac jeans, a white undershirt, white socks, a green T-shirt size L, HIS brand blue denim pants size 29×30, and Nike shoes size 11.5.
The medical examiner determined that he had died within a week of being chained up due to starvation, dehydration, and exposure to the elements. Part of his ribcage was missing, suggesting he had been eaten by scavenger animals. Though he was found on May 27, 1999, he was believed to have been chained to the electric utility pole up to 4 months before.
When investigators asked locals about him, people thought his name might be Rodney Jones. He was apparently a drifter who did odd jobs around Deming.
Jones was clad in several layers of clothing, which is common for transient individuals who don’t have a secure place to store their belongings. It also suggests he was killed when it was still cold. His only possessions appeared to be a lighter and a plastic bag with some clothes and blankets found near his body.
Both of his knees had green surgical sutures, with a long scar on one knee. He had received minor dental work in the past. He was too decomposed for fingerprints so there are none on file. His DNA is on file, though, which gives hope to this moldy cold case. With modern strides in forensic genealogy, someone could identify his close family members and figure out who he is. His dental records are also on file.
The electric pole Rodney Jones was chained to had been burned on one side. A lighter was found near Jones. Either Jones or his killer had probably attempted to light the utility pole on fire. Police think this may have been Jones’s attempt to create a signal for help or else to escape his cruel fate. It didn’t work, sadly. Jones was totally helpless and succumbed at least 30 days before he was found, possibly longer.
There are no leads in this case. Sometime in spring of 1999, an unidentified individual called in a report of an electrocution victim near where Jones’s body would be found. Police searched the area but didn’t find the body or anything else unusual. It seems weird they didn’t find this gruesome scene. Was he there at that point?
There is one rule-out: Michael Watkins. Watkins vanished from Tijuana in 1998.
I’m not sure who killed Rodney Jones in this horrific way – or why. Was he an innocent victim of a hate crime against homeless people, like Carlos “Ragman” Garver? Or was he involved in some criminal activity that resulted in his death? Popular theories include that he was running drugs for a Mexican cartel, that he was involved in a biker gang, or that he was a child molester.
The bad knees do seem to hint at either a “knee capping” by organized crime or a biker who rode often, as bikers tend to have bad knees. The unusual method of murder and the fact he was close to the border suggest he may have been involved in something nefarious. His death is so gruesome and striking that it could have been intended to send a message.
However, without any evidence as to his character, I don’t think character assassination and assumptions are useful here. I think we need to focus on finding out who he was and where he was in his last moments to hopefully bring him justice. He did not deserve to die in such a cruel, torturous way and the person who did this needs to face justice.