Court won't review teen's murder conviction

FLINT (AP) - The Michigan Supreme Court won't hear an appeal of a Flint man convicted in the death of an elderly woman who died when he was 14.

The Flint Journal reports the court issued an order Tuesday saying it wouldn't review the murder conviction of 19-year-old Mark Jones Jr., after the state appeals court upheld the guilty verdict.

Seventy-three-year-old Merlyne Wray was robbed and shot in her home in 2010. Jones was convicted in 2013. He is serving a 40-to-60-year prison sentence.

Jones sought to have his conviction reversed on grounds that prosecutors were improperly permitted to introduce previous crimes and that authorities failed to track down his cousin. The cousin testified in a preliminary exam that Jones admitted to the killing, but police couldn't find the cousin to testify at trial. Prosecutors were allowed to present transcripts.

Published: Fri, Apr 01, 2016