Cold case: Trial begins for suspect in 1997 murder of Marine Corps veteran

Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct what penalty the defendant faces.

The trial for the woman accused of killing a Marine Corps veteran in Fort Myers some 25 years ago began Tuesday.

Michelle Ashley, 45, of Cape Coral also known as Michelle Jackson, is charged with murder in the June 19, 1997 slaying of Keith Jones, a Marine Corps veteran and police academy graduate, at the Tides Motel, in Fort Myers.

Here's what you should know:

What happened?

Prior: Cape Coral woman, suspect in '97 murder of U.S. Marine in Fort Myers, pleads not guilty

And: Cape Coral woman held without bail in 22-year-old murder case

Early that June day, Jones, of Daytona Beach, checked into the Tides Motel, a tidy but weathered old Fort Myers business, which has since closed. He was taking a break between other sites on his itinerary and had a woman with him.

Jones asked then-owner Roger Patel to give him a 6:30 a.m. wake-up call. The call was made, but nobody answered, Patel said.

Patel decided to wake up Jones after 8 a.m. and was surprised to find the door open to the room. Jones was on his back on the double bed.

Trying to protect Jones' privacy, Patel said he went into the vacant room next door and called the room again, hoping the ringing would wake Jones. When that didn't work, he took another look into the room, this time noticing the blood on the bed sheet and on Jones' hand.

Jones was dead from a gunshot wound to the head.

Police said they didn't find a wallet, cash or identification in the room, indicating robbery was the probable motive for the killing.

Who was Keith Jones?

News-Press stories at the time of the murder described Jones as a former U.S. Marine and recent police academy graduate who was interviewing with law enforcement agencies around the state.

Fort Myers investigators said Jones, then 27, and an unidentified woman checked into the room early that day. Jones had already interviewed in Boca Raton and was due in Tampa for more job hunting.

A 1997 news article on the murder by News-Press staff writer Bob Norman quoted Allen Edwards, then chaplain of the Daytona Beach Police Department, saying Jones stopped in Fort Myers to see a woman.

Evidence at the scene?

Patel said he called police immediately without taking a closer look at the room, but he noticed cigarette butts, a silver-colored women's sandal and makeup on the floor.

Nearly 22 years later, that information was again confirmed at a 2019 Fort Myers police press conference announcing Ashley's arrest.

They surmised that Ashley attempted to rob Jones with a weapon, killing him as a result of the encounter, court records show.

Detectives tracked her down and were talking with her, but declined to say what they believed her role might be in the case.

Life in prison faced

Ashley had her first court appearance Oct. 23, 2019, charged with first-degree premeditated murder in a then 22-year-old case.

A grand jury had indicted her the day prior, and police arrested her in connection to the June 19, 1997.

Ashley's indictment followed a grand jury hearing. If convicted, Ashley faces life in prison.

At the time, Diggs said the department is committed to solving all unsolved homicides.

How long is the trial expected to last?

Jury selection consumed all of Monday, opening arguments and testimony followed Tuesday. A verdict could come as soon as Tuesday, according to court officials.

Courts are closed Monday for Labor Day.

The News-Press archives contributed to this report.

Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Follow him on Twitter @TomasFRoBeltran.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Trial begins for suspect in 1997 murder of Marine veteran Keith Jones