Jarrett Jones murder trial opens as attorneys agree Jon Schumacher didn't need to die
Both the defense and prosecution in the Jarrett Jones murder trial agree on one thing — Jon Schumacher didn't have to die in the early morning hours of Jan. 2, 2020.
Schumacher, 28, died after being shot twice in the shop/home of Jones near Bath. Jones, 50, has been charged with murder. The trial started in earnest Wednesday when attorneys presented their opening statements.
Prosecutors in the case are Brown County State's Attorney Ernest Thompson, Deputy Attorney General Brent Kempema and Assistant Attorney General Kelly Marnette. The defense attorneys are Bill Gerdes and Marshall Lovrien, both from Aberdeen. Judge Richard Sommers is hearing the case.
Gerdes and Thompson gave opening statements, providing an outline of the events leading up to Schumacher's death.
Thompson said Schumacher arrived at Jones' home early on Jan. 2 after being released from the Brown County Jail. Schumacher was in a relationship with Jones' daughter, Makayla Jones, who on Jan. 1 had left Schumacher with his three boys after an argument.
Later that day, Schumacher was arrested and charged with driving under the influence. The vehicle Schumacher was driving belonged to Jarrett Jones, who retrieved it. Guns were found in the pickup and put away, Thompson said.
More: Judge decides several motions ahead of Jarrett Jones murder trial
When Schumacher arrived at Jarrett Jones' home, Jones was armed. He looked behind him once and, at another point, turned his back on Schumacher, Thompson said, a possible indication that the situation was not escalating.
Schumacher's shoe and shadow are briefly visible in video surveillance, but nothing more. Thompson said Schumacher didn't move, but soon thereafter was shot, fell to the floor and was shot a second time.
"The evidence will show Jon didn't have to die and his death was unnecessary," Thompson said.
He said Schumacher and Makayla Jones were in a relationship in which Schumacher could be abusive.
Gerdes said testimony and evidence will reveal that Schumacher previously choked Makayla Jones.
"Jarrett Jones did what I think most fathers would do," Gerdes said. "He protected his daughter."
While there is video from the scene, Gerdes said there is no sound to hear verbal threats being made by Schumacher.
Previously: The murder trial of Jarrett Jones is postponed to Feb. 28, 2022
While Schumacher was told not to visit Jarrett Jones' home after he got out of jail, Gerdes said, Schumacher eventually arrived and demanded his coat. The coat was in the pickup Jarrett Jones retrieved, Gerdes said, and had a gun in the pocket, which Jarrett Jones removed.
Makayla Jones eventually retrieved the coat from the pickup and tossed it to Schumacher.
Gerdes said Jarrett Jones pulled a gun in an effort to get Schumacher to leave. At some point, Schumacher's demeanor changed and he was shot, Gerdes said. When Schumacher was on the ground, he reached for his pocket and that's when was shot again, Gerdes said.
Gerdes said law enforcement found a switchblade in the pocket of Schumacher's jeans.
Makayla Jones testifies
Makayla Jones was the last person to testify Wednesday, shedding light on her relationship with Schumacher and the events of Jan. 1 and Jan. 2.
She said she and Schumacher went out to eat around 7 p.m. on Jan. 1, then spent about a half-hour at her mom's before Schumacher left to move snow. That's when she took Schumacher's three sons and headed back to Mina, where the couple lived with Schumacher's mother.
Jones also testified that before Schumacher started plowing, he stopped by Kessler's to purchase alcohol.
About 9:41 p.m., she said, she received a call from Schumacher.
"He was stuck and angry and wanted me to get him unstuck," Jones said.
So, Jones testified, she packed up the three boys and went to help. After a short time, she said she told Schumacher she was done with the relationship and left. It wasn't the first time they had broken up, Jones testified, admitting there had been instances of domestic violence. Although the violence started shortly after they started dating in 2018, Jones said, it wasn't something to talked with her father about until fall 2019.
Later in her testimony, Jones said she left after Schumacher threatened to kill her if she didn't help him. She said Schumacher later threatened to kill both Jones and his boys if she didn't return.
Eventually, Schumacher got unstuck. According to Jones' testimony, an AR15 rifle and a handgun were found in the pickup after Schumacher was picked up for driving under the influence. Jones said the guns were not in the pickup when she stopped by to help him around 10 p.m.
Jones also testified about the atmosphere later in the night when Schumacher showed up at her father's home in Bath. Makayla Jones said Schumacher was mad. His fists were clenched and he was waving his arms around. He also attempted to maneuver around her father, Jones said. But she didn't recall any pushing or shoving between the men, nor did Schumacher run toward her.
Marnette noted those details were part of Makayla Jones' testimony with law enforcement following Schumacher's death.
Part of Jones' testimony included introduction of surveillance video from that night, which showed very little of the interaction between Jarrett Jones and Schumacher. The video does show Jones walk toward the door where Schumacher entered, but no other interaction.
Makayla Jones and Nathan Milstead are also seen walking around the room, and Makayla Jones is seen retrieving Schumacher's jacket from a pickup.
Milstead works for Jarrett Jones and lives in the shop.
The video ends with Jarrett Jones leaving Schumacher by the door and walking toward his daughter. Their conversation ends with him pointing toward a back room. Soon after, Jarrett Jones turns back toward Schumacher, points the gun at him and shoots. The only time Schumacher is seen in the video is when he falls to the ground.
Makayla Jones testified that Milstead was near Schumacher when her father approached her and told her to go check on her sister, who was in a back room that was both an office and a living room. That, Makayla Jones said, is when she heard the shot.
Part of the evidence introduced included the call history on her phone, which included two calls to 605-626-7100, the Brown County Sheriff's Office. Jones said she made those calls to see if someone could get Schumacher to leave, but both calls were brief. Asked why she didn't call 911, Jones said she's typically called a non-emergency number.
Lovrien introduced two recordings of domestic violence between Makayla Jones and Schumacher, which were played for the jury. Jones testified about domestic violence, but that was cut short after attorneys met with Judge Richard Sommers about the scope of that testimony that would be allowed.
Schumacher's ex-wife also testifies
Other testimony Wednesday was from Schumacher's ex-wife, Casey Dinger; South Dakota Highway Patrol trooper John Bert, who mapped out the crime scene; and Aberdeen police officer Jordan Majeski, who initially aided in the retrieval of video from the surveillance system.
Dinger testified about additional events leading up to Schumacher being shot.
Schumacher and Dinger were married from Nov. 23, 2012, until they separated in July 2018. That's when Schumacher and Makayla Jones started dating, Dinger said, although Makayla Jones testified her relationship with Schumacher started in fall 2018. Schumacher and Makayla Jones lived in Mina with Schumacher's mother.
Dinger testified about multiple phone calls she received the night of Jan. 1 and early on Jan. 2. She said the first call around 10:20 p.m. Jan. 1. That's when Dinger was notified about the fight by Makayla Jones, who asked Dinger if she wanted her boys. Initially, Dinger declined because she had to work the following day. But she soon picked up the boys after Schumacher called and asked her to get them.
After stopping to purchase shoes for the boys, Dinger said she picked them up around 11:30 p.m. in Bath. By then, Schumacher had been arrested, and Jarrett Jones was leaving to get his pickup.
Dinger said the next call she received was shortly after midnight Jan. 2 when Schumacher called looking for a ride. Dinger said at that point, the boys were sleeping in the back of her pickup. After agreeing to pick up Schumacher, Dinger said she stopped by Kessler's to exchange clothes for the boys with Makayla Jones. Then, she went to the jail to get Schumacher.
Previously: Jury selection begins Monday for Jones murder trial in which self-defense could be argued
From there, Dinger said, Schumacher asked to go to Bath so he could get his jacket, which had his wallet and keys. Dinger said she tried to convince him to just go home to Mina, but he insisted on going to Bath.
They arrived in Bath at 1:23 a.m., according to video surveillance. Dinger testified that she spent much of that time waiting in her pickup. But, she said, she briefly went inside when Makayla Jones called to report that Jarrett Jones had a gun pulled on Schumacher.
When she went inside, Dinger said, she saw Schumacher was backed up against one of two overhead doors. Her pickup with her three boys was parked on the other side of that door. She attempted to get Schumacher to leave, but he refused. Dinger said she left at 1:29 a.m. By the time she arrived back in Aberdeen, she testified that she saw emergency vehicles heading toward Bath and learned soon after that Schumacher had been shot.
Jury finalized
Jury selection was Monday and Tuesday with 12 jurors and four alternates selected — five women and 11 men.
This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: As Jarrett Jones murder trial starts, attorneys set scene pre-shooting
