Bio

Larry Lee, whose legal name is Lawrence William Lee Jr., was born in 1960. He lived in Georgia. By 1986, Lee was connected to his brother, Bruce Lee, and Sherry Lee, who was Bruce’s fiancée. The Jones family lived in Wayne County, Georgia. Clifford and Nina Jones owned the Reedy Creek Restaurant and lived across the road from it. Because of the business, they often kept cash at home over the weekend.

At the original trial, prosecutors claimed that Larry Lee, Bruce Lee, and Sherry Lee went to the Jones home to rob the family. The State said the target was money, guns, and other property. Larry Lee was originally convicted and sentenced to death for the murders of Clifford Jones Sr., Nina Jones, and their 14-year-old son, Jerold. But years later, serious problems were found in the case.

Later court findings showed that important evidence had been withheld, key witnesses had credibility problems, and physical evidence did not connect Lee to the crime scene. Because of those problems, the Jones family murder charges against Lee were dismissed in 2015. For website accuracy, he should not be listed today as legally convicted of killing the Jones family.

Lee remained in prison because of a separate felony-murder conviction involving the death of Charles Moore in 1986. He pleaded guilty in that separate case and received a life sentence.

Murder Story

On April 26, 1986, Clifford Jones Sr., his wife Nina Jones, and their 14-year-old son, Jerold Jones, were killed inside their home in Wayne County, Georgia. Clifford and Nina owned the Reedy Creek Restaurant, which was across the road from their house. Because of the business, they often kept cash at home over the weekend. At the original trial, prosecutors said Larry Lee, his brother Bruce Lee, and Sherry Lee went to the Jones home to rob the family. The State said they were looking for money, guns, and other property.

According to the prosecution’s case, Bruce and Larry Lee entered the home with guns. Clifford Jones resisted, and Bruce Lee allegedly killed him. Clifford was stabbed, beaten, and shot several times. Nina Jones and her son Jerold were taken into a bedroom. Prosecutors claimed Larry Lee attacked Jerold and also shot Nina. The State said the group then left the home with stolen items.

Bruce Lee died about two months later while committing another burglary. Larry Lee later surrendered to authorities in Arizona. He was indicted in the Jones family case on November 5, 1986. Lee was tried in Wayne County in November 1987. A jury convicted him of three murders, armed robbery, burglary, and possession of a firearm during a felony. He was sentenced to death for each murder.

The Georgia Supreme Court first upheld his convictions and death sentences in 1988. For many years, Lee remained on death row for the Jones family murders. Years later, the case changed. A court found serious problems with the original prosecution. The case had depended heavily on Sherry Lee and a jailhouse informant, and later findings raised questions about their credibility.

The court also found that important evidence had been withheld from the defense. Reports said physical evidence from the crime scene, including fingerprints and hair evidence, did not connect Larry Lee to the murders. Because of these problems, Lee was granted a new trial. The prosecution later dismissed all Jones family murder charges against him on June 8, 2015.

For website accuracy, Larry Lee should not be listed today as legally convicted of killing the Jones family. He was cleared of those murder charges after the case collapsed. However, Lee was not released from prison. He remained incarcerated because of a separate felony-murder conviction involving the death of Charles Moore in 1986. He pleaded guilty in that separate case and received a life sentence.