Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis

Convicted Centreville cop killer sentenced to 53 years in prison

Lemuel Houston is escorted from a St. Clair County courtroom after being sentenced for the 2009 shooting of Centreville Police Lt. Greg Jones. STEVE NAGY

By GEORGE PAWLACZYK NEWS-DEMOCRAT — News-Democrat

BELLEVILLE — Assistant State's Attorney Steve Sallerson argued that life without parole was the right sentence for cop killer Lemuel Houston, who murdered Centreville Police Lt. Gregory Jonas in 2009 by shooting him four times in the head.

Defense attorney Tom Q. Keefe III argued that life and the high end of a second option -- 20 to 60 years -- were inappropriate, given a finding by two mental health professionals that his client was mentally impaired to the extent he ranks in the bottom 0.5 percent of the general population in mental acuity.

On Tuesday in St. Clair County Court, Circuit Judge John Baricevic dipped below the maximum, but not by much, sentencing the 25-year-old Houston to 53 years in prison.

Police, community mourn Lt. Greg Jonas

June 6, 2009 -- The casket of Lt. Gregory Jonas is carried out of the Calvary Missionary Baptist Church after his funeral service in Centreville. Hundreds of local policemen from across Illinois and Missouri attended the funeral for the Jonas who was a Centreville police officer. (David Carson/P-D)

By Tim Logan

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

06/06/2009

CENTREVILLE — Hundreds of police officers, black bands over their shields, came Saturday to this small Metro East city to remember police Lt. Gregory Jonas, who was killed Tuesday as he worked to serve its residents.

'It was a mistake,' cop-killing suspect says; didn't want to get caught with gun

News-Democrat

A 22-year-old Alorton man who police said gunned down a veteran Centreville police lieutenant was in a Centreville jail three weeks ago on domestic battery charges.

Lemuel Antwan Houston was arraigned Friday on a charge first-degree murder in the death of Lt. Greg Jonas, 59, during a routine patrol early Tuesday.

Houston told Major Case Squad investigators he shot Jonas to avoid getting charged with having a weapon when Jonas stopped him and others at the Ernest Smith Apartments, a public housing complex known to residents as “the Fireworks” for all the gunplay.

Lemuel Antwan Houston is escorted by a Shiloh police officer Dave Martin, left, and an O'Fallon police officer Jay Stanley after his arraignment before Judge John Baricevic at the St. Clair County Courthouse Friday morning. - Tim Vizer/BND

When asked after the hearing whether he had anything to say, Houston told reporters: “It was a mistake.”

Alorton man charged with murder in Centreville cop killing

Police: Suspect didn't want to be caught on gun charge

BY CAROLYN P. SMITH - News-Democrat

A 22-year-old Alorton man who told police he didn't want to get booked on a gun charge when stopped by Centreville Lt. Greg Jonas early Tuesday was charged Thursday with murder in the shooting death of Jonas.

Lemuel Antwan Houston was being held on $10 million bail.

Madison County Sheriff's Department Maj. John Lakin, a spokesman for the Major Case Squad, would not say where Houston is being held for his safety as well as that of the police officers transporting him.

A memorial to Centreville police Lt. Greg Jonas near where he was shot in Centreville. - Derik Holtmann/BND

Houston was charged with killing Jonas about 2 a.m. Tuesday. Jonas was patrolling the Ernest Smith Apartment complex and had gotten out of his car to make contact with Houston and others with him.

Asked what the motive was for the killing, Lakin said, "We learned from the suspect when he was approached by Jonas, he was aware that he had a firearm in his possession and didn't want to catch a gun charge. In light of that, the unfortunate thing happened and Lt. Jonas lost his life."

Man Charged in Killing of Centreville Officer

By Bonita Cornute

June 4, 2009

CENTREVILLE, IL (FOX2now.com) - "A Herculean effort." That's how Centreville, Illinois Police Chief Larry Wynn describes the work it took to make two arrests in the death of Centreville Lt. Greg Jonis.
At a news conference late Thursday afternoon, the Major Case Squad announced the arrest of 22 year old Lenial Antoine Houston of Alorton, Illinois.
Police had been questioning Houston and another man regarding the faceoff with Lt. Jonis in a housing project that led to the officer's death. Detectives say Jonis noticed something that wasn't right about two men walking through the complex. They say a scuffle ensued where Jonis was overpowered, and eventually shot several times in the head.
Police say Jonis' popularity in that housing project may have helped solve the crime. Officers specifically mentioned the help they received from residents there in solving the murder. Assistant Chief James Mister choked up several times while talking about the help received in the investigation.
The case was presented to the St. Clair County State's Attorney Wednesday, and charges were filed late Thursday.
Houston is being held on $10 million in the St. Clair County Jail.

Copyright © 2009, KTVI-TV

Charges expected Thursday in Jonas' killing

Belleville News-Democrat

Police expect charges to be made public Thursday in connection with the Tuesday morning shooting death of a Centreville Police officer.

Centreville Lt. Greg Jonas was fatally shot in the back of the head around 2 a.m. Tuesday while he was patrolling the Ernest Smith Apartment complex at 47th Street and Tudor Avenue.

Two persons of interest are in custody.

Two 'persons of interest' arrested in shooting of Centreville police officer

BY CAROLYN P. SMITH - News-Democrat

The Major Case Squad announced Wednesday morning that two "persons of interest" have been arrested in connection with the shooting death of Centreville police Lt. Greg Jonas early Tuesday.

Police may present their case to prosecutors Wednesday afternoon or Thursday.

Jonas, 59, was shot outside the Ernest Smith Apartments, where he regularly patrolled.

John Lakin, commander of the Major Case Squad and a major with the Madison County Sheriff's Department, described the case against one of the men as "strong."

The names of the two men were not released. They live in the area of the shooting and are between the ages of 18 and 22.

Lakin said the Major Case Squad received "great cooperation" from residents in the area of the shooting. He attributed the cooperation because of Jonas' commitment to the community.

One of the persons of interest was arrested Tuesday morning on an unrelated warrant from St. Clair County. This man's name surfaced Tuesday because he was reported to have been in the area of the shooting. Lakin did not have more details about the St. Clair County warrant.

The second person of interest was arrested early Wednesday.

Lakin said the Major Case Squad convened at 4:30 a.m. Tuesday worked until 4 a.m. Wednesday. They returned to duty at 7 a.m. Wednesday.

Jonas, who was a metro-east police officer for more than 30 years, started with the Centreville Police Department on June 8, 1995.

For more on this story, read the News-Democrat Thursday or return to www.bnd.com.

Investigators question suspect in Centreville officer's murder

By Carolyn P. Smith - News-Democrat

A person of interest was being questioned by investigators Wednesday in the death of a Centreville police officer.

Investigators with the Major Case Squad of the Greater St. Louis Area had an individual in custody and were probing his involvement with the murder of Centreville Police Lt. Greg Jonas. Jonas was shot once in the back of the head before 2 a.m. Tuesday at the Ernest Smith Apartments in Centreville.

Jonas was well-liked in the community and was considering retirement after about 30 years as a police officer. His career included honors as officer of the year and blowing the whistle on his former boss, Alorton Mayor Callie Mobley for stealing more than $140,000 from the village. He would have turned 60 next week.

Slain Centreville police officer remembered as caring and kind

June 2, 2009 -- "It's going to be ok," Cornelious Jones (in white) repeats to Jessica McNamee (in pink shirt). McNamee is the stepdaughter of Centrevile Police Lt. Gregory Jonas, who was shot and killed near where they stand earlier today in the Ernest Smith Senior Apartments in Centreville. "How could somebody do this to him. All he ever tries to do is help somebody out," McNamee said of her stepfather. Also pictured is Jones' son Correll Quinn (striped shirt). (Emily Rasinski/P-D)

By Kim Bell and Denise Hollinshed

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

06/03/2009

CENTREVILLE — On lonely mornings when Lillie Smith would leave for work about 5:30, she was often comforted by the sight of police Lt. Gregory Jonas, pausing in his patrol car until she got her old car started.
"He was watching over us," she said.
On a lonely morning Tuesday, it was Smith's turn to watch over Jonas, holding his hand, rubbing his shoulder and trying in vain to understand his dying mumbles.
Somebody shot him near her front door, but it was not clear who or why.
Centreville police called for help from the region's Major Case Squad, which by late Tuesday had no arrests to report.
Jonas, 59, on duty and in uniform, was shot twice in the head and once in the back about 2:30 a.m. at the Ernest Smith Senior Apartments in the 4700 block of Tudor Avenue, officials said. He had been with Centreville's police department for nearly 15 years, and neighboring Alorton's before that.

Major Case Squad Investigating Centreville Police Officer Murder

CENTREVILLE, IL (FOX2now.com) - A Centreville police officer is murdered and the killer is still on the loose. The Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis is now investigating to determine what happened.

59-year old Lieutenant Gregory Jonas was a 15 year veteran of the Centreville Police Department. He was patrolling the Earnest Smith Senior Apartment complex in the 4700 block of Tudor around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday.

 Officials say he was sitting in his unmarked police car when someone shot him in the back of the head. Jonas was taken to an area hospital where he died. Neighbors spoke highly of Jonas and said he was pretty well known by everyone in the neighborhood.

Now they can't believe someone would have shot him. "Greg was a real nice guy," one neighbor said. "He never did anything to anyone." Officer Jonas' mother did just come to the scene to see where it happened. She said Greg was just about to have a birthday and neighbors say he was getting close to retiring.