Exactly 31 years since a mother and son were killed in Renton, a man was convicted for their murders in King County Superior Court following guilty verdicts from a jury.
On Oct. 28, Jerome Frank Jones, 55, was convicted by a jury of two counts of aggravated first-degree murder, each with a deadly weapon enhancement. This followed Jones’ trial, which began its opening statements on Sept. 18, 2025, stemming from the Oct. 28, 1994, Renton murder of Stacy Falcon-Dewey and her son Jacob.
Jones’ sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 12. Court documents filed before trial stated that if Jones were found guilty, he would be required to serve a life sentence in the Washington State Department of Corrections without the possibility of parole.
“After over 30 years, justice has finally been served for Stacy, Jacob, and their family,” Renton Police Chief Jon Schuldt said. “Over the years, 50 different detectives have worked tirelessly to reach this moment. We hope the Falcon and Dewey families find some comfort in knowing we never gave up.”
Details of the case
On Oct. 28, 1994, a Seattle Times newspaper deliverer dialed 911 at around 3:30 a.m. and reported the discovery of a dead woman on South 55th Street in Renton. Documents state that Renton officers responded to the scene and found Falcon-Dewey and Jacob lying dead in the middle of the roadway next to her 1984 Buick Century with gunshot wounds.
The King County Medical Examiner’s Office determined Stacy suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the back of her head, two additional gunshot wounds to her left arm and left shoulder, blunt force lacerations to her head, and bruising and linear abrasions to her neck. Documents state that Jacob suffered two gunshot wounds to his head, one at close range. Prosecutors reported that Jones allegedly bound Falcon-Dewey, beat her, sexually assaulted her and likely shot her child to death in front of her prior to killing her.
According to documents, for several years, the investigation efforts of Renton detectives led nowhere, with no arrests or conclusive suspects identified. In 2001, advancements in DNA testing led to the submission of evidence from the scene to the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab for testing, and then in 2002, the lab detected semen on the swabs taken from Falcon-Dewey’s body, and the DNA was matched to Jones.
Documents state that Renton detectives flew to California to interview Jones at the Salinas Valley State Prison after the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab discovered the matching male DNA profile in 2002. Jones admitted to detectives he lived in the Kent-Auburn area from 1994 to 1995, though he said he never knew Falcon-Dewey when questioned and shown a picture of her, according to documents.
Detectives confirmed with an apartment manager that a person named Jerome Jones lived in an apartment complex where Falcon-Dewey left her son with a friend the evening prior to the discovery of her and her son deceased, documents state. The Washington State Patrol Crime Lab continued to test evidence items as advancements in DNA identification continued.
Documents state that in December 2021, investigators learned the crime lab detected semen on the sleeve of Jacob’s jacket at the time of his murder. Based on the male DNA profile developed from the sperm, the likelihood of the DNA profile originating from Jones instead of an unrelated individual selected at random from the U.S. population is 3.6 nonillion (with thirty zeroes), according to documents.
Reporting from a prior Renton Reporter article was utilized in this story.
