Did She Set Him Up? The 22-Year Mystery Behind a Deadly Robbery
On June 18, 1997, what began as a night of entertainment in Fort Myers, Florida, ended in bloodshed. Keith Jones, a Marine Corps veteran with dreams of becoming a police officer, had visited an adult club to see his longtime friend, Michelle Ashley, perform. Hours later, his lifeless body was found in a motel room, the victim of a brutal robbery.
Jones had checked into the Tides Motel with Ashley, but by morning, his room was a crime scene. Motel staff discovered the door ajar, revealing Jones’ battered and bloodied body on the bed. He had been robbed, beaten, and shot. The perpetrators? Initially, four men were identified—Richard Fraser, Philip Boyd, Jamal Manson, and Gerard Jules—but despite suspicion, authorities hesitated to make arrests, citing a lack of evidence. The case went cold.
Then, in October 2019—22 years later—prosecutors did something unexpected: they arrested Michelle Ashley.
Friend or Mastermind? The Accusations Against Ashley
Ashley, also known as Michelle Jackson, vehemently denied involvement, maintaining that she, too, was a victim that night. But prosecutors painted a different picture. They alleged that while Ashley didn’t pull the trigger, she orchestrated the deadly setup that left Jones dead. Charged with first-degree murder with a firearm, Ashley faced the possibility of life in prison.
Her case became the subject of an episode of Accused: Guilty or Innocent? on A&E, sparking heated debates over whether she was a pawn in a deadly crime or the mastermind behind it.
What Really Happened That Night?
Keith Jones had returned from serving in Saudi Arabia with the Marines, eager to start a new career in law enforcement. Just after completing his police exams, he traveled to Fort Myers to see Ashley, a friend from his hometown of Daytona Beach.
Ashley later recounted that she danced for Jones at Lookers, the club where she worked, before accompanying him back to his motel room. They talked, spent time together, and had sex before Ashley returned to work. But later that night, Jones called, asking her to return. She agreed and got a ride from a friend.
What happened next remains a point of contention.
Ashley claims that just as she was about to leave the motel room, four men stormed in. They ransacked the room, argued with Jones, and moments later, she heard a loud pop. The men grabbed her, forced her into their car, and sped away. She was terrified.
“I remember just thinking I was going to die,” Ashley recalled. “I thought they were going to hurt me.”
The men warned her to stay silent. But when she later saw the news of Jones’ death, she contacted the police. She even provided names of two suspects. Yet, despite her statements, authorities failed to press charges, and the case fell into obscurity.
The Family’s Pursuit of Justice
Jones’ family never stopped fighting for answers. They hired private investigators and pressured authorities to reopen the case. Years passed without action, but in 2016, a shift occurred. Fort Myers Police Chief Derrick Diggs made cold cases a priority, and in 2018, the Jones murder file landed on a new detective’s desk.
The breakthrough came when police re-interviewed an old acquaintance of Ashley’s—Emely Bell. Bell claimed that in 1997, Ashley had hinted at a plan to have Jones robbed. That statement reignited the case, leading prosecutors to a grand jury. Their conclusion? There was enough evidence to charge Ashley.
Ashley was arrested, but police insisted the case wasn’t closed—other suspects remained at large.
A Courtroom Battle and a Shocking Verdict
Ashley’s trial in August 2022 was a whirlwind of accusations and contradictions. Prosecutors framed her as the architect of Jones’ demise, calling her actions a “betrayal.”
“Keith Jones was executed that night,” prosecutor Dan Feinberg declared. “His wallet was gone. His cash was missing. And that robbery was set in motion by his friend.”
Ashley’s defense countered with skepticism. They questioned witness credibility and criticized investigators for failing to record key statements in 1997.
“Wouldn’t it be nice to have a tape of that statement?” defense attorney Robert Harris argued. “So we could all judge for ourselves?”
After four intense days of trial, the jury reached a verdict—Ashley was acquitted.
As she left the courthouse, she faced the cameras with a simple message: “I told you I was innocent.”
No Closure for the Jones Family
For Keith Jones’ loved ones, the verdict was another heartbreak in a decades-long fight for justice. They remain convinced that Ashley played a role in his death and blame investigators for bungling the case in 1997.
“We still have to find some way to bring someone to justice,” said Kevin Jones, Keith’s twin brother. “Twenty-five years later, my brother is still in the grave.”
The case of Keith Jones remains a haunting reminder of how justice can be delayed—and, in some eyes, denied.
