COBB COUNTY — A man’s murder went unsolved for months, but then police were able to prove -- without a doubt -- that their main suspect was at the scene of the crime.
Dunte Holmes was sentenced to life in prison Monday for the murder of 31-year-old Mitchell Jones, Jr.
Cobb County police said Holmes repeatedly stabbed Jones and stole his phone in November 2018.
Officers found Jones at a home on Laurie Jo Drive inside a locked bedroom.
The Jones case went cold, however, until police used geofence technology to track down the killer.
In March 2019, investigators executed their first-ever search warrant for geofence data from Google and pinpointed which cellphones were in the area when the murder took place.
Police quickly eliminated three people and used the data from Holmes’ accounts and Jones’ stolen phone to solve the crime.
The lead prosecutor said this is a warning to other people who commit major crimes in Cobb County.
Prosecutor Jesse Evans said he believes a guilty plea from Holmes is one of the first successful uses of geofencing technology in Georgia.
“If we can creatively come up with new tools that we can solve crimes and get answers for people, we are absolutely going to go to the end’s of the Earth to be able to do so,” Evans said.
Jones’ father, Mitchell Jones, Sr., was too emotional to read a victim impact statement.
“I don’t think he should ever see the light of day again. I’m sorry, I can’t finish my statement,” the elder Jones said.
He spoke to Channel 2′s Cobb County bureau chief, Chris Jose, after Holmes walked away in handcuffs.
“I pray that I can forgive him, but there’s no weight off my shoulder. I miss my son,” Jones, Sr. said.
Blood samples at the murder scene also matched Holmes’ DNA.
He said his son could light up any room. The father said his son moved to Georgia from Pennsylvania for a better life.
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