Full Name: Jonathan Wayne Barrows
Born: July 3, 1978 in Westminster Maryland
Died: August 28, 1998 in Huntsville Alabama, buried in Sykesville Maryland at Long View Cemetary. In the back left row by the tree.
Parents: Shirley Barrows and Wayne (?)
Siblings: Stephanie Vinge
Married: none
Children: none (though was dating a girl I went to highschool with named Mandy Bennett who got pregnant by him (so she claims) and had an abortion)
Notations:
– Was murdered at gunpoint by Thomas Rozelle because he was to testify against him in court. Alabama did not have a witness protection program at the time. He received 25 years to life with the possibility of parole. He comes up for parole in 2008. His son, Eric, was also sentenced to the same time, same parole, different prison. The way I understand it is, Jon was friends with Rozelle’s son Eric. They had a falling out and Jon went to retrieve some of his possessions from Eric Rozelle’s home. As they were leaving, Thomas Rozelle fired shots at the car. No damage was done, but Jon was going to testify against Thomas Rozelle (who had a history of this type of violence) in court. When they went to one of the hearings, Thomas Rozelle went up to Jon after the hearing and told him explicitly “You will never testify against me in court.”
Since Jon drove a pretty distinguished vehicle (The white dodge ram with blue racing stripes), one day Thomas Rozelle spotted him driving down the road and followed him to a grocery store parking lot. When Jon got out of his truck, Thomas and his son Eric came up to him and started threatening him. When Jon didn’t back down, Thomas put a gun to Jon’s temple and shot him. Then he stood there and watched him die in front of all the people that came to help.
Crystal’s Notations:
– The last time many of the family in Maryland saw Jon was at our cousin Tony Wright’s funeral several months before (Tony Wright was born stillborn to Michael Wright and Maria). He was remembered helping Trula Peach up the hill at Longview Cemetary where he and Alma Johnson are now buried.
– While searching the internet I happened across this site (http://www.legislature.state.al.us/SearchableInstruments/2002RS/Bills/HB294.htm) which displays an Act called the “Jonathan Wayne Barrows Witness Protection Act” in the state of Alabama. I am not sure if this Bill has actually made it through the legal system or not, but I know his mother Shirley Wright was adamant about having the law passed after Jon’s murder. Surprisingly there is very little information on his murder.
– Jon was renouned for his interest in video games, and was regularly participating in video game tournaments, namely Nintendo. One of my favorite memories with Jon is when we were probably 9 or 10, we had the “Power Pad” by Nintendo and would play the racing/hurdle game. But since neither of us could play it normally by walking on the pad, we beat the game (I think the fastest character was named Cheetah) by each of us pounding both of our firsts on one of the foot circles.
– Jon was also a student of Karate (I am unsure which tradition, possibly Tae Kwon Do)
– Jon at one time drove a blue Mazda Miata Convertible and later a white Dodge Ram pickup with blue racing stripes
Parole was denied for Thomas Rozell. Next hearing will be 5 years in the future.
Erik Rozell was denied parole on Feb 10, 2009. Thomas and Erik Rozell may be eligible for the next parole hearings in Nov 2013.
hey sis. I dont ever remember him. My sister made this site!
I remember when this happend,i didnt know Jon but Eric went to school with my brother-n-law Daniel, it’s very sad that these things happen i had a good friend who got killed by gang members in 2006 case is still open,to all the friends n family of Jon ur in my prayers.
I have talked to erik several times since this happened, he was my high school sweetheart.. If u woulda been there thru the trial, u would know that erik didn’t know the fun was loaded, and all he said was “just shoot him daddy” erik didn’t pull the trigger, but since alabama doesn’t have a guilty by association law, ur either guilty or not guilty, in the eyes of the court he was guilty… I know it was a horrible thing that happened, but erik did not pull the trigger, and after so long he should be released.. That’s just my personal opinion!!!
While I respect your opinion, Kristy, Erik saying “Just shoot him”, and then now feeling guilty because it actually happen does not necessarily make him innocent in my eyes.
Jon was a good friend of mine before moving to Alabama. No one deserves to be shot for something like this and no one should ever be paroled for murdering someone even if they didn’t pull the trigger. It’s guilt by association. We will never forget Jon but we have to live without him so those involved should consider themselves lucky to have visitors.
I think it is a shame that this young man was given the same sentence as his Dad, he DID NOT kill anyone and I am sure he didn’t think his Dad would really do it. He was just a kid, barely 18, he has spent enough time in prison, from my unnderstanding he wrote an apology letter to the family, he is a model prisoner and has completed every course that has been given to him. I am begging the family of the victim to let this young man be paroled. It is very, very sad that this murder took place and I can’t even imagine what it feels like to lose a child…but I do know that if I were the parents/family of the victim I would request that Erik be released. No, he is not completely innocent, but HE DID NOT PULL THE TRIGGER and to me quilt by association is a stupid law. I didn’t know Jon and I don’t know Erik, but I have followed this case….from what I know Thomas deserves to be where he is and does not deserve to ever get out, but Erik is a different story. Erik has sincerely apologized for what happened and it’s time to stop the hate and forgive him. He has served enough time, I’m sure I will get a huge rebuttal from this, but think about what I said in the sentence right before this one….there’s too much hate in this world…nothing is gained by hating…but a whole lot is lost because of it.
This case really bothers me…
Erik Rozelle DID intend to USE HIS FATHER to murder Jonathan Barrows. He walked all the way across the parking lot, got the rifle out of the truck, loaded it and handed it to his father (hiding partially behind a truck) and said “SHOOT THE MOTHERFUCKER”. He knew his father would do it. He sent a letter to his Jonathan’s mother which simply said he was “sorry it had to happen” but NEVER said he was sorry for helping kill Jonathan. Also after Jonathan was shot. I can post that letter when I dig it out again for a parole hearing coming up in the spring. The parole board has read it and they too don’t see any contrition. After Jonathan was shot, Erik went inside the store, got a can of soda and came out and stood by Jonathan, who had a wonderful lady cradling him in her arms and Erik stood there watching him die with a grin on his face…..15 eye witnesses. The lady was afraid the father and son team would shoot others so she had to drop Jonathan on the parking lot and get other children out of harms way. Erik and Thomas left in the truck and threw the rible in a ditch and then came Back to the store to continue to watch Jonathan gasping for air and trying to talk. I think Carolyn is Erik’s mother. It IS sad that a young life is so wasted. She told me she “turned her son over to God years ago” meaning she gave him up to the nutty dad. I told her she should have taken him out to the woodshed a few times instead. She gets to hug her son. Jonathan’s mother will never be able to do that ever again.
Erik DID KNOW that the rifle was loaded! He shot off two shots before he handed the rifle to his father to make sure it was loaded….with special bullets.