BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Charles Jones, who pleaded guilty to killing his girlfriend and mother in 2019, had his prison sentence vacated, reopening a painful chapter for one of the victims family.
On July 18, 2019, Jones stabbed his ex-girlfriend, 25-year-old Jacquetta Lee, to death inside her apartment on Main Street in Buffalo.
While under investigation for Lee's murder, he stabbed his mother, 52-year-old Alethia Atwood Williams, to death in her home on Jefferson Avenue in Buffalo.
Jones was arrested on August 16, 2019. He was later sentenced to 40 years in prison.
Jones's lawyers appealed his sentence this year, alleging his mother abused him as a child. They said he should have been able to present that to mitigate his sentence.
Legal Aid Attorney Shawn Hennessy argued the original plea was flawed at a hearing in February before the Appellate Division Fourth Department.
"This plea here was substantively unconscionable," Hennessy said.
The Erie County District Attorney's Office pushed back on the appeal.
"These are consecutive determinate 25-year terms for two killings, two brutal killings," prosecutor Tabitha Salonen said.
WATCH: Charles Jones' murder sentence vacated, leaving victim's father devastated
Earlier this month, the Appellate Division issued a ruling, vacating Jones' sentence. His plea was not vacated in the ruling.
One of the victim's fathers, Curtis Lee, said he is worried the decision could potentially require a trial.
"We've already closed this door, and now it has to be reopened. It's painful opening up scars on your heart," he said.
Lee shared old photos of his daughter, whom he called "Queeta," including pictures from first grade through high school.
"She's my daughter. She's my heart. She's everything," Lee said.
Lee expressed frustration that the legal system would allow Jones to seek a reduced sentence based on what he described as an alleged situation from Jones' past.
"Somehow in the judicial system, they allowed Charles Jones to get in there and say he wants to request reduction based upon some other alleged situation that occurred in his life. Which I think is not fair," Lee said.
Lee said he has already gone through the grieving process once and does not believe he should have to again.
"I hoped that the system would be fixed so that they're not gonna ever let somebody like me go through this again. I've already grieved," Lee said. "Why should I have to grieve twice?"
A court hearing on the matter is scheduled in Erie County Court for Monday morning.
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