⚖️ “A Monster Walks Free”: The Family's Cry for Justice After Marquez Jones’ Sentencing

In a case that has outraged the Kinston community, Marquez Jones pleaded guilty to assault by strangulation in connection with the violent attack that left Kieyatta Butler, a mother of three, in a coma for NEARLY a year before her death. Despite the severity of the crime, Jones was sentenced to 18 months—with credit for 18 months time served, effectively walking free.

🗣️ A System That Protects the Guilty

District Attorney Jeffrey Cannon accepted the plea deal, citing “complex medical records” as the reason for not pursuing murder charges. But no doctors were subpoenaed. No effort was made to fight for Kieyatta. And now, Jones is free—while her three children grow up without their mother.

“If strangulation was proven, then it had to cause her death. She was perfectly fine prior...That’s murder. And he got away with it.”

• The DA failed to subpoena doctors who could have clarified medical causation

• The decision reflects cowardice, not justice

“He got away with murder,” said one community member. “And the DA let it happen.”

🧑‍⚖️ A Pattern of Violence

Jones has a history of abusing women. He is not just a danger—he is a menace, a monster, and a predator who should never have been allowed to walk among us again. His actions have left children motherless, families shattered, and a community outraged.

🕊️ Remembering Kieyatta Butler

• A beloved mother of three, Kieyatta spent nearly a year in a coma before passing away

• Her children now face life without their mother, while Jones enjoys his freedom

• Her death has become a symbol of systemic failure and judicial apathy

  
  

🗣️ Community Outcry

• “The courts are a disgrace,” said one local advocate. “They let him walk while her kids suffer.”

• “Most cases in Kinston are plead out because no one wants to work,” another added. “It’s laziness disguised as justice.”

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📣 A Call for Accountability

This case has ignited demands for:

• Transparency in plea deals

• Accountability from prosecutors

• Justice for victims of domestic violence

• A judicial system that values lives over caseloads

🙏 A Prayer for Justice

We pray that God sees what the courts ignored. That the pain Marquez Jones inflicted is not forgotten. That one day, he will be held accountable—not just by man, but by a higher power.

This is not just about one case. It’s about a broken system that fails victims, protects abusers, and silences truth. Kinston deserves better. Kieyatta deserved better.

Written and inspired by: Quarla Blackwell