MIDLAND, Texas — Creed Jones, 17, has been found guilty of murder, tampering with evidence and tampering with a corpse.
Jones plead guilty to the charges on July 8, and the jury found him guilty after five hours of deliberation on July 10.
The jury sentenced him to 35 years for murder, 5 years for tampering with a corpse and 3 years for tampering with evidence.
According to the trial, Jones got into an argument with the victim, Jordan Baker, on June 20, 2018. Jones's mother handed him a gun and told him to shoot the victim while his mother's boyfriend also encouraged him.
Jones then proceeded to shoot the victim in the gut and the mother's boyfriend took photos. The two of them then wiped the body and floor of blood with towels.
After the three of them hid the body in the house, Jones stayed int he house for seven hours before leaving. He was found overdosing on meth at a friend's house around midnight.
According to testimony, no one attempted to contact police about the shooting or the body until around 4 a.m. on June 21. The body was discovered the same day around 2 p.m. and Jones confessed to the shooting.
During the trial, Jones testified he shot the victim because he was afraid of his mother's boyfriend. He also told the courtroom he was high on meth that his mother had given him, and mentioned she had been giving him meth since he was 15.
Both Jones's mother and her boyfriend are awaiting trial for the same charges.
This case was prosecuted by Midland County Assistant District Attorneys Lacey Holloman and Jennifer Lively and was held in the 238th District Court, presided over by Judge Elizabeth Leonard. Midland attorney Mark Dettman represented Jones.