CLARKSBURG — Federal agents on Monday arrested a Fairmont man who was wanted in Marion County for kidnapping and attempted first-degree murder charges.
U.S. Marshals arrested Jamie Ray Jones, 32, around 8:30 a.m. Monday at a home in Kelly’s Creek in Kanawha County. Jones was wanted by the Fairmont Police Department. Police also wanted Jones in a separate case for accessory after the fact of murder.
Officers from the U.S. Marshals Service Southern District of West Virginia Cops United Felony Fugitive Enforcement Division Task Force apprehended Jones.
According to a press release, Jones and others are believed to have kidnapped a man by force using a firearm from a Morgantown residence on April 27, 2023. After kidnapping the man, the suspects, including Jones, held the man against his will and threatened him with death while they searched for the man’s brother in Fairmont.
Police eventually located the brother near 321 Maple Avenue Extension, where they began shooting out of the vehicle at the brother. One of the suspects was also struck by gunfire during the exchange while the kidnapping victim escaped from the vehicle.
Fairmont Police issued warrants for Jones’ arrest on May 5, 2023. Jones is also believed to have assisted a man who committed first-degree murder on March 23, 2023.
In that case, another man who committed a murder near 788 Cleveland Ave. contacted Jones for assistance in fleeing the area. Jones instructed the man to flee to Ohio, where he was found and arrested. Jones also warned the alleged offender that police were already at the scene of the murder.
On May 9, 2023, Fairmont Police requested aid from the U.S. Marshals’ Mountain State Fugitive Task Force to help locate Jones. Investigators spent hours attempting to locate Jones, which included investigating leads in at least five states.
On Monday morning, those efforts led police to the Southern District of West Virginia and the apprehension of Jones at an associate’s home.
During the arrest, Jones attempted to flee from the residence, but the arrest team had already converged on the location and prevented his escape, and he was arrested without incident.
The Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department, The Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team and the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources also assisted in the arrest.
At press time, Jones remained in the South Central Regional Jail where he is being held without bond.