News 4 Jax
October 5, 2015
A man previously charged with pawning jewelry stolen from a murdered 71-year-old woman has now been charged with her killing, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday.
Marvin Jones, 50, is charged with murder, burglary, dealing in stolen property and grand theft, Lt. Steve Gallaher said.
He said it appears that Marilyn Alu was killed when Jones attempted to steal her jewelry. She was found strangled in her East Arlington home on Swimming Salmon Place North on Sept. 8, 2013.
Gallaher said evidence shows that Alu’s killer entered her home through an unlocked sliding glass door in the back of the home.
Alu had hired a company Jones worked for to do some home improvements around her house, but Jones offered to do the jobs cheaper on the side, Gallaher said.
He said detectives quickly focused their efforts on Jones in the murder and learned that he had a girlfriend named Constance Messina, who pawned jewelry belonging to Alu on Sept. 9, 2013. Jones also pawned Alu’s jewelry that day, detectives said.