Professor, 69, 'riddled ex-wife 40 years his junior with bullets and dismembered her body' just a week after divorce

Lawrence Jones spent 25 years teaching at Naval Postgraduate School

Norife 'Janie' Herrera Jones, 29, was a successful businesswoman in the Philippines with a master's degree



Couple married in 2006 and separated last year apparently over the husband's violent outbursts

Divorce was finalized in February of 2012, ending a five-year marriage



Janie Jones moved to San Jose, but for some reason returned just days before her death

Police believe a Naval Postgraduate School professor shot her ex-wife multiple times at his home before dismembering her body and dumping some of the remains in a remote area of Aromas, California.



Norife 'Janie' Herrera Jones, 29, was discovered murdered September 7 on Cannon Road in the suburban town. Lawrence Jones, 69, was arrested a week later in connection to his ex-wife's slaying, police said.

In a statement released on Wednesday, investigators said Herrera Jones died from multiple gunshot wounds before her lifeless body was mutilated.



Tragic end: Norife 'Janie' Herrera Jones, 29, left, was discovered brutally murdered last week, and police suspect that her ex-husband, 69-year-old Lawrence Jones, right, is responsible for the slaying



Herrera Jones was killed a week after the couple's divorce became finalized, putting an end to a tempestuous five-year marriage.



Friends and neighbors say that the young woman separated from her husband earlier in the year because of his angry outbursts.



The 69-year-old was taken into custody following a search of his Spray Avenue home in Monterey, during which police said they had found enough evidence to charge him with his ex-wife’s murder.



Jones did not enter a plea at his court appearance on Wednesday. He was initially scheduled to appear before a judge the day before, but an undisclosed medical problem resulted in a delay.



On Wednesday, Jones was seen in court sporting a bandage on his right wrist, which suggests that he may have tried to take his own life, considering his history of suicide attempts.

Tragic find: Herrera Jones' remains were discovered September 7 along Cannon Road in Aromas

Lawrence Jones, known to friends as Larry, has been a professor at the Naval Postgraduate School for 25 years, most recently serving as financial management chair, The Monterey county Herald reported.



He worked as a visiting consultant for the Asian Development Bank, as a visiting scholar at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand and the University of Siena in Italy. He taught at NPS and has lived in Monterey since the late 1980s.

Janie Herrera Jones was described by those who knew her a sweet and trusting young woman.



According to her online resume, the 29-year-old was a highly educated and accomplished businesswoman in her native Philippines, with a strong interest in international affairs and a master’s degree in business management.



However, when Herrera Jones arrived in the U.S., she was forced to seek more humble positions, including a job at a Macy’s department store and a stint at Lens Crafters.



She also volunteered her time working for charitable organizations, including the American Cancer Society and Special Kids Crusade in Monterey, where she organized more than 1,200 books for the library.

Volatile marriage: Herrera, left, tied the knot with Jones, right, in 2006, but the relationship started going south due to the husband's alleged outbursts, leading the 29-year-old woman to leave him last year



Long career: Jones spent the last 25 years teaching at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), an accredited research university operated by the United States Navy

It is believed that Herrera Jones married the distinguished professor 40 years her senior in February of 2006.

Friends and former neighbors said the marriage appeared happy at first and that Janie Jones told them she loved her husband the first couple of years. But then the relationship apparently started turning sour between the two, and last year, the young woman left.

Janie Jones told friends that her husband, a Stanford University graduate, became upset after his alma mater’s football team lost a game, and things escalated from there.

The outburst was the last straw for Janie Jones, said friends.

Co-workers gave her clothes and helped her move to San Jose, where she got an apartment, found work and started her new single life.



Gruesome scene: Police searched Jones' home on Spray Avenue in Monterey (pictured) and arrested him after discovering evidence of a crime

Her volatile ex-husband, however, was apparently not ready to move on. As the divorce came close to being finalized, police said he slashed his wrists and begged his estranged wife to come back.

Suicide concerns: Jones appeared in court on Wednesday with a bandage around his right wrist, suggesting that he may have attempted to take his life

According to former neighbor Sat Kirtan Khalsa , the apparent suicide attempt was a reprisal of an incident that took pace years earlier. During a previous marriage, Jones slit his wrists and was rushed to the hospital in the middle of the night.

Janie Jones’ friends said she felt sorry for her ex-husband and was heartbroken over the divorce, but was determined to start a new life.



She planned to visit relatives in Asia this month, and after family members had not heard from her for days, friends filed missing persons reports.

Police are trying to determine what led Janie Jones to travel to her ex-husband’s home just days before her murder.



According to friends, the 29-year-old said last month she had to visit Lawrence Jones to sign final papers for her divorce.

However, Michael Mendenhall, a legal assistance who prepared the couple’s documents, tld the Herald that there was nothing left to sign.

Although people close to the couple described a troubled and abusive marriage, Mendenhall said the couple appeared polite and cordial during a meeting this past February.



‘He was what could best be described as a perfect gentleman. He wanted to be sure that she was taken care of financially, so he explained to her what he was going to do for her financially,’ Mendenhall told the paper.

According to court records, the couple separated November 16, 2011. In February, Lawrence Jones filed for divorce. He signed final papers on June 18, Mendenhall said, and the papers were filed with the court on June 20. The final decree was issued August 31.



A week later, the 29-year-old woman was found killed and dismembered. Police are investigating how she ended up in the Spray Avenue house, and how long she was there before her death.

Investigators say they are looking into friends' suspicions that she was kidnapped before her murder.





