Pictured posing with guns the night before he 'killed his great-grandmother': Teenager 'beat 71-year-old to death' after she took him in to help him escape life in a troubled home

Jona Cain had been sent this summer to live with Jacqueline Bell to escape problems back hom in Kansas City, Missouri

He and a visiting cousin have been accused of killing the elderly woman the day after the cousin's arrival



Mr Cain's mother insists he didn't kill the woman

A 17-year-old boy sent to live with his great-grandmother is accused of killing her Friday with help from his cousin.

Joda Cain was sent to live with Jacqueline Bell in an effort to escape problems he’d been having at home, instead he killed her with help from his cousin Micus Ward, 19, and stole her Lexus, officials charged.

The two murder suspects took cops on a high speed chase at speeds as high as 135MPH before they were apprehended. Cops pulling them over were initially unaware of the murder, only finding out after calling in the stolen car.

'He's not that person': Joda Cain's mother insists her son (pictured with the gun) with cousin Marcus Ward (back) wouldn't kill anyone

Ms Bell died of blunt force trauma, officials said. They have not yet specified a murder weapon.



Mr Cain’s mother sent him this summer to live with Bell because he was having problems back home in Kansas City, she told KSHB .

‘He needed to get away he was having issues, he was getting in trouble,’ the mother, who asked not to be identified, explained.

The young boy was thriving out west, even taking part in sports.

‘He was happy, he was happy,’ the devastated mother said between tears. ‘Everything was going good and he was back to playing football and everything was great for all I knew.’

Loving great grandmother: Jacqueline Bell agreed to take Mr Cain in to help him get over troubles he was having back home

Ms Bell spoiled the troubled teen, his mother told the station. Her generosity knew no limits, she even bought Mr Ward a plane ticket to come visit.

However, a series of pictures posted to Micus Ward’s Facebook page the night he arrived showed a completely different Jona Cain than the one described by his mother.

Clouds of smoke, alcohol, and a chilling picture of him pointing a gun with a wad of money in his mouth appear on the social media site.



'He's spoiled rotten': Mr Cain's mother said Ms Bell spoiled her son rotten, that the two loved each other very much Formerly imprisoned: Marcus Ward bragged on his Facebook page about a prior incarceration



Cops found his dead great-grandmother the next morning.

The two young men were caught a short time later in the dead woman’s car, pulled over after the high-speed chase for dangerous driving. Police discovered the woman was dead after reporting the car stolen. The two teens were immediately arrested.

Despite officials saying Mr Cain was involved in Ms Bell’s death, and being pulled over in her stolen car, his mother insists he didn’t do it.

‘He's not that person,’ she told KSHB. ‘He's really not. He's not perfect, he's spoiled rotten but my God he would never, never do that to her, he'd never do that to anybody.’

Change of scenery: Joda Cain was thriving away from home, staying out of trouble and playing football



Mr Cain has been charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle, attempt to elude, reckless driving and reckless endangering – if he is charged with murder it will be as an adult.