DeWolf_Suspects.jpg

From left: Dajeon Franklin, Joei Jordan and Shaquille Jones

(File photo)

The 21-year-old South Carolina man charged with murder in Paul DeWolf’s death Friday may have been targeting the residences of University of Michigan students.

Shaquille Jones

Two females, both U-M students, were also listed as victims in the formal charges of open murder and home invasion levied against Shaquille Jones at his arraignment in Pittsfield Township’s 14A-1 District Court.

One woman, a U-M nursing student, appears to have been in the same building as DeWolf, the Phi Rho Sigma medical fraternity located at 220 N. Ingalls St., on July 23 and 24 when he was shot to death. A first-degree home invasion charge is defined as a break-in when someone is present in the building at the time.

While reading the charges against Jones, Magistrate Elisha Fink said the South Carolina man is alleged to have committed a home invasion in which DeWolf and the student were present in the building, but that doesn't necessarily mean they were together in the same room or that the student was even aware a break-in was occurring.

Jones is also accused of “murdering Paul DeWolf” at the time of the break-in. Fink hinted that something was stolen, but didn’t specify what, only saying that Jones is accused of committing a larceny in the building.

Jones is charged in a second break-in the same time frame at a neighboring residence in the 200 block of North Ingalls Street. A female U-M engineering student was home at the time, according to court proceedings, but again it wasn't made clear if she was aware of the break-in as it was happening.

Fink didn’t set a bond, which is protocol in a murder case. Assistant Washtenaw County Prosecutor Blaine Longsworth said Jones was a significant danger to the community.

Longsworth told Fink there is a high likelihood of conviction.

“There was an intense and thorough investigation,” he said.

Jones was arraigned from the jail via video. He quietly listened to the charges being read against him and only said, “Yes, ma’am,” when asked if he understood the proceedings.

It was the second arraignment in as many days for Jones. When Jones was arraigned Thursday on a count of receiving and concealing stolen property – a count stemming from the home invasion involving the engineering student on Ingalls — he gave an Ypsilanti address.

At the murder arraignment, however, he said he resided in North Charleston, S.C., and again reiterated that he is single, has no children and doesn't have any money.

Fink appointed Jones a public defender, though Longsworth said there might be a conflict of interest. Fink said that would be taken care of down the road.

A preliminary examination is set for Dec. 5 at the 14A-1 District Court.

Jones had to be extradited to Michigan from South Carolina, where he was arrested earlier this month. One of the other three suspects in the homicide, 20-year-old Joei Jordan, is in the process of being extradited from that same state. The third suspect, 21-year-old Dajeon Franklin, of Pittsfield Township, appeared in Washtenaw County Trial Court Wednesday on an unrelated home invasion case stemming from May.

Jordan and Franklin have not yet been officially charged.

John Counts covers crime for The Ann Arbor News. He can be reached at johncounts@mlive.com or you can follow him on Twitter. Find all Washtenaw County crime stories here.