Man accused of killing his grandma on Adams Street appears in court Wednesday
John Jenkins Jr. appeared in Muskingum County Court of Common Pleas, alongside attorney Clay Johnson who was standing in for attorney Kirk McVay, for his arraignment Wednesday.
July 3, 2019
Facing multiple felonies in two different counties, a man pleaded not guilty at his arraignment to charges stemming from the disappearance of his grandmother.
After a 64 year-old Zanesville woman’s body was found dumped off the side of the road in Franklin County, authorities turned to the woman’s grandson as a person of interest. Wednesday morning, he was arraigned for her murder.
John Jenkins Jr., 26, pleaded not guilty to one unclassified felony count of aggravated murder, one third-degree felony count of tampering with evidence and one fifth-degree felony count of abuse of a corpse.
An attorney standing in on behalf of Jenkins actual attorney requested Jenkins’ $1 million bond be reduced as he also has a $300,000 in Franklin County stemming from charges he acquired shortly after the alleged murder.
“This defendant murdered his grandma and ditched her body,” Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Gerald Anderson said in court before stating that Jenkins went on to commit more crimes in Franklin County which leads the State to believe that his bond is appropriate.
Jenkins’ bond was continued as set at $1 million.
According to authorities, Jenkins is accused of killing Elizabeth Alvarez at their Adams Street home sometime between May 26 and May 27.
Alvarez’s body was found on May 31 off the side of the roadway in a wooded area in Franklin County.
With the alleged help of his 20-year-old girlfriend, Zanesville Police Department Detective Tom Porter said it’s believed that Jenkins transported Alverez’s body from Zanesville to Franklin County.
Rachel Sipple, Jenkins’ girlfriend, was arraigned last week and pleaded not guilty to one count of tampering with evidence, two counts of obstructing justice — all felonies of the third degree — and one fifth-degree felony count of abuse of a corpse.
Both Sipple and Jenkins have been charged in Franklin County with felonies resulting from the robbery of a gas station that occurred on May 28.
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