Oklahoma court affirms life sentence in kidnapping, death

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – An appeals court has upheld a man’s life prison sentence in the death of an Oklahoma man who had cerebral palsy and delayed cognitive reasoning.
The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals Tuesday affirmed the first-degree murder conviction of 45-year old James Jones, who was convicted in Tulsa County of the June 21, 2015 death of 27-year-old Chazz Holly of Talala.
Holly was kidnapped and put inside the covered bed of his father’s pickup truck. He was eventually placed on the floorboard of the backseat, where he died. Holly’s family found his body alongside the Indian Nation Turnpike near Antlers on July 19, 2015.
Among other things, the court rejected allegations that Jones didn’t get a fair trial. Jones’ attorney, Raymond Denecke, declined comment on the decision.