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The burning body of a 24-year-old nursing student, Megan Sharpton, was found in the early morning hours of July 2, 2012, on the side of a rural road in Tullahoma, Tennessee. Sharpton had canceled dinner plans with her family and was headed for a last-minute job interview the previous evening. Hours later, her burned body was found. An autopsy revealed that she was ra*ped and then shot in the face before being set on fire.
Using crucial evidence, including GPS tracking, a key witness, and a DNA sample, investigators were able to connect a man named Donnie Jones Jr to the crime. Donnie was the husband of one of Sharpton's acquaintances and former classmates. It was alleged that he lured the victim in the name of a job interview, r*ped, and killed her before setting fire to her private parts using an accelerant.
An upcoming episode of Murder Comes to Town chronicles Megan Sharpton's case on Friday, April 14, 2023. The episode titled Answering the Call aired on ID at 7 pm ET.
The synopsis for the episode says:
"After a brush fire is reported in rural Winchester, Tenn., first responders are horrified to find the body of young Megan Sharp at the center of the blaze."
Nursing student Megan Sharpton was lured to the crime scene in the name of a job interview
Megan Sharpton, 24, a resident of Tullahoma, Tennessee, was only a couple of months shy of earning her college degree. While she was supposed to have dinner with her family, she canceled those plans to appear for a last-minute job interview the evening before her body was found. She had an on-again-off-again boyfriend named Chris, who worked at a local department store.
Reports state that sometime around 1:30 in the early morning hours of July 2, 2012, a motorist noticed a blazing bushfire on the roadside in rural Tullahoma. The motorist reported it to the local fire department. After they put out the fire, first responders discovered that it was a woman's body, which was on fire. The body was identified as the 24-year-old, who was completely naked waist-down. The scene was described as "something you'd see off a movie."
Authorities reported that it seemed like Megan's private parts were set on fire and that she was wearing her nursing school uniform. They also noticed and realized that they felt some of the broken bones in her skull. The bones were broken due to blunt force trauma to the head. A subsequent autopsy confirmed that she was r*ped and died of a fatal gunshot wound to the face.
Using digital and DNA proof, among other evidence, investigators tied the husband of Megan Sharpton's former classmate's husband to her murder
The initial investigation resulted in a few failed leads, including Megan Sharpton's boyfriend Chris, who provided a solid alibi. He informed the police that Sharpton received a call about a nursing job offer from a former classmate, Naomi Jones. Authorities were then able to track the victim's car, which was abandoned 15 to 20 miles from the crime scene where her body was found.
The potential lead for Naomi Jones hit a wall after she revealed that they were nothing more than former classmates and acquaintances. Jones also claimed that she never contacted Sharpton about any job offers. Tracing phone records, authorities followed the trail of a burner phone which led them to the store where it was purchased by a drug dealer named Timothy Gifford.
Gifford confessed to having bought the phone for Jones' husband Donnie Jones Jr., who denied all the claims. However, Donnie later admitted that he had consensual s*x with Sharpton after his DNA was found on her body.
Authorities used GPS to track his whereabouts, which placed him at the scene of the crime. They believed he lured her to the scene where he r*ped and murdered her before burning the body.
Donnie Jones Jr. was arrested and charged with aggravated kidnapping, first-degree murder, and two counts of aggravated r*pe. He was later convicted of the murder charge and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
ID's Murder Comes to Town will further delve into Megan Sharpton's 2012 killing this Friday.
