Second suspect named in Thurman murder:Prosecutors also say elderly lady was raped

By DUANE SHERRILL / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

Accused murderer Josh Jacobs was in court yesterday for his preliminary hearing. It was during the hearing prosecutors revealed they have a second suspect in the case. (Duane Sherrill photo)

Questions of a second killer, and the revelation 89-year-old Ruby Thurman was raped before being beaten and smothered to death, were among the evidence prosecutors presented in the preliminary hearing Tuesday afternoon against accused murderer Joshua Jacobs.

Jacobs, 20, still with a cast on the hand prosecutors say he thrust through a window pane on the elderly Centertown woman’s door last month, sat quietly, sometimes with his head down as a parade of witnesses took the stand.

Among those was the victim’s daughter, Dortha Smith, who stared intently at her mother’s alleged killer as she left the witness stand. Her gaze was not returned by Jacobs who kept his head down.

It was Jacobs, evidence suggested Tuesday, who was involved in the murder of Thurman, a murder Jacobs says in his confession came about when he tried to rob the victim and steal her car.

As to whether he had assistance in the murder is still a huge question as Jacobs has implicated a friend in the rape and murder. According to TBI agent Kendal Barnum, the friend is a suspect. The friend, however, has denied any involvement in the murder.

Given his denial, the story told by Jacobs also changed. When first interviewed, Jacobs reportedly told agent Barnum it was his friend who was the ringleader. In his first confession, Jacobs reportedly said he and his friend entered the house and lights came on immediately. It was at that point they were confronted by the frail victim who supported herself with a walker.

Jacobs told lawmen she screamed out and was assaulted by his friend. Jacobs also claimed he left the home while his friend raped the elderly woman and then helped submerge her in her bathtub, jamming pills down her throat to make the death look accidental. Jacobs, who prosecutors say has shown no remorse, even told lawmen he helped himself to a drink from the victim’s refrigerator before he fled the scene.

While implicating his friend in his first confession, a later confession to Sheriff’s Investigator Tommy Myers had no reference to his friend. Instead, Jacobs said he acted alone when he cut the victim’s phone lines and broke into the house. However, he claimed he did not recall if he raped the woman.

As for the involvement of another person, lawmen say they will continue looking at that angle, but at this time, the friend is charged with no crime. There are several pieces of potential scientific evidence found at the scene which still have not been examined.

Meanwhile, evidence is extensive against Jacobs. Along with his confessions, lawmen have also positively found it was Jacobs’ blood found on the victim’s porch from where he punctured his hand while breaking in. Blood was also found at Jacobs’ house just two doors down from the victim’s house. There are also reportedly footprint matches and other unrevealed scientific matches tying him to the crime scene.

In light of the additional evidence, Potter said Jacobs will be charged with aggravated rape and aggravated burglary, regardless of whether another person was involved. Prosecutors will also ask for the death penalty against Jacobs once he is indicted. He was bound over to the grand jury by General Sessions Judge Larry Ross following the Tuesday hearing on the charge of felony murder.

Editor’s Note:
The name of Josh Jacobs’ alleged accomplice was revealed in open court yesterday. However, due to the heinous nature of the allegations, the Standard has decided not to release the name until the person is charged or until additional evidence links him to the crime.