Forensic breakthrough leads to out-of-state arrest in 2019 killing of Arlington teen, police say
DNA found in the car of a teen killed in Arlington in 2019 has led to the arrest of a man in Illinois on a murder charge, according to Arlington police.
/ Getty Images
Darnell Jones II, 22, was apprehended in Chicago on Sunday with assistance from the Chicago Police Department. He was taken into custody without incident, police said Wednesday in a news release.
Jones is accused of killing 19-year-old Evan Lacey, who was last seen leaving his home on Dec. 17, 2019. Four days later, investigators found Lacey's blue 2006 Dodge Magnum abandoned on South Hughes Avenue with a large amount of blood inside.
Lacey's body was discovered by a utility crew investigating a water leak on Jan. 3, 2020, in a wooded area off Webb Ferrell Road. The body was badly decomposed; identification was made through fingerprint analysis by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office, which determined Lacey died from a gunshot wound to the head.
Suspect linked by phone, DNA
Evan Lacey
Arlington Police Department
According to investigators, cellphone records showed calls between Lacey and a number linked to Jones on the day Lacey disappeared. The two phones were later tracked to a location near where Lacey's body was discovered.
DNA from Lacey's car revealed a mix of Lacey's and an unknown male's DNA, police said.
Cold case cracked with forensics
In March, detectives consulted a lab with advanced DNA separation technology. The following month, the lab successfully isolated a DNA profile from the car that matched Jones, according to Arlington police.
Authorities said they received tips identifying Jones as a possible suspect following heavy media coverage of the murder.
Police: Justice for Evan Lacey
"Our detectives hit many roadblocks throughout this investigation, but they never gave up," Arlington Police Chief Al Jones said. "I'm proud of the outstanding police work they did and the proactive measures they took to identify the new technologies that ultimately helped us solve this case.
"It's my hope that this news provides Mr. Lacey's family with some relief and some semblance of closure that I know they've desperately waited for."
Jones, who has declined to speak with detectives, is awaiting extradition to Tarrant County.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
19 minutes ago
- CBS News
Cicada invasion begins as Brood XIV swarms parts of U.S. See photos.
This year's cicada invasion has started as Brood XIV emerges from underground and swarms parts of the U.S. The insects are expected to be concentrated in Kentucky and Tennessee, and show up in parts of Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, as well as in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, central Pennsylvania and Long Island, New York. It is a one-in-17-year event for Brood XIV, which digs its way up from the soil as it warms and descends on neighborhoods in the billions. The brood, however, is the only group emerging this spring, meaning there likely won't be as many cicadas as last year when multiple broods surfaced simultaneously. Cicada nymphs develop in the soil over a long period and surface when the ground hits 64 degrees Fahrenheit. They can be heard crunching through the grass to climb up trees, plants, people or any vertical surface, with a forceful quality about it. Experts say they're not dangerous to pets or humans, and they don't sting or bite — and aren't poisonous or venomous. Instead, cicadas are also largely beneficial to the ecosystem, serving as a source of food source for birds and other predators. They can aerate soil and provide nutrients for trees when they decompose. Photos show this year's invasion beginning. Periodical cicada nymphs climb the trunk of a maple tree to shed their nymphal skins after a heavy rain, May 16, 2025, in Cincinnati. Carolyn Kaster/AP A periodical cicada nymph climbs to the end of a fern frond, May 16, 2025, in Cincinnati. Carolyn Kaster/AP Periodical cicada nymphs and adults are seen on the underside of a begonia plant after a heavy rain, Friday, May 16, 2025, in Cincinnati. Carolyn Kaster/AP An adult periodical cicada, in the process of shedding its nymphal skin, is seen on May 20, 2025, in Cincinnati. There are two large compound eyes, which are used to visually perceive the world around them, and three small, jewel-like, simple eyes called ocelli center. Carolyn Kaster/AP A periodical cicada flies up from the grass pursued by a cardinal, May 23, 2025, in Cincinnati. Carolyn Kaster/AP A female bluebird picks a periodical cicada from the grass, May 23, 2025, in Cincinnati. Carolyn Kaster/AP and contributed to this report.
Forbes
21 minutes ago
- Forbes
Musk Reportedly Used Ketamine, Ecstasy And Travelled With Pills While Working For Trump
Elon Musk used a copious amount of drugs—and travelled with a pill box that appeared to contain Adderall—while he was working for President Donald Trump, according to a New York Times report that comes on his last official day at the White House. Elon Musk listens as reporters ask U.S. President Donald Trump and South Africa President Cyril ... More Ramaphosa questions during a press availability in the Oval Office at the White House on May 21, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by) This is a developing story and will be updated.
CNN
21 minutes ago
- CNN
Michigan Gov. Whitmer says Trump agreed not to pardon kidnapping plotters
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said President Donald Trump previously told her that he wouldn't pardon the men convicted of plotting to kidnap her in 2020, despite him telling reporters on Wednesday he would consider it. The men charged in the case conspired to kidnap the Democratic governor from a vacation home and blow up a bridge to delay law enforcement but were arrested first, authorities said. Eight men were charged on the state level and another six were indicted on federal charges in 2020. Ultimately, nine were convicted or pleaded guilty in the case, and five were acquitted. Whitmer's comments come after Trump's response to a question Wednesday on whether he had plans to pardon the men. 'I'm going to look at it,' Trump said in the Oval Office. 'It's been brought to my attention. I did watch the trial. It looked to me like somewhat of a railroad job. I'll be honest with you, it looked to me like some people said some stupid things,' Trump said. 'You know, they were drinking, and I think they said stupid things, but I'll take a look at that. And a lot of people are asking me that question from both sides. Actually, a lot of people think they got railroaded. A lot of people think they got railroaded.' Whitmer, whose dynamic with Trump has appeared to shift from adversarial in his first term to more amicable during his second, said Trump would be going back on his word if he granted the pardons. 'I talked to the President about a month ago, and he asked me how I'd feel about this. And I said 'I think it would be the wrong decision. I would oppose it.' And he said 'okay, I'll drop it.' Now, we see this revelation. So, I'm not sure how to process it,' Whitmer told Michigan Public Radio on Thursday. Whitmer said she condemned violence when Trump was injured last year after a shooting at his campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. 'I will just point out that when the man shot at the president when he was on the campaign trail in Pennsylvania, I was one of the first office holders on either side of the aisle to condemn it,' Whitmer said. 'Because anything short of condemnation creates a dangerous space for people that are sworn an oath to do the work of the public. We don't take up arms and harm one another.' When asked if she thinks Trump is serious about pardoning the men, Whitmer said, 'I don't know. When I talked to him before, we had a thoughtful conversation about it, and he said he'd drop it. So, I'm not sure what to make of this new revelation, but I will be reaching out over the weekend.' Her comments come as Trump has issued a slew of pardons to individuals with ties to his political allies. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel told CNN's Erin Burnett on Thursday that Trump is 'not a good faith actor.' 'You can't count on the president to keep his word. And if Governor Whitmer thinks that his promise alone will be enough, then unfortunately, I got a bridge to sell her,' Nessel said. 'And, you know, this is dangerous. The thought of pardoning people under these circumstances. These are domestic terrorists.' Trump criticized Whitmer in 2020, claiming she didn't thank him after authorities announced they foiled a plot to kidnap her while falsely claiming she called him a 'White Supremacist.' 'My Justice Department and Federal Law Enforcement announced today that they foiled a dangerous plot against the Governor of Michigan. Rather than say thank you, she calls me a White Supremacist,' Trump said in a social media post at the time. The two have recently appeared friendlier toward one another; the president publicly complimented her during a recent trip to Michigan. Prior to that visit, Whitmer visited the White House earlier in April with a bipartisan delegation to discuss a laundry list of issues affecting her state, where Trump briefly lauded her during remarks in the Oval Office.
