Alton Jones, a Trenton man accused of shooting two teens to death, will go to court in April.
TRENTON - A murder trial was scheduled this week for a man accused of killing two teenagers before fleeing to Connecticut.
Alton Jones, 24, appeared in court briefly Tuesday while attorneys and Superior Court Judge Pedro Jimenez set an April 4 start date for Jones' trial.
Alton Jones It's the latest development in a case that stretched on for nearly three years. Jones is accused of killing Rayshawn Ransom, 19, and Tierra Green, 19, in two separate shooting incidents in June of 2013.
He faces multiple charges including murder, attempted murder, weapons charges and tampering with evidence.
Prosecutors have said Jones was involved in a dispute with Ransom when he and two other men shot at the 19-year-old and other residents on West State Street in 2013. Ransom died from his wounds.
Only three days later Jones walked up to a crowd of people and started firing, unconcerned about whom he hit, prosecutors have said. Green was shot in the stomach and died in the hospital a short time later.
Jones fled the area just after the second killing. He dropped the gun and headed out of New Jersey, instigating a manhunt, which was led by the U.S. Marshals NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force.
He was on the run for weeks until U.S. Marshals found him hiding out in a New Haven, Conn. home. They extradited him back to Trenton in August, 2013.
The trial date was decided Tuesday without much other discussion. Jones laughed and talked with a few friends who came for his court appearance Tuesday before he was led out of the room in handcuffs.
Anna Merriman may be reached at amerriman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @anna_merriman Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.