Brief Timeline in the Adrianne Jones Murder

Brief Timeline in the Murder of Adrianne Jones

by Traciy Curry-Reyes

 

According to David Graham

David and Adrianne pull over and had intimate relations in the car. (Many deny that the actual
“act" took place. Most likely it was just some heavy petting because Adrianne Jones was menstruating  at the time) For several weeks David feels sick about cheating on Diane. So he tells her everything that happened with Adrianne. Zamora tells David that Adrianne “must die.” Both Diane and David start planning how they will kill her. 

 December 3, 1995

Adrianne is allowed to talk on the phone to her boyfriend Tracy Smith for a few minutes before bedtime. While she is talking on the phone, her mother passes by and hears Adrianne say “Hold on, there is someone on the other line.” She clicks over to the other line and talks to someone for a minute or two. Her demeanor during that phone call was very quiet. She clicks over again and continues to talk to her boyfriend Tracy. Her mother, Linda, asks her who it was on the other line. Adrianne tells her mom that is was a boy named David from cross-country. She also stated that he was “upset about something.” When her mother walks away, her boyfriend Tracy asks her who it was on the other line, and Adrianne tells him it was a boy named Bryan. Bryan is a friend who has emotional problems who often called Adrianne just to talk.

10:45pm: Linda Jones sees her daughter Adrianne for the last time. Adrianne is ironing her clothes for school. She appears to be edgy or “antsy.”

Just After Midnight December 4, 1995

Adrianne’s little brother hears the sound of  what he thinks is a pick up truck outside as if someone was slowing down.

David picks up Adrianne for a date....or so she thinks. She has no idea that Diane Zamora is lying in wait in the back of the car. At some point they stop on a dark road. David leans over towards Adrianne and reclines the seat back when Zamora appears from the hatchback shouting at Adrianne. She looks at Adrianne and tells her: “I know who you are! I know what you’ve done!”  David’s efforts to break Adrianne’s neck quickly fail, so Zamora hits her over the head with a barbell. Adrianne does not die immediately, she is able to slide out of the window, onto the ground, and then she starts trying to walk away. She makes it as far as a barbed wire fence where she finally collapses. David, fearing that she could still be alive, shoots her in the forehead.

At Daylight December 4, 1995

Linda Jones notices that Adrianne is not home. She gets worried when she finds Adrianne’s shoes. She decides to call Adrianne’s coach to inform him that Adrianne was missing, and that the last person she spoke to was a boy named David from cross country. The coach then has a student go to David’s classroom to ask him if he had spoken with Adrianne. He denies it.

Adrianne’s body is found behind the barbed wire fence. The police are able to confirm that it is indeed the body of 16 year old Adrianne Jones. The small town of Mansfield is shocked and saddened. No one has any idea what could have possibly happened to Adrianne. 

 Condition of the Body and Autopsy Findings

At the scene she was found with her head caved in on one side due to the blow that she received. She had one bullet wound to the side of the face to the cheek and another bullet hole right between the eyes. The body is clothed in gray shorts and a gray cross country regionals t shirt. Her hand cluthes the grass.

According to the autopsy report: the body is in normal condition. There was no sign of trauma to the vaginal area. “there is no evidence of genital trauma,” and “a tampon is in place in the girl thingy." There is a sign of "fierce struggle." Abrasions and puncture wounds are found on the legs. The cause of death is listed as “blunt traumatic head injury” or a bullet wound.

Confessions and the Investigation

The police question David Graham, but they do not view him as a suspect. They also question a girl from Mansfield who was put under a restraining order for shooting her boyfriend, and severely beating another girl who liked him. The victim in that case was a friend of Adrianne Jones. Jones testified in that case on behalf of her friend. Adrianne then started receiving threats from the girl who was on trial. The other suspect was a boy named Bryan, who had mental health issues. When questioned he couldn’t remember whether he had been with Adrianne the night before or not. He was arrested at his home for the murder, but then was released after passing a polygraph exam.

Diane Zamora and 2 other fellow female cadets, Mandy Gotch and Jennifer McKearney, are preparing for bed while sharing stories of the loves of their lives. Diane Zamora then tells the cadets that her boyfriend David would never cheat on her because she has “something on him.” She then confesses to murdering Adrianne Jones. The next day the young ladies confess it to a chaplain who then reports it to Navy officials. The Navy officials then contact Texas police. The police are on the plane the next day to Annapolis. The police question Diane, but she denies everything. She tells them that she just wanted to show her buddies how tough she really was. The police leave with out arresting her for lack of evidence. Diane is suspended from the Naval Academy. She leaves the academy home bound, but detours to see David in Colorado.

The police arrive in Colorado to question David Graham. David denies involvement in the crime. The police tell him that they know about the bloody clothing. David asks for a typewriter, and begins to write a full 4 page confession, he is then arrested for murder. Diane Zamora is arrested in Texas for the murder of Adrianne Jones.

The Killer Cadets, Texas Monthly, Skip Hollandsworth, Dec 1996