VERNON, Ind. — It took only four hours of deliberation for a Jennings County Circuit Court jury to find JoVonnie Mayes, 23, of Seymour, not guilty in the October 2014 robbery and murder of Richard Smith, 52, of Dupont.
A resident of the area found Smith’s body in a dumpster outside of a North Vernon business October 17, 2014, and called police. Mayes had been an acquaintance of Smith prior to his death.
Jody Brooks, 24, of North Vernon, was also arrested in connection with the crime and pled guilty to murder and auto theft. He was sentenced to 62 years in January 2016. His scheduled release date is in October of 2060.
