Associated Press
MOUNT VERNON, Ohio — A man who killed a police officer in Ohio has pleaded guilty to aggravated murder and other charges and has been sentenced to life in prison plus 35 years without the possibility of parole.
Herschel Jones III pleaded guilty and was sentenced Wednesday in Knox County in the 2016 shooting death of Danville Officer Thomas Cottrell. Danville is about 60 miles northeast of Columbus.
Jones’ attorneys didn’t immediately return calls seeking comment Wednesday.
The 34-year-old officer’s body was found behind the village’s municipal building on Jan. 17, 2016, after Jones’ ex-girlfriend warned police he was “looking to kill a cop.” The officer had been shot in the head.
Jones faced a potential death penalty if convicted at trial. Death penalty specifications were dropped as part of the plea agreement.