What to Know
- On Monday, Miles Jones, 42, of Philadelphia, was convicted of first-degree murder, recklessly endangering another person, firearms not to be carried without a license and possession of an instrument of crime.
- On Oct. 19, 2019, Jones got in a fight with his girlfriend during a camping trip at the Homestead Campgrounds in West Rockhill Township.
- Jones later shot and killed two other men on the camping trip, Eric Braxton, 41, and Arthur Hill, 46, both of Philadelphia, after they tried to calm him down.
A Philadelphia man was convicted of shooting and killing two men who tried to calm him down while he was fighting with his girlfriend during a camping trip in Bucks County two years ago.
On Monday, Miles Jones, 42, of Philadelphia, was convicted of first-degree murder, recklessly endangering another person, firearms not to be carried without a license and possession of an instrument of crime.
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In October 2019, Jones was invited to an annual camping trip with 15 other people, including friends and relatives of his girlfriend, at the Homestead Campgrounds in West Rockhill Township.
Around 2 a.m. on Oct. 19, 2019, Jones and his girlfriend began arguing. She then told him to leave the tent they were sharing, leading to an altercation between the two.
Jones then flipped the tent when two other men who were on the camping trip, Eric Braxton, 41, and Arthur Hill, 46, both of Philadelphia, approached them. Hill’s two sons were also with him at the time.
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As the men tried to calm Jones down, Jones pushed Hill. One of Hill’s sons then punched Jones, knocking him to the ground. Jones then told the group they were going to pay and that “nobody’s safe.”
Some members of the group then walked Jones to his girlfriend’s car as they continued to try and calm him down and separate him from his girlfriend. Jones then grabbed a 9mm handgun and shot Braxton in the chest. The other campers fled into the woods for safety. Jones then shot Hill in the back as he tried to escape.
Both Braxton and Hill died from their injuries.
During his two-week murder trial, Jones’ attorney argued that his client acted in self-defense. Deputy District Attorney Edward Louka refuted this however and stated, “self-defense is not revenge.”
“He was the aggressor with anyone he came into contact with that night,” Louka said. “He did not have a reasonable belief that he was in any danger for his life.”
Jones’ sentencing is scheduled for Thursday.
