CINCINNATI — Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich said she will not challenge a court ruling when it comes to evidence that can't be used for a possible new trial against Elwood Jones.

Jones was convicted in 1996 for the murder of Rhoda Nathan and sat on death row for more than 27 years before he was granted a new trial and released from prison.

Judge Wende C. Cross of the Hamilton County Common Pleas Court ruled in December 2022 that evidence withheld from defense attorneys during his first trial was significant and should have been presented to the jury.

In 2023, Cross then ruled that testimony from a now-dead Blue Ash Police Officer Michael Bray would be excluded from Jones' new trial.

"I didn't order a retrial," Cross said to both counsels. "I ordered a new trial."

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