Luzeia Mathis Missing Person Case

Sep 25, 2019

Mar 25, 2024

Luzeia

Mathis

24

18

71 inches

155 lbs

Black / African American

Female

In the late summer of 2019, a young woman's life, full of the promise of new beginnings, came to an abrupt and silent end. Luzeia Larea Mae Mathis, an 18-year-old female, was last seen on August 20, 2019, at her residence in Phoenix, Arizona. Described as an independent young woman, Luzeia lived on her own, and for a short time, her absence went unnoticed by those who cared for her. When she stopped paying her rent, a task she was known to be reliable with, concerns began to grow. After she vanished, her phone was turned off, severing her connection to the outside world and deepening the mystery of her whereabouts. Luzeia was a Black female with black hair and brown eyes, stood 5'11" tall, and weighed around 155 pounds. She had distinctive features, including pierced ears, a nose piercing, and a tattoo of writing on her chest. A month after she was last seen, the grim reality of her disappearance began to surface. On September 20, 2019, management at her apartment building, located in the area of north 35th Avenue and west Indian School Road, contacted the police after noticing a strong, unpleasant odor coming from her unit while attempting to carry out an eviction for nonpayment. What officers discovered inside was a horrific scene. The apartment contained two plastic bags filled with pillows heavily stained with blood, a bloodstained inflatable chair, and various cleaning products left out in the open. Further inspection of the bedroom revealed more bloodstains on the walls and carpet, with a clumsy attempt to conceal them with black spray paint on the mattress. Burnt incense was found in the air vents, a likely effort to mask an odor. There was no sign of Luzeia, and her car was also missing. The vehicle was later found abandoned in downtown Phoenix, and its trunk held more chilling evidence: bloodstains, the smell of human decomposition, chlorine, and a shovel. The investigation quickly centered on Luzeia's boyfriend, Jamal Lamar Jones, a man with whom she had a documented and violent history. Neighbors had seen him at her apartment on several occasions. The relationship was fraught with abuse; Jones had previously been arrested for aggravated assault against Mathis, allegedly striking her in the face with a handgun multiple times. In another violent incident while she was pregnant, Jones and his brother reportedly attacked her, leading to a miscarriage. He had sent her threatening text messages, including one that read, "I'll kill you once I beat this case with you." Surveillance footage obtained by police showed Jones driving Luzeia's car after her disappearance and purchasing a shovel, bleach, and chlorine from a Walmart. In November 2019, Jamal Jones was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. Despite his claims of innocence, a jury convicted him in October 2023. In April 2024, he was sentenced to the maximum term of 41 years in prison for the murder of Luzeia Mathis and for abandoning or concealing a body. To this day, Luzeia's body has never been recovered, leaving her family without the closure of laying her to rest. The case is a heartbreaking overview of a young life cut short by domestic violence, culminating in a murder conviction without the victim's remains ever being found.

Aug 20, 2019

Phoenix

Arizona

Maricopa County

85004

No

63441

Phoenix Police Department

Phoenix

Arizona

Maricopa County

85004

Stuart Somershoe

Police Volunteer

2120 North Central Avenue, Arizona

6022626151

Local

Law Enforcement

201900001663898

2019-09-20

Phoenix Police Department

9065

Black

Brown

Brown

No

07/27/2026