On the evening of October 27, 2025, Carl Joseph Carpenter, a 38-year-old father of five, was shot and killed outside a home on Bellevue Court in Lexington Park, Maryland. A White male, Carpenter had driven to the residence to pick someone up for work when a verbal altercation with a resident turned deadly.
The dispute began after Carpenter found his Ford Ranger blocked in the driveway by a Hyundai belonging to David Scott Jones, 58, and his wife, Djhonna Mari Jones, 46. When Carpenter asked David Jones to move the car, an argument erupted. Home surveillance audio captured Jones berating Carpenter for being on his property, using profanities and stating, "I move the car when I want."
According to investigators who reviewed surveillance footage, the confrontation escalated quickly. After Carpenter unloaded and dropped his own handgun, Djhonna Jones reportedly came out of the residence and handed a Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun to her husband.
David Jones then kicked Carpenter, and a brief scuffle followed. Carpenter walked away from the fight and was attempting to get into his truck when Jones opened fire, shooting him seven times.
Deputies from the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office had been dispatched to the scene around 6:40 p.m. for a report of an assault, which was updated to shots fired while they were on their way. They arrived to find Carl Carpenter in a gravel area next to the driveway with fatal gunshot wounds to his head and upper body. David Jones was found holding the handgun and surrendered to deputies without incident. A search of Jones revealed a concealed knife, a pair of nunchucks, and additional ammunition. Investigators later determined he was legally prohibited from possessing firearms due to a prior conviction.
David Scott Jones was arrested at the scene and charged with first and second-degree murder, assault, and multiple firearms offenses. His wife, Djhonna Mari Jones, was later indicted by a grand jury and charged with first-degree murder and other related offenses for her role in the killing.
In July 2026, ahead of his scheduled jury trial, David Scott Jones pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison plus 20 years, and prosecutors have stated their intent to seek the maximum penalty. As of his plea, a pre-sentencing investigation was ordered before a sentencing date could be scheduled.
