‘Jekyll and Hyde’ serial rapist and community activist sentenced to 220 years in Washington prison

Cameron Probert/Tri-City Herald (TNS)

The mother of the convicted Tri-Cities serial rapist pleaded with a judge Friday for mercy for her son.

But Judge Diana Ruff said she could not show Brandon L. Jones any more mercy than he showed the 12 women he attacked.

“You showed no mercy to your victims. …You deceived your family. You have deceived your friends. But you didn’t fool the jury,” Ruff told him. “Basically you are a serial rapist and a robber. … There is no reason for me to show you mercy.”

A jury convicted Jones of 11 counts of first-degree rape, six counts of first-degree robbery and four counts of attempted first-degree robbery following a three-week trial in March.

Each sentence for first-degree rape must be served separately for a total term of 194 of 226 years in prison, Benton County Assistant Prosecutor Anita Petra said.

Ruff imposed the maximum sentence after an emotional two-hour hearing in Benton County Superior Court.

For two years, Jones targeted sex workers through a website where escorts could post ads looking for work.

Petra said he chose them because they were the least likely to report the attacks.

Jones, now 28, was a prominent figure in one of three Black Lives Matter groups in the Tri-Cities during the 2020 protests following the killing of George Floyd.

At his sentencing, he maintained his innocence and said he was a champion of social justice and a voice for people without justice.

“I went into it knowing that the whole thing would work against me,” Jones said. “I want the system to know that I will carry this burden on my back.”

He thanked everyone involved for the time and effort they put into the process. He said he still believes in the system and loves the Tri-Cities community. His attorney, Tim Dickerson, said Jones plans to appeal his convictions.

Serial rapist

For each of the 12 attacks from August 2020 to 2022, Jones arranged to meet each woman in a motel room, in his car or once at his home.

Many of the victims said he pointed a gun at them during the rape. Two were raped twice. At least one had an overdose of drugs he took after the attack.

He also later participated in a discussion on an Internet forum in which escorts exchanged information and tried to dissuade a victim from calling the police.

Prior to the sentencing hearing, three victims submitted statements for Judge Ruff to consider.

They found that he preferred to prey on the most vulnerable women and called on Ruff to sentence Jones to the maximum sentence.

“He made me feel like a piece of meat. I’m usually so strong. I always thought my reaction would be a fight. …I don’t have that. I froze,” one of them said. “He didn’t care what he did to us. I hope he gets the same punishment every day.”

Another person pointed out that Jones cried when the verdict was announced and said she was sure his actions made her feel worse.

Maintains his innocence

Jones’ mother, Felicia Jones, spoke at Friday’s online hearing from Boston.

She said that Jones came from a good family and that she and Jones’ father, a police officer, raised their children to be moral.

“My son is innocent of this,” Felicia Jones said. “My son Brandon Lamon Jones is a great person. … These are not the actions of Brandon Lamon Jones. … I hope you have mercy on my only son today.”

Other members of his family also supported Jones, saying they loved him and would continue to fight the convictions.

Jones maintained throughout the trial that he was innocent. He testified that he paid the women for sex but denied raping or robbing them.

On Friday, he said the two-year wait for trial and the three-week trial had been grueling and intense.

He called himself a model citizen who loved the country and supported the justice system. He sees himself as a voiceless people and plans to continue this work.

Dickerson told the judge that Jones intends to use his time in prison wisely and be a model inmate.

“He’s going to do his best to make the most of the situation he’s in,” Dickerson said.

Rape verdict

Ruff didn’t mince her words when she condemned Jones.

She noted that each of the women described fear for their lives and feeling as if the gun was pressed against their body. The women believed they would die at the hands of their rapist.

She noted the hypocrisy of saying he was a voice for the voiceless when he was stripping these women of their voice, their agency and their dignity. She said they would never feel whole because of what he did.

“You didn’t kill any of them. You let her live with her sense of shame,” she said. “You showed no love to these women. You treated her as less than human. … You don’t care about equality or respect.”

She ordered him to undergo a mental health evaluation once he arrives at a Washington state prison, saying he has a level of cognitive dissonance that Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Ruff said the sheer scale of his crimes, the level of planning and the devastating impact made it worthy of the highest level of punishment.

“The least I can do to make them feel safe is to put you behind bars for as long as possible,” she said.

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