Jeffrey Wogenstahl’s former fellow death row inmate, Elwood Jones, has had his case formally dismissed. Like Jeff, Jones was tried in Hamilton County, Ohio; like Jeff, his lead prosecutor was Joseph Deters.

Jones was granted a new trial in December, 2022, after Judge Wende Cross ruled that prosecutors with­held from him thou­sands of pages of evi­dence. This material included a statement about another person’s confession to the crime, and information about a pen­dant found in Mr. Jones’ vehicle.

Judge Cross referred to the prosecution’s “win-at-all-cost men­tal­i­ty”, and concluded,
 “The Sixth Amendment requires a new tri­al as the only appropriate remedy.”

Jones was released on bond soon after that ruling. From December 12, 2025 he has become an unconditionally free man.

Former prosecutor Joseph Deters (now Ohio Supreme Court Justice Joseph T. Deters) has expressed outrage that his office is accused of hiding evidence in order to convict an innocent man. He continues to contend, without offering evidence, that Jones is a killer.

But the suppression of vast amounts of potentially exculpatory evidence in Jeff’s case mirrors that in Jones’s case, providing further evidence of the “win-at-all-cost men­tal­i­ty” of Prosecutor Deters and his team in Hamilton County.

We trust that Jones’s exoneration will give Jeff some cheer during the festive season. We wish both Elwood Jones and Jeff Wogenstahl a happy and peaceful Christmas.