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Open in new tab January 16, 2026 – Visiting Judge Richard A. Frye sentenced Tara Jones to 5-7.5 years in prison for Involuntary Manslaughter (a felony of the first degree), Improperly Furnishing Firearms to a Minor (a felony of the fifth degree), Permitting Drug Abuse (a felony of the fifth degree), and Unlawful Transactions in Weapons (a felony of the fifth degree). A Delaware County jury found Jones guilty of these offenses after a four-day in trial in October 2025.
The charges against Jones stemmed from her purchase of a firearm for her son, Rayshawn Anderson, a juvenile. Anderson then used the firearm to murder Alonzo Byrd in 2024. Anderson was found guilty by a Delaware County jury in 2024 of murdering Byrd, and he is currently serving life in prison with the possibility of parole after 27 years.
This case was prosecuted by Major Crimes Prosecutor Daniel Cogley and Assistant Prosecutor Elizabeth Matune and investigated by Delaware City Police Department.