Offender Record · OFF-2026-103
Genene Jones (photo from the Radford University biography)
Genene Ann Jones
Sex
Female
Race
White
Born
1950
Custody
Incarcerated
States
TX
Distinguishing featuresNone reported in public records.
Custody
Incarcerated at Christina Melton Crain Unit, Texas Department of Criminal Justice · #03193016
Custody record at the facility
Currently serving life sentence with parole eligibility date of December 3, 2037. Previously held at Dr. Lane Murray Unit in Gatesville.
This record documents arrests, charges and convictions reported by courts, law enforcement agencies and news organizations. Every statement is tied to a cited source with an archived copy. A charge is an accusation, not proof of guilt; a person charged is presumed innocent unless convicted. Solve the Case does not allege that this person committed any offense beyond what the cited records state, and this record is not a suggestion that the person is connected to any unsolved case. How records are built, corrected and removed.
Summary of the record
Genene Jones is a licensed vocational nurse convicted of killing infants through lethal injections while working at Bexar County Hospital in San Antonio and a pediatric clinic in Kerrville, Texas, in 1981-1982. She was convicted in 1984 of murder in the death of a 15-month-old girl and sentenced to 99 years in prison. She pleaded guilty in 2020 to the murder of an 11-month-old boy and was sentenced to life in prison. She is currently incarcerated at the Christina Melton Crain Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Documented Arrests, Charges and Convictions
Dispositions are shown exactly as the cited records report them. Pending charges are updated when a court acts; a record with no remaining conviction or pending charge is removed from the site.
Offense date Jul 03, 1981, San Antonio, Texas
Murder
Bexar County District Attorney · Bexar County District Court, 399th District · Texas Penal Code §19.02 · Arrested Jun 29, 2017
8-month-old male child (Richard 'Ricky' Nelson) died on July 3, 1981, at Bexar County Hospital. Charged in June 2017 as part of task force investigation. Dismissed as part of January 2020 plea agreement.
SourcesTIMELINE: The case against suspected serial killer Genene Jones; Genene Jones, once dubbed 'Angel of Death,' pleads guilty in 1981 death of 11-month-old
Offense date Sep 16, 1981, San Antonio, Texas
Murder
Bexar County District Attorney · Bexar County District Court, 399th District · Texas Penal Code §19.02 · Arrested Jun 21, 2017
2-year-old female child (Rosemary Vega) died on September 16, 1981, at Bexar County Hospital. Charged in June 2017 as part of task force investigation. Dismissed as part of January 2020 plea agreement.
SourcesTIMELINE: The case against suspected serial killer Genene Jones; Genene Jones, once dubbed 'Angel of Death,' pleads guilty in 1981 death of 11-month-old
Offense date Dec 12, 1981, San Antonio, Texas
Murder
Bexar County District Attorney · Bexar County District Court, 399th District · Texas Penal Code §19.02 · Arrested May 25, 2017 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Life in prison with 20-year parole eligibility
11-month-old male child (Joshua Earl Sawyer) died on December 12, 1981, at Bexar County Hospital in San Antonio after being injected with a toxic dose of Dilantin, an anti-seizure medication, by Jones. Jones pleaded guilty to this charge in January 2020 in a plea agreement that dismissed four other murder charges.
SourcesGenene Jones, once dubbed 'Angel of Death,' pleads guilty in 1981 death of 11-month-old; Baby killer Genene Jones sentenced to life in the death of an S.A. infant; 4 other cases dismissed; A former nurse was suspected of killing dozens of children has been sentenced to life in prison
Offense date Jan 09, 1982, San Antonio, Texas
Injury to a Child/Serious Bodily Injury
Bexar County District Attorney · Bexar County District Court · Docket 84CR-0701 · Texas Penal Code §22.04 · Arrested May 25, 1983 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: 60 years in prison, concurrent with murder conviction
4-week-old male child (Rolando Santos) was injected with heparin, a blood thinner, causing massive internal bleeding in January 1982 at Bexar County Hospital in San Antonio. The child survived after a physician ordered his transfer out of the ICU and away from Jones' direct care.
SourcesBaby killer Genene Jones sentenced to life in the death of an S.A. infant; 4 other cases dismissed; Genene Jones, once dubbed 'Angel of Death,' pleads guilty in 1981 death of 11-month-old; TIMELINE: The case against suspected serial killer Genene Jones
Offense date Jan 17, 1982, San Antonio, Texas
Murder
Bexar County District Attorney · Bexar County District Court, 399th District · Texas Penal Code §19.02 · Arrested Jun 29, 2017
4-month-old male child (Patrick Zavala) died on January 17, 1982, at Bexar County Hospital. Charged in June 2017 as part of task force investigation. Dismissed as part of January 2020 plea agreement.
SourcesTIMELINE: The case against suspected serial killer Genene Jones; Genene Jones, once dubbed 'Angel of Death,' pleads guilty in 1981 death of 11-month-old
Offense date Sep 17, 1982, Kerrville, Texas
Murder
Kerr County District Attorney · Williamson County District Court, 399th District · Docket 83-297-K · Texas Penal Code §19.02 · Arrested May 25, 1983 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: 99 years in prison
15-month-old child (Chelsea Ann McClellan) died on September 17, 1982, at a pediatric clinic in Kerrville, Texas, after Jones administered succinylcholine, a muscle relaxant. The child went limp in her mother's arms during a routine clinic visit and died despite resuscitation attempts at the hospital.
SourcesBaby killer Genene Jones sentenced to life in the death of an S.A. infant; 4 other cases dismissed; Genene Jones, once dubbed 'Angel of Death,' pleads guilty in 1981 death of 11-month-old; Nurse Genene Jones faces trial in children's hospital deaths; TIMELINE: The case against suspected serial killer Genene Jones
Pattern and Background
Victim counts and the pattern of the offenses as stated by courts, agencies and the cited reporting. Suspected counts are what officials have said publicly, not a finding of this site.
2
Victims convicted
0
Victims confessed
60
Victims suspected
Active years
1981–1982
Victim profile
Children
Stated motive
Power or control
Range from home
local
Confessed
Yes
Cooperated with investigators
Yes
Education
high school
Marital history
Married, Divorced
Children
2
Places Lived, Worked and Frequented
Each place and date range comes from a cited record. Dates marked approximate are as reported. Know a place that is missing? Use Edit record under the photo; a moderator reviews it before it appears.
TX
San Antonio, Texas
1950 – 1968 · Adopted childhood residence with adoptive parents Dick and Gladys Jones
San Antonio, Texas
approx. 1968 – 1976 · Methodist Hospital beauty parlor
San Antonio, Texas
approx. 1976 – 1977 · San Antonio Independent School District's School of Vocational Nursing, Licensed Vocational Nurse training
San Antonio, Texas
1978 – 1982 · Bexar County Hospital (now University Hospital), Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, licensed vocational nurse
San Angelo, Texas
approx. 1982 – 1983 · Mobile home on ranch; briefly employed at Park Plaza Nursing Home
Kerrville, Texas
Aug 1982 – Sep 1982 · Private pediatric clinic of Dr. Kathleen Holland, licensed vocational nurse
Williamson, Texas
approx. May 25, 1983 – 1984 · Held pending trial in Williamson County (trial moved from Kerr County)
Odessa, Texas
May 25, 1983 – May 25, 1983 · Arrested at home of husband Garron Ray Turk's relatives
Gatesville, Texas
approx. 1984 – 2017 · Dr. Lane Murray Unit, Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ)
San Antonio, Texas
approx. Dec 2017 – Jan 2020 · Bexar County Jail pending trial on new charges
Texas
Jan 16, 2020 – present · Christina Melton Crain Unit, Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), serving life sentence
Timeline
Jul 13, 1950
Genene Ann Jones born July 13, 1950, in San Antonio, Texas, and adopted by Dick and Gladys Jones.
1966
Jones' favorite brother Travis died when a pipe bomb he built exploded in his hands when Jones was 16 years old.
Jan 1968
Jones' adoptive father Dick Jones died of terminal cancer in January 1968 when Jones was 17 years old.
Jun 15, 1968
Jones graduated high school and married high school classmate James Harvey DeLany Jr. on June 15, 1968.
Sep 1968
James DeLany joined the Navy approximately seven months after marriage.
Jan 29, 1972
Jones gave birth to son Richard Michael DeLany on January 29, 1972.
Aug 10, 1972
Jones filed for divorce claiming her husband was violent, but later reconciled.
Jun 03, 1974
Divorce from James Harvey DeLany Jr. was finalized on June 3, 1974, after marriage of approximately 6 years.
1977
Jones gave birth to daughter Heather during brief reconciliation with James DeLany Jr.
Jun 1977
Jones became certified as a licensed vocational nurse after completing training at San Antonio Independent School District's vocational nursing school.
Oct 1978
Jones began employment as a licensed vocational nurse in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Bexar County Hospital in San Antonio.
May 1981
Unexplained deaths of infants began occurring in the PICU at Bexar County Hospital where Jones worked the 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. shift.
Dec 12, 1981
11-month-old Joshua Earl Sawyer died at Bexar County Hospital after being injected with toxic dose of Dilantin by Jones.
Jan 09, 1982
4-week-old Rolando Santos was injected with heparin by Jones at Bexar County Hospital, causing massive internal bleeding but survived.
Mar 1982
Hospital administration required all LVNs to resign from PICU and replaced them with RNs; Jones left position but received positive letter of recommendation.
Aug 1982
Jones began employment as licensed vocational nurse at pediatric clinic of Dr. Kathleen Holland in Kerrville, Texas.
Sep 17, 1982
15-month-old Chelsea Ann McClellan died at Dr. Holland's clinic in Kerrville after Jones administered succinylcholine injections.
Nov 21, 1982
Jones briefly arrested in November 1982 but released pending grand jury investigation.
Apr 24, 1983
Jones married 19-year-old nursing aide Garron Ray Turk on April 24, 1983, in San Angelo.
May 25, 1983
Jones indicted in Kerr County on one count of murder and seven counts of injury to a child; arrested in Odessa at relatives' home.
Jan 09, 1984
Murder trial of Genene Jones began in Georgetown, Texas (change of venue from Kerrville).
Feb 16, 1984
Jones found guilty of murder in death of Chelsea McClellan after jury deliberated four hours.
May 14, 1984
Jones sentenced to 99 years in prison for murder of Chelsea McClellan with triple credit for time served.
Oct 24, 1984
Jones convicted of injury to a child for injecting Rolando Santos with heparin and sentenced to 60 years in prison, concurrent with murder sentence.
Nov 1984
Bexar County grand jury charged Jones with injury to a child in Rolando Santos case.
1998
At parole hearing, Jones admitted injecting babies and stated guilt in Chelsea McClellan's death.
May 25, 2017
Bexar County grand jury indicted Jones for murder of 11-month-old Joshua Sawyer in 1981.
Jun 21, 2017
Bexar County grand jury indicted Jones for murder of 2-year-old Rosemary Vega in 1981.
Jun 29, 2017
Bexar County grand jury indicted Jones for murders of 8-month-old Richard Nelson and 4-month-old Patrick Zavala.
Oct 31, 2017
Bexar County grand jury indicted Jones for murder of 3-month-old Paul Edward Villarreal in 1981.
Dec 2017
Jones transferred from Dr. Lane Murray Unit to Bexar County Jail to await trial on five new murder charges.
Jan 16, 2020
Jones pleaded guilty to murder of Joshua Sawyer and was sentenced to life in prison with 20-year parole eligibility; four other murder charges dismissed.
Jan 16, 2020
Parole eligibility date set for December 3, 2037, when Jones will be 87 years old.
Sources
Solve the Case is never the original source. Each item below is the public record a statement on this page rests on, with an archived copy where one exists.
Other government record · Wikipedia ·
Genene Jones“Genene Ann Jones (born July 13, 1950) is an American licensed vocational nurse and confessed serial killer, currently serving a sentence of life in prison for the murder of an 11-month-old baby boy in 1981.”
Other government record · Texas Department of Criminal Justice ·
TDCJ Inmate Search - Inmate Details“SID Number: 03193016 TDCJ Number: 02302131 Current Facility: CHRISTINA MELTON CRAIN UNIT Maximum Sentence Date: LIFE SENTENCE Parole Eligibility Date: 2037-12-03”
Other · Texas A&M Forensic and Investigative Sciences ·
Jones, Genene - Texas A&M Forensic and Investigative Sciences“In August 1982, Jones took a position under young Doctor Holland at a new pediatric clinic in Kerrville.”
News report · CNN ·
A former nurse was suspected of killing dozens of children has been sentenced to life in prison“A former Texas nurse suspected of murdering dozens of young children decades ago was sentenced to life in prison Thursday after pleading guilty in San Antonio court to killing an 11-month-old boy in 1981.”
News report · Click 2 Houston ·
Genene Jones, once dubbed 'Angel of Death,' pleads guilty in 1981 death of 11-month-old“Genene Jones, 69, once dubbed the 'Angel of Death' faced a Bexar County judge Thursday and pleaded guilty to the 1981 murder of Joshua Sawyer, an infant under her care. In exchange for her guilty plea, Jones was sentenced to life in prison.”
News report · MySA ·
Baby killer Genene Jones sentenced to life in the death of an S.A. infant; 4 other cases dismissed“Former nurse Genene Jones was sentenced in 1984 to life in prison for killing a 15-month-old child. At a hearing Thursday morning, Jones agreed to plead guilty to killing Joshua Sawyer in exchange for a life sentence and the dismissal of the other four cases.”
News report · Texas Monthly ·
How San Antonio's Baby-Killing Nurse Finally Got Justice“Jones previously served time after being convicted for the killing of 15-month-old Chelsea McClellan. She was sentenced to 99 years in prison in 1984, but would have been released in 2018 because of a state law meant to relieve prison overcrowding.”
News report · All That's Interesting ·
Did Genene Jones Kill As Many As 60 Children As A Pediatric Nurse?“Instead of administering the vaccine, Genene Jones injected the helpless child three times with succinylcholine, a muscle relaxant that stopped her heart.”
News report · KENS 5 ·
TIMELINE: The case against suspected serial killer Genene Jones“Feb. 16, 1984: Jones found guilty of murder, sentenced to 99 years in prison. Jones waived her right to a jury trial in Bexar County, and a judge sentenced her to 60 years in prison to serve concurrently.”
Other · Radford University Department of Psychology ·
Radford University serial killer biography: Jones, Genene“Twenty infants die from cardiac arrest or runaway bleeding at Bexar Hospital where Genene works.”
News report · United Press International ·
Nurse Genene Jones faces trial in children's hospital deaths“Pediatric nurse Genene Jones, charged with injecting several children with deadly drugs, goes on trial for murder Monday, hoping to shed the label of baby killer.”
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