Joliet Murder Defendant D'Kiva Jones Asks For Lower Bail

JOLIET, IL — Wednesday marked the first night of incarceration for 27-year-old D'Kiva Jones. On Thursday morning, Will County prosecutors distributed her first-degree murder complaint inside Will County Judge Dave Carlson's courtroom. She is charged with seven felonies in connection with Monday afternoon's death of Derek Walsh in Joliet.

On Thursday morning, Jones appeared over a video monitor set up inside the Will County Jail. Jones appeared to be confused with the legal process at her initial hearing. When Carlson asked if she wanted to have a Will County Public Defender appointed to represent her, Jones spoke up, saying, "Yeah, I was asking if I was supposed to have someone with me."

Jones also did not understand that her bail was already set at $2 million when Joliet police detectives obtained a warrant for her arrest Wednesday afternoon.

"So, basically ... can it be lowered or anything?" Jones asked the judge. "I ain't ever been in trouble, so I don't know anything."

Carlson spoke up, suggesting that Jones remain quiet.

"Ms. Jones, I wouldn't say anything about the case," Carlson warned her. "Your lawyer will come by. You have a right to a public defender on your charges."

Carlson told Jones that if she gets convicted on one of her three first-degree murder charges, she will be sentenced to prison for a period of 20 to 60 years. The sentence would be served at 100 percent, Carlson noted.

Joliet police detectives determined that Jones, who lives in Crest Hill, used her Ford Escape to run over Walsh, killing the 39-year-old Joliet man in a parking lot in the 1100 block of Plainfield Road on Monday afternoon in broad daylight.

Joliet police say Walsh and Jones were past acquaintances and that she intentionally drove over him. After driving over Walsh, Jones sped away from the crime scene, and Joliet police tracked her down later that night, police have said.

Thursday's criminal complaint charges Jones with three counts of first-degree murder, one count of failure to report an accident involving personal injury or death, two counts of aggravated battery and one count of failure to stop after having an accident involving personal injury or death.