The recent release of Steven Jones from the Arizona Department of Corrections has reignited the anguish for the family of Colin Brough, a Northern Arizona University student who was killed nearly a decade ago. On October 9, 2015, Brough, a 20-year-old junior, was fatally shot during a confrontation that spilled onto the campus, and three others were injured in the incident.
Jones, who was convicted of manslaughter and aggravated assault in 2020, has served just four and a half years of his six-year sentence. This early release, granted after credit for time served awaiting trial, has left Brough’s family grappling with renewed grief and frustration.
Andrea Jernegan, Brough’s aunt, voiced her discontent with the justice system. “It’s not fair,” Jernegan told ABC15. “After serving four and a half years, the kid is walking the streets free as a bird.” Jones is now under Community Supervision, previously known as parole, which will extend until July 8, 2025.
The family, who has been coping with the loss for nearly a decade, feels the pain of Brough’s absence more acutely with Jones’s release. Jernegan, who had been monitoring Jones’s prison record, expressed her heartbreak, saying, “It still really hurts. I have moments where I just break down and cry.” The emotional toll is especially heavy on significant dates like Brough’s birthday. “I miss his quirkiness and his laughter and his smile. His silly jokes. I just miss him, you know, as we all do.”
Jones’s legal journey was fraught with complications. Originally charged with first-degree murder, which could have resulted in a minimum 25-year prison term, the case ended in a mistrial when the jury could not reach a verdict. Jones later accepted a plea deal on reduced charges of manslaughter and aggravated assault.
As Jones re-enters the community under supervision, Brough’s family is left to navigate their ongoing grief and the impact of the legal outcomes on their sense of justice and closure.