Ala. man pleads guilty to killing girlfriend with golf club and burying body in suitcase 23 years ago

BESSEMER, Ala. (TCN) -- A judge sentenced a 65-year-old man to over 20 years in prison after he confessed to killing his girlfriend in 2001, leaving her remains in a suitcase, and burying them in the woods.

AL.com reports Brian Edward Jones pleaded guilty to the murder of Janet Luxford on Monday, Oct. 7. As part of the plea deal, prosecutors dropped a charge of abuse of a corpse. He was subsequently sentenced to 21 years behind bars, a number that prosecutors called for as a symbol because Jones confessed to the crime 21 years after killing Luxford.

Bessemer Police Lt. Christian Clemons told WBRC-TV that on March 27, 2022, Jones "took a bus from South Carolina to the Birmingham area and he sat outside of our station until he finally got up the nerve to give us a call." Jones reportedly informed authorities that he and Luxford got into an argument because she wanted to go home to visit her parents in California.

According to AL.com, on Feb. 18, 2001, he reportedly hit her in the throat with a golf club, which led to her death. After confessing, he led police to where he buried her body. AL.com reports Jones informed police he came forward with the information after 21 years because he did not want to disappoint and upset his parents. After they died in 2021, he opted to tell police. Luxford’s daughter reported her missing in September 2002.

Assistant Jefferson County District Attorney Lane Tolbert said after the hearing, "We’re thankful the family was able to get some sense of closure out of this and that justice, no matter how delayed, is still coming for you."