BUFFALO, N.Y. — Catherine Jones, 90, was considered a loving woman. She had dementia and after the death of her husband was being cared for by her granddaughter 40-year-old Jamien Harris.
In November, police responded to a domestic call at the Highgate Avenue home and found the grandmother shot in the chest. She died.
Her granddaughter was arrested for having an unregistered illegal weapon in the home. She was taken into custody so she could undergo a forensic evaluation.
Harris is no longer in jail. She appeared in Buffalo City Court with her attorney regarding the gun charge, but the case was adjourned.
Erie County District Attorney John Flynn calls Harris "a suspect in the case" and a "strong person of interest."
Neither Harris nor her attorney wanted to speak after court.
The DA said "it is rare" to see a person who is a possible suspect for a homicide hit with a gun charge and free.
He admitted there is work to be done in this case.
The victim's family wants justice and someone held accountable.
Flynn said he understands their frustration.
"If I'm a family member and I know that an individual is living in the home with a deceased relative of mine and the deceased relative is shot and there is a gun found in the home, and in this case, the granddaughter is charged with a gun charge, if I'm a family member, I'm saying why isn't she charged with homicide? What's the delay here, why is this going on three or four months.?"
Flynn said, "It's not that simple. We have to build a case to determine who in fact pulled the trigger."
The grand jury investigation of the gun charge is going to go on one path, the investigation into the potential homicide is on a separate path," according to the DA.
Harris returns to court in May.