Tieray Jones, the man accused in the disappearance of 2-year-old Jahi Turner 16 years ago, left George Bailey Detention Facility Wednesday a free man hours after a judge ruled that he would not be retried for the toddler's murder.
Jones was met by a sea of media personnel as he exited and ignored a barrage of questions on his way to his awaiting ride.
The only question Jones answered was if he had anything to say to Tameka Jones, Jahi's mother, to which he answered "I love her."
Jones was also met by attorneys Vik Monder and Alex Ozols who represented him up until the preliminary hearing.
"It's been a long time coming, but it's something that we told him from the moment we saw him," Monder said.
Jones has maintained his innocence since 2002, when Jahi, disappeared from a park in Golden Hill.
On Wednesday, before Weber made her decision, Tameka made an emotional plea to the judge. Via video chat, she begged for the retrial of her ex-husband, Tieray Jones.
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Jones has been in custody since April of 2016 when he was arrested in North Carolina and brought back to San Diego to face murder charges.
