Shaun D. Jones
This week, the Lancaster City Bureau of Police brought a 13-year-old cold case to a close with the sentencing of Shawn D. Jones (55) to 25 years to life for a murder committed during a burglary/robbery in 2013.
Case History
In January 2013, officers with the Lancaster City Bureau of Police were dispatched to a home on the 200 block of West Walnut Street in Lancaster City. Inside they discovered the deceased, 59-year-old Allan Wayne Hess, who had died from a stab wound.
Investigators collected a significant amount of physical evidence in the case, conducted interviews with the deceased’s family and friends, and reviewed hours of surveillance footage. Though they identified and later ruled out several people of interest, they were unable to identify a suspect. After some time, the case grew cold.
Renewed Focus
Det. Sgt. Shawn Gunnet was assigned the case after the original investigator, Det. Lt. Nate Nickel, retired. Sgt. Gunnet reviewed all the case files and worked with Evidence Manager Drew Hollinger to identify evidence that was not tested for DNA at the time the crime occurred. A crucial piece of evidence that seemed out of place was not tested: a cigarette butt.
DNA Testing Reveals a Suspect
Utilizing crime scene photos and evidence logs, investigators identified an ashtray close to the victim’s body, which among its cigarette butts included a single one with different brand than the ones the victim smoked, which were found throughout the home. The cigarette butt was sent to the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Forensic Services, where it was tested for the presence of DNA. A match was identified in 2024: Shawn D. Jones.
Shawn D. Jones’ DNA was on record because he is serving a state prison sentence for an unrelated offense.
The Interview
Sgt. Gunnet and Retired Lt. Nickel, now a Special Agent with the PA Attorney General, sat down with Shawn Jones for a recorded interview in 2025. During the course of the interview, Jones admitted to entering the home to steal a television and was confronted by Hess. The two struggled, and Jones stabbed Hess once in the chest and bound with his own shoelaces. Jones and Hess did not know each other; Hess had been housesitting for a friend and was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Jones admitted to later selling the stolen television to feed his drug addiction.
Charges, Guilty Plea, and Sentencing
Sgt. Gunnet filed criminal homicide, burglary, and robbery charges against Jones in 2025. He was scheduled to stand trial in August 2026, though in July 2026 Jones changed his plea to guilty in exchange for a sentence of 25 years to life. Jones’ sentence is to run consecutive to the state prison sentence he is currently serving. Given his history of violent crime, our community is safer by ensuring he cannot victimize anyone else.
Thank You
The Lancaster City Bureau of Police wishes to commend Det. Sgt. Shawn Gunnet and Evidence Manager Drew Hollinger for their outstanding work to bring this cold case to a close, as well as the thorough evidence collection work of the original investigators who made it possible to solve this crime over a decade later.
“I applaud Sgt. Gunnet and Mr. Hollinger for their work on this case” said Mayor Jaime Arroyo. “I’m proud of the work our officers and civilian staff do every day to seek justice for victims and their families.”
