Suspect in Nationwide Manhunt Pleads Guilty in 2019 North Amarillo Murder

A Potter County man who was the subject in a nationwide manhunt after he was named as the suspect in a young woman's murder in 2019 has been sentenced.

On October 9, Matthew Dillon Jones appeared in 181st District Court before Judge Titiana Frausto and received a sentence of 29 years in TDCJ following a guilty plea to the charge of first-degree murder.

On May 22, 2019, officers with Amarillo Police Department responded to a cardiac call at a residence at 3611 NE 17th Avenue. Upon arrival, they found the body of 24-year-old Kenee Allynn Griffing deceased at the scene.

Following an investigation, authorities named Matthew Dillon Jones as a suspect in Griffing's death and advised the public to be on high alert for his whereabouts.

The search for Jones spanned several months and gained nationwide attention, including a segment on A&E's popular show LivePD.

Shortly after the broadcast, officers spotted a man matching the description of Jones peering through the doorway of a residence in the 3600 block of NE 17th Ave. The man, confirmed to be Matthew Dillon Jones, refused to exit the home and authorities called in the critical response team.

According to on-scene reporting by MyHighPlains, Jones surrendered to police after a 90-minute stand off.

Jones was booked into Potter County Detention Center where he had since been held on a $400,000 bond.

At the time of being taken into custody for the murder warrant, Jones had two prior warrants for robbery and theft of a firearm.

Jones will remain at PCDC until he is transferred into the custody of TDCJ to begin serving his 29-year sentence.