MD MD - Jonathan Luna, 38, Baltimore, 4 December 2003

[J. J. in Phila]

One other point. Despite wearing a topcoat and a dress shirt, there was no indication that JPL was being restrained. No tears or marks on the clothing; no bruising from being held down.

 

[Sweetluv]

Was there a clear pic of him at the ATM and gas station?

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Was there a clear pic of him at the ATM and gas station?

Not that I know of. Someone would have had to have known his password, and presumably he knew it. IIRC, most if not all of the money from the ATM was in the car.

 

[Kori17]

I am just grateful that Jonathan has not been forgotten

 

[ilovewings]

IMO, he was murdered, but I don't think planned. He left belongings behind..glasses and phone. Makes me think he was going to step outside briefly.
If your going to commit suicide, i don't think a pen knife is going to be your choice and if it was a PLANNED murder, your going to bring a weapon, not just "hope" your victim has one on them. The path he drove, the ATM and gas visits..sounds like someone had him under their control and snapped.
Do we know if his work and cell phones revealed who he spoke to last?
Maybe someone met him at his office parking lot, called him down, and forced him to drive. Sad he lost his life and the family are without answers.

Yes it is sad-- this case has bothered me for years and I reiterate that I dont believe he committed
Suicide

 

[Sweetluv]

What ever became of this 2nd person's blood found in the car?
Where was the blood located and how much? He left behind his cell and glasses, but not his wallet...maybe so the cell couldn't ping off any cell towers and track his location!? But why?
Did the autopsy report show defensive wounds?
Also, is it true he bought gas for TWO cars?

 

[ilovewings]

What ever became of this 2nd person's blood found in the car?
Where was the blood located and how much? He left behind his cell and glasses, but not his wallet...maybe so the cell couldn't ping off any cell towers and track his location!? But why?
Did the autopsy report show defensive wounds?
Also, is it true he bought gas for TWO cars?

I don't know the answers to your questions, all good questions- perhaps someone else knows some of those answers--

 

[J. J. in Phila]

What ever became of this 2nd person's blood found in the car?
Where was the blood located and how much? He left behind his cell and glasses, but not his wallet...maybe so the cell couldn't ping off any cell towers and track his location!? But why?
Did the autopsy report show defensive wounds?
Also, is it true he bought gas for TWO cars?

There is dispute on the wounds; some were describe as "pin pricks."

JPL had EZ Pass and used roads where it could be tracked.

My understanding is it was just his car.

 

[AgeofAquaruis]

There is dispute on the wounds; some were describe as "pin pricks."

JPL had EZ Pass and used roads where it could be tracked.

My understanding is it was just his car.

Was LE able to ping any phones near him before he left without his phone,and glasses? Like they did with Patrick Frazee?

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Was LE able to ping any phones near him before he left without his phone,and glasses? Like they did with Patrick Frazee?

That I don't know. JPL left from the secure federal building in Baltimore.

 

[hallowed_disaster164]

Hello folks, I am still in the process of going through this discussion board to see what has been said so far, but just wanted to introduce myself. I recently discovered this case while listening to old episodes of Crime Junkie. It caught my attention as soon as I heard that the victim was a Baltimore attorney that died mysteriously in 2003. My dad was an attorney in Baltimore for many years, and was working there in 2003. After the episode, I did what any true crime lover would, and texted my dad to ask if he was familiar with the case. I assumed he'd have at least heard of it given his history of involvement in Baltimore's legal community. Well, not only has he heard of it. He was one of the other attorneys working on the trial that Luna was prosecuting when he died in 2003. He has agreed to sit down with me to talk about his memories of Jonathan Luna and his death. He says he had worked on a few cases with Luna before his sudden passing and remembers him as "a very nice guy". He was in the court room on December 4, 2003 when Luna failed to appear and was reported missing. I do not know if he was present at the meeting on December 5 that was reported as Luna's last location before he began the baffling road trip that ended in his death, but I intend to find out. If he wasn't in the meeting himself, I do believe he could give me the names of the people who were. I can't guarantee I'll be able to uncover anything we didn't know before, but I figure it can't to give it a try. Looks to me like this case really does just need some more attention and for the right person to start talking.

 

[ilovewings]

Hello folks, I am still in the process of going through this discussion board to see what has been said so far, but just wanted to introduce myself. I recently discovered this case while listening to old episodes of Crime Junkie. It caught my attention as soon as I heard that the victim was a Baltimore attorney that died mysteriously in 2003. My dad was an attorney in Baltimore for many years, and was working there in 2003. After the episode, I did what any true crime lover would, and texted my dad to ask if he was familiar with the case. I assumed he'd have at least heard of it given his history of involvement in Baltimore's legal community. Well, not only has he heard of it. He was one of the other attorneys working on the trial that Luna was prosecuting when he died in 2003. He has agreed to sit down with me to talk about his memories of Jonathan Luna and his death. He says he had worked on a few cases with Luna before his sudden passing and remembers him as "a very nice guy". He was in the court room on December 4, 2003 when Luna failed to appear and was reported missing. I do not know if he was present at the meeting on December 5 that was reported as Luna's last location before he began the baffling road trip that ended in his death, but I intend to find out. If he wasn't in the meeting himself, I do believe he could give me the names of the people who were. I can't guarantee I'll be able to uncover anything we didn't know before, but I figure it can't to give it a try. Looks to me like this case really does just need some more attention and for the right person to start talking.

Welcome! This case has haunted me for 20 years! It is wonderful to have someone who has some inside information---- I have never understood why they called his death a suicide---- I don't believe that to be true based on my recollection of how his body was found. He was a young man with a great career and so much to look forward to in his life. The mystery of his death has been amplified by the lack of transparency and almost a seeming coverup in bringing the facts of his death to the light of day. I will look forward to any
tid-bits of information you can bring here and thank you for caring about this young man and how he perished.

 

[cutter99]

What @ilovewings says nails this. I feel for his widow and children who have no answers.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Welcome!
I would be very interested in the background of the case, especially US Attorney Thomas DiBiagio.

 

[Elley Mae]

Don’t know much about this case but found these I thought were interesting.

…

"It always had the feel, to me, that he was on his way to meet someone, for whatever reason, you know, he took money out at an ATM," Miller said. "If you're going to kill yourself, I don't know that you're going to take money out of an ATM."

"Another interesting element of this case involves a prior case that he handled involving a bank robbery, and, in fact, we were the ones who broke the story about that case, and what happened in that case is that the evidence in that case -- which is $36,000 cash -- somehow walked out of the federal courthouse, and that was his case," Miller said.

Private investigator in Jonathan Luna murder reveals new information on 16 year cold case

New information on Jonathan Luna cold case revealed to FOX43.

www.fox43.com

 

[Elley Mae]

Luna: No man, no problem

yardbirdbooks.com

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Luna: No man, no problem

yardbirdbooks.com

Yardbird (Keisling) has been discredited. I know he flip-flopped on Gricar.

 

[Sweetluv]

When he took money out from the ATM machine, your picture is usually taken.
Did they get a clear enough picture to see if it was Jonathan at the wheel?

 

[ilovewings]

When he took money out from the ATM machine, your picture is usually taken.
Did they get a clear enough picture to see if it was Jonathan at the wheel?

We don't know cause law enforcement has not really provided much information about this case-- no transparency

 

[J. J. in Phila]

When he took money out from the ATM machine, your picture is usually taken.
Did they get a clear enough picture to see if it was Jonathan at the wheel?

They said that the camera was not working.