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

[azure]

A vice, possibly, but nothing illegal. JPL would not be buying illegal drugs or prostitutes with a Visa Card.

His wife was an OBGYN, so I expect very high insurance rates.

Today, the average AUSA in Baltimore makes about $86 K a year: Salary That would have been about $56 K in 2003, maybe a bit less. Figure about $55 K. However, that is average and JPL had been there less than 5 years, so he might have been making less.

I have known enough prosecutors to know that a dependable salary and no office overhead are attractions for these jobs. It is not a bad salary, but it is not the kind of money you could make in private practice.

He likely wasn't paying for illegal items with his Visa, no. But he could be putting his regular expenses on the Visa and cashing out his pay to do something illegal...

 

[sunspun]

I suspect that he had pulled into the parking lot, laid down in the back seat, to have more room, and made the cuts there. When he went too deep, he got out and attempted to follow the lights to get help; he could not see the ditch where the car ended up. He got out, possibly intending to go a house that was in line of sight, but collapsed into the ditch (stream) from loss of blood. He drowned.

I realize this is a year-old post, but I just now read it and still thought I'd add my thoughts on it:
If he had done it himself and accidentally cut too deep as you theorized, I feel like the first thing he would have done is whip off his tie or jacket and make a tourniquet, before getting out of the car to go in search of help. IMO, it's pretty much universal knowledge that's what you do if you're bleeding out of control. I can't see that theory as being feasible.
Seems obvious to me he was murdered, but I know even the authorities can't seem to decide on that.

 

[sunspun]

He likely wasn't paying for illegal items with his Visa, no. But he could be putting his regular expenses on the Visa and cashing out his pay to do something illegal...

I don't think it's uncommon for a professional person with a salary to carry credit card debt of $25,000. It's not smart money management, but plenty of people do it without seeing it as a huge problem, especially not one that would lead him to think of suicide or to steal cash from the evidence locker. And his wife was an obstetrician as well, so their household income was pretty high. That amount seems normal enough to me.

 

[Sweetluv]

Just some aspects of the case that stand out to me..this was a 5 hour ordeal (11:40 pm to 5am) what was all transpiring? Jonathan had 36 wounds..from his own pocket knife. Wikipedia states they were to his chest and neck AND that he had a head injury. There was a second blood type and a partial print.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

I realize this is a year-old post, but I just now read it and still thought I'd add my thoughts on it:
If he had done it himself and accidentally cut too deep as you theorized, I feel like the first thing he would have done is whip off his tie or jacket and make a tourniquet, before getting out of the car to go in search of help. IMO, it's pretty much universal knowledge that's what you do if you're bleeding out of control. I can't see that theory as being feasible.
Seems obvious to me he was murdered, but I know even the authorities can't seem to decide on that.

The wound was on his neck. A tourniquet would have cut off his airflow.

 

[Sweetluv]

Does anyone have information on the head injury?
(According to Wikipedia)

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Does anyone have information on the head injury?
(According to Wikipedia)

No, other than that he had one. One possibility is that he had that, and a groin bruising by banging into the car and stumbling into the creek. The "creek" is basically a drainage ditch that constantly has a small amount of water in it.

There was no evidence that he was restrained.

 

[Kori17]

Jonathan Luna will never be forgotten by those who care. I’m still hopeful that in God’s time we will have an answer and his soul can finally rest in peace.