PAINESVILLE, Ohio — A Willowick man has been sentenced to life in prison for the 2019 killing of popular Ashtabula caterer Tim Meola.
Demarco Jones, 20, previously pleaded guilty to aggravated murder back in January. Lake County Common Pleas Judge Patrick Codon issued his sentence on Thursday, ruling Jones will be eligible for parole after 25 years.
Meola, owner of Guyreino's Deli and Meola Catering in Ashtabula, was found dead inside his Painesville home on the morning of Sept. 7, 2019. The 65-year-old had not shown up for work, and his stolen car was later found in Euclid.
According to the Ashtabula Star Beacon, Meola and Jones had previously met on social media and Meola drove Jones to his house on the evening of Sept. 6. Authorities say an argument then ensued with Jones eventually stabbing Meola multiple times and hitting him in the head.
Nearly three years passed before U.S. Marshals arrested Jones as the suspect in June of 2022. The fellow Lake County resident was just 17 at the time he killed Meola, but prosecutors chose to try him as an adult.
Court records show Jones had no prior arrests.
