Clayton Man Found Guilty in Connection to 25-Year-Old Murder Case

A resident of Clayton, Jonathan Lynn Jenkins, has been convicted in relation to a murder case that dates back 25 years. The verdict was reached by a jury in Johnston County earlier this week.

The victim, Elton Whitfield of Beulaville, was reported missing by his family to the Clayton Police Department on March 20, 1999. Despite extensive efforts to locate Whitfield, it was not until April 22, 1999, that a civilian discovered a badly decomposed body in a wooded area off Lake Myra Road in Wake County. The body was later identified as Whitfield.

In April 2006, Jenkins pleaded guilty to the murder of Richard Vestal in Clayton, which occurred in October 1998. He was subsequently sentenced to prison. DNA evidence presented during the trial linked Jenkins to a mask found at the scene of the Vestal homicide. Following his release from prison, Jenkins came under suspicion by the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office in a human trafficking case.

On January 19, 2016, Lieutenant Donald Pate arrested Jenkins on charges of human trafficking, sexual servitude, and possession of a firearm by a felon.

According to a news release from the Johnston County District Attorney’s Office, Jenkins immediately expressed his desire to speak to Lieutenant Pate about the human trafficking charges and offered information about a potential “body.” The following day, Jenkins confessed to the murder of Elton Whitfield. He admitted to strangling Whitfield and disposing of his body in the woods. Jenkins claimed that he killed Whitfield because Whitfield was also involved in the Vestal murder and was on the verge of confessing to the police in March 1999.

The press release further stated that Jenkins believed Whitfield “had to die” to prevent him from implicating Jenkins in the Vestal murder.

On August 4, 2021, Jenkins was convicted of sex trafficking in federal court and subsequently sentenced to three consecutive life sentences. After a two-week trial involving numerous witnesses, Jenkins was found guilty of first-degree murder in the case of Elton Whitfield. He received the mandatory prison sentence of life without the possibility of parole.

Senior Assistant District Attorney Jason Waller expressed gratitude towards the Clayton Police Department and Detective Jason Linder for their unwavering commitment to solving this 25-year-old homicide case. He also commended Lieutenant Don Pate of the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office for his investigation into the human trafficking case, which ultimately led to Jenkins confessing to the murder of Elton Whitfield. Waller acknowledged the dedication of the jurors in delivering a verdict that will finally put an end to the cycle of violence inflicted by Jenkins upon multiple victims in Johnston County since 1999.