By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- A Philadelphia judge overturned the murder conviction of Rafael Jones on August 3 in the 2012 fatal shooting of Officer Moses Walker Jr., citing investigative misconduct by disgraced Detective Philip Nordo.
- Officer Walker, 19-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department, was shot multiple times on August 18, 2012, while returning home from a shift after being followed by two men who announced a robbery.
- Jones was convicted and sentenced to life in prison, while co-defendant Chancier McFarland received 20 to 40 years after testifying against Jones; a judge ordered a new trial for Jones citing Nordo’s involvement.
- Detective Philip Nordo, sentenced to 24.5 to 49 years in prison in 2019 for sexual assault of witnesses and informants, had threatened to rape a witness interviewed in connection with the Walker investigation.
- Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner stated the office intends to appeal the conviction reversal, characterizing the original verdict as legally correct.
PHILADELPHIA, PA. — A Philadelphia judge overturned the murder conviction of Rafael Jones on August 3 in the August 18, 2012 fatal shooting of Philadelphia Police Officer Moses Walker Jr., determining that investigative misconduct by Detective Philip Nordo necessitated a new trial.
Officer Walker, a 19-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department, was shot multiple times while returning home from a shift. Walker observed two men following him and attempted evasion before the men caught up to him and announced a robbery. Walker drew his firearm; one of the men opened fire, striking Walker multiple times.
Investigators arrested Rafael Jones and Chancier McFarland in the case. Both men pleaded guilty to charges. McFarland was sentenced to 20 to 40 years in prison in 2014 after providing testimony against Jones. Jones was sentenced to life imprisonment after investigators determined he was the individual who fired the fatal shot.
Detective Philip Nordo, who was involved in the Walker investigation, was later found to have engaged in criminal sexual assault of witnesses and informants. Nordo was sentenced to 24.5 to 49 years in prison in 2019 for sexual assault charges.
The conviction reversal centered on Nordo’s threatening behavior toward a witness in the Walker case. Nordo allegedly threatened to rape Jones’s cousin, who was interviewed during the investigation because his vehicle matched a description of a car observed leaving the shooting scene. The witness did not testify at Jones’s trial.
Jones’s confession, which was provided to Nordo during investigation, was not used at trial.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner stated that his office intends to appeal the judge’s decision. Krasner characterized the original conviction as legally correct and asserted that a retrial is unnecessary. Krasner’s statement indicated the office’s belief that sufficient evidence existed to sustain the original conviction despite Nordo’s misconduct.
Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 President Roosevelt Poplar characterized the conviction reversal as disappointing. Poplar stated he was present with Officer Walker’s mother and brother at the time of the judge’s decision. Poplar expressed concern that the conviction reversal reopens emotional wounds for the Walker family as they attempt to move forward. Poplar stated the judge’s action compels the family to relive the incident repeatedly.