DA opposes killer nurse's release from prison

Genene Jones serving life sentence in murder of 15-month-old Chelsea McClellan

SAN ANTONIO – Bexar County District Attorney Susan Reed is concerned that nurse Genene Jones could be released from prison sooner than her scheduled mandatory release in February 2018.

Jones is serving a life sentence for the murder of 15-month-old Chelsea McClellan, a child in her care in Kerrville. 

Jones, a nurse, injected the child with a lethal dose of succinylcholine -- a powerful muscle relaxant in 1982.  She was sentenced to life in prison but is scheduled for mandatory release in four years in accordance with a 1977 law passed to ease prison overcrowding.

Jones was convicted of injury to a child in another case in Bexar County in which the infant survived. And she is a suspect in 46 other child death cases in a Bexar County hospital that were never tried.

"This woman never needs to get out of prison and if she's fixin' to die -- getting ready to die -- then she ought to do it in prison," Reed said.

She was talking about concerns that Jones reportedly is in a prison hospital unit and is ill.

"Sometimes the prison system doesn't want to bear the cost of all that and I want to be sure that this woman never gets out of prison," Reed said as she discussed a video presentation she made to prison officials recently, in which she said she opposes any release of Jones.

The video produced by Reed's staff includes interviews, documents and news clippings detailing the Jones case.

Reed is running for re-election in November. Her opponent, attorney Nico La Hood, said he also opposes a humanitarian release.

"I believe that (Jones) should pass on in prison," La Hood said. "This is just and should happen --  especially for the victims' families that still have to live with this and have lived without their loved ones all this time."


About the Author:

Paul Venema is a courthouse reporter for KSAT with more than 25 years experience in the role.