One Man Convicted for 2022 Cedartown Murder: GBI investigation leads to arrest and conviction in no-body homicide case

POLK COUNTY, Ga. – On Friday, February 2, 2024, a Polk County Jury convicted Joseph Leroy Jones, age 33, of Cedartown, GA, of malice murder, felony murder, and aggravated assault in connection to the murder of Monisha Leath, age 34, of Cedartown, GA.  Polk County District Attorney Jack Browning led the prosecution of this case.

On Thursday, February 24, 2022, at about 10:45 p.m., the Cedartown Police Department requested the GBI to assist with a missing person/death investigation involving Leath. Jones had admitted to his brothers that he strangled Leath to death during an argument. No one has had any contact with or seen Leath since February 24, 2022, when she did not pick her children up from school.

At this time, Leath’s remains have not been found.

The GBI would like to thank the Clayton County Police Department, the McDuffie County Sheriff’s Office, the Polk County Police Department, the Patrol Division of the Floyd County Police Department, the Rockmart Police Department, the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Thomson, the GBI Cyber Crimes Unit, the Cedartown Police Department, and the Polk County District Attorney. With the help of these departments in the investigation and search, the successful prosecution of Joseph Jones for the murder of Monisha Leath was possible.

There have been less than 10 no-body homicide cases worked and prosecuted in Georgia.