Family of mother missing from Norfolk shares heartache and hope

NORFOLK, Va. — The family of Sharon Ivy Jones, a mother missing from Norfolk for more than 20 years, is sharing their heartache and renewed hope for answers.

“It's just like a piece of you is gone and missing,” said Thelma Jones, Sharon’s mother. “It’s just a lot of unknowns.”

The Jones family traveled to Norfolk from New Jersey this summer to speak with investigators after they learned about a News 3 report highlighting the unsolved case. The family said they were unhappy with the initial investigation by the Norfolk Police Department when Sharon was reported missing in 2002.

Graphic by Brianna Lanham

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“[It] just seemed like a lot of investigators didn’t care,” said Thelma Jones. “If you’re Black and you’re missing, you’re just missing because nobody seems to care.”

“I think it's reasonable to say that police could have done more [in the initial investigation],” said Detective Jonathan Smith, who reopened the investigation into Sharon’s disappearance in 2021. “We haven’t forgotten about her.”

Smith said he’s combing through every detail of the case, expanding the investigation by exploring advancements in DNA analysis and fingerprinting, comparing DNA profiles with unidentified remains, and re-interviewing people listed in the original case file.

“I think Sharon was taken against her will,” said Detective Smith. “The question is, by who?”

Graphic by Brianna Lanham

Sharon’s family said she moved to the Norfolk area in the late 1980s to attend Norfolk State University. She became a teacher’s assistant at Lynnhaven Elementary School in Virginia Beach. She also became a mother. Her daughter, Kai Jones, was only two years old when Sharon vanished.

“[Sharon] would give her life before she would leave her daughter,” said Thelma Jones, who believes murder is the only scenario that can explain her daughter’s disappearance.

“It’s been hard on all of us,” said Kai Jones, who said her memory of her mother has faded over time. “I think if I did remember her, it would be a lot harder to have grown up and have all my milestones and know that she's missing out on it.”

On September 21, 2002, a 33-year-old Sharon allowed her daughter to stay the night with the child’s father – her ex-boyfriend – so the single mother could spend a rare night out at a friend’s wedding. She was last seen after the party driving her red Toyota Tercel on Interstate 64 westbound from Chesapeake Boulevard.

However, when Sharon’s family in New Jersey couldn’t reach her by phone the next day, they reported her missing to the Norfolk Police Department. According to the original case file, Sharon’s car was found parked in her assigned space in front of the former Breezy Point Apartments at 8600 Glen Myrtle Avenue in Norfolk. Her apartment door was unlocked. Her parents also found the clothes their daughter was last seen wearing inside the apartment.

“It appeared more to be indicative of a crime scene staging as opposed to a struggle,” said Detective Smith. “There was a table on top of her bed that appeared that it could have been placed there.”

Smith continued, “There were a lot of items scattered across the apartment floor. The contents of her purse had been distributed across the couch. The phone line had been pulled out. There were a number of suitcases that were in various parts of the apartment.”

Graphic by Brianna Lanham

Smith said there was no blood detected in Jones' apartment, and there were no fingerprints found of anyone unknown to her.

“I don't think Sharon up and left a daughter that she loved,” said Smith. “I think she’s [dead].”

Sharon’s family believes she’s gone, too, but not knowing for certain what happened to her has made the heartache heavier. Her mother is hopeful that a more thorough investigation will uncover answers.

"All you can do is hope,” said Thelma Jones. “[This detective shows] more interest in the case than any of them from the beginning.”