Tucson man sentenced to life in prison for triple homicide

A Tucson man who was convicted in May of killing his estranged wife and two children was sentenced Monday to natural life in prison.

Pima County Superior Court judge D. Douglas Metcalf issued John Edwards James three natural life sentences after he was found guilty of the murders of Willona White, 44, Talmadge Holmes Jr., 18, and Jaiden White, 14.

During the sentencing, James told the courtroom, “I didn’t do this,” and shook his head while Metcalf read his charges out loud.

Victim impact statements were also read in court. In a letter, Talmadge Holmes Sr., the father of Talmadge Holmes Jr., wrote that his son didn’t do anything to hurt James, asking him why he murdered him. He also wrote that James deserved to spend the rest of his life in prison.

Joseph Ricks, the deputy county attorney for the Pima County Attorney’s Office, called the murders “targeted and personal,” stating that the natural life sentence was a great outcome for the case.

James’ trial began on May 2 and lasted until May 15. He represented himself throughout the trial.

After the trial ended, James filed a motion for a new trial. He told Metcalf on Monday that he didn’t believe he received a fair trial, and he believes the suspect was still at large.

His motion was later denied by Metcalf.

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On July 1, 2021, officers arrived at a house in the 7600 block of East Toronto Street, near East Stella Road, and found both Jaiden and Holmes shot to death in their bedrooms. Their mother, Willona, was also found dead in the master bedroom, an interim complaint filed in Pima County Justice Court said.

Willona White’s family members told police they suspected James, her ex-boyfriend, was responsible for the killings due to an extensive history of domestic violence. During the time of the murders, James was out on pretrial release from a 2019 assault case against Willona White involving a firearm, the complaint said.

According to a timeline of the slayings, Willona White spoke to a friend on the phone on June 30, saying she ended the relationship and was now afraid of her life, the complaint said.

Later that day, James recorded a song on his phone that included lyrics such as, “I will load up my pistol with teeth from a pitbull” and “you play with me you play with your life,” the complaint said.

In the evening, Willona White’s neighbor reported hearing 16 to 17 gunshots followed by a small engine speeding off.

When searching the house, officers noticed a window with tape on it that looked like it had been tampered with. The tape was tested, and the DNA of James and the three victims were found on it, the complaint said.

A gray sports bag was also found near the area that had James’ DNA on it, the complaint said.

James did not give a statement to police but did say he was with a female all night at his residence. The investigation later revealed that James was not at his residence the night of the shooting, the complaint said.