Minnesota Man Sentenced to 10+ Years for Fatally Shooting Woman Over $30 Dispute

Raymond Jones, 66, was convicted of second-degree unintentional murder in the shooting death of Desirae Argueta-Joj in Minneapolis. A judge sentenced him to more than 10 years in prison.

Minneapolis Man Gets Over a Decade in Prison After Killing Woman He Just Met in Dispute Over $30

A 66-year-old Minneapolis man has been sentenced to more than ten years in prison for the murder of a woman he had met only hours earlier, Law & Crime reports. The case centered on a $30 dispute that ended with a point-blank gunshot to the victim's heart.

Raymond Jones was convicted of second-degree unintentional murder in the death of 43-year-old Desirae Argueta-Joj. The jury acquitted him of the more serious charge of second-degree intentional murder. The Hennepin County Attorney's Office confirmed the sentence following a verdict that drew sharp criticism from prosecutors.

The shooting took place on Nov. 5, 2025, at an apartment in the 2600 block of West Broadway in Minneapolis. Officers responding to the scene found Argueta-Joj holding a knife and suffering from a gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a probable cause arrest affidavit.

Jones called 911 after the shooting and initially told dispatchers that the victim had a gun and it had discharged during a struggle. "I had help pulling the trigger," he told officers. He was unable to account for exactly how the gun went off, and investigators noted he had no defensive wounds.

Jones told police he had picked up Argueta-Joj earlier that day with the intention of paying her for sex. The two went back to his apartment, but when things "weren't working," she moved to leave. Jones said he stopped her when he noticed his $30 in cash was gone. She then produced a knife.

"She just flipped the whole script," Jones told officers.

Prosecutors rejected Jones' account that the discharge was accidental. According to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office, Jones pressed the gun directly against Argueta-Joj's chest and fired because he was angry about the missing money.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said her office had sought a 15-year sentence but received just over ten years. She criticized both the verdict and the way blame was allocated at trial.

"Mr. Jones is a 66-year-old man who does not take responsibility for his actions. Because of a dispute over $30, he fired his gun at contact range into Ms. Argueta-Joj's heart," Moriarty said. "The facts of this case make the verdict, the sentence, and the ways in which blame was apportioned to the victim in court minimize Mr. Jones' culpability for his actions."

Moriarty also addressed the victim directly in her public statement. "My thoughts are with Ms. Argueta-Joj's loved ones. She should still be alive," she said.

According to her obituary, Argueta-Joj was a mother of nine.

Source: Law & Crime