Jonathan Luna facts for kids

Jonathan Paul Luna (born October 21, 1965 – died December 4, 2003) was an American lawyer. He was found dead in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, under very mysterious circumstances. At the time, he was working as an Assistant United States Attorney in Baltimore, Maryland. His death remains an unsolved mystery.

About Jonathan Luna

Jonathan Luna was born on October 21, 1965. He grew up in a public housing area in the South Bronx, New York City. His father was from the Philippines, and his mother was African-American.

Education and Early Career

Luna went to Fordham University for his first degree. Later, he studied law at the University of North Carolina School of Law. After law school, he worked at a law firm in Washington, D.C.. He also worked for the Federal Trade Commission.

Before moving to Baltimore, Luna was a prosecutor in Brooklyn, New York. He then became an Assistant United States Attorney in Baltimore. This job meant he worked for the U.S. government as a lawyer.

Family Life

Jonathan Luna married Angela Hopkins on August 29, 1993. Angela is a doctor who helps with pregnancies and childbirth. They had two children together.

The Mystery of His Death

Jonathan Luna's death on December 4, 2003, is still a puzzle. He was found in a small creek next to his car in a quiet, rural area of Lancaster County. Investigators found injuries on him, but the cause of death was drowning.

Last Known Movements

On the night he died, Luna left the Baltimore courthouse around 11:38 p.m. He drove north on I-95. He used his electronic toll pass in Delaware. However, he later switched to buying toll tickets.

• At 12:57 a.m., money was taken from his bank account at an ATM in Newark, Delaware.
• At 2:47 a.m., he crossed into Pennsylvania on the turnpike.
• At 3:20 a.m., his debit card was used to buy gas at a service station in King of Prussia.
• At 4:04 a.m., his car left the turnpike at the Reading-Lancaster exit. A small spot of blood was found on his toll ticket. This suggested he might have been hurt already.

Discovery of His Car and Body

Luna's car was found at a business called Sensenig & Weaver Well Drilling. It was parked at the back of the property. Around 5:30 a.m., an employee noticed the car. Its lights were off, and the front part was in the stream.

There was blood on the driver's door and the front of the car. Jonathan Luna was found face down in the stream, under the car's engine. He was wearing his suit and a black overcoat. His court ID was still around his neck. A pool of blood was also found on the back seat floor of his car.

Even though he had several injuries, the official cause of death was drowning.

Unanswered Questions

Investigators have not found any suspects or a clear reason for his death. The case is still open. Evidence collected included a second blood type and a partial fingerprint. There was also some blurry video from near the gas station where he bought fuel. The U.S. government offers a $100,000 reward for information that helps solve the case.

Ideas About What Happened

Homicide Theory

The coroner in Lancaster County, who examined Luna's body, said his death was a homicide caused by drowning. This means someone else caused his death.

Some things make this theory seem possible:

• Luna left his glasses and cell phone on his desk. He needed his glasses to drive.
• He had told other lawyers he would send them documents that night, but they never arrived.
• The blood found in the back seat of his car might mean someone else was driving.

Later Developments

In 2007, Jonathan Luna's family hired a private investigator and a lawyer. They asked a court to make the coroner hold a special hearing about Luna's death. This hearing is called an inquest. Their request was turned down at first.

In 2020, a newspaper called LNP asked a judge to make public some records about Luna's death. These records were held by the county, not by federal lawyers as thought before. On January 13, 2021, the judge decided that the documents should stay sealed. The judge said releasing them could "substantially hinder" the ongoing investigation into Jonathan Luna's death.

See also

• Casefile True Crime Podcast - Case 9
• List of unsolved deaths
• Thomas C. Wales