TEXT-MESSAGE KILLING
Who is Jerry Broyles and how long did he serve for murdering 17-year-old Zachary Jones
Broyles explained how, one day, his attitude towards the world suddenly changed
JERRY Broyles was one third of a group who plotted and carried out the murder of Zachary Jones in 2007.
His crime is featured in the Netflix documentary series I Am A Killer, which landed on Netflix on January 8, 2025.
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Broyles’ shocking crime
In 2007, Broyles lured Zachary to Atchley Park, Missouri, with the help of Terry Dunkin and Kimberly Dunkin.
Once Zachary was in the park, they attacked him with a baseball bat and killed him.
Witnesses to the crime described the incident as having a premeditated nature, prompting police to dig into the events which led to the murder.
On the Voices of a Killer podcast, Broyles explained that he came from an “upper-middle class background” but one day thought “screw it”.
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His new attitude led him to drop out of school and also led him to begin abusing illegal drugs, including marijuana and cocaine.
According to Broyles, he took part in the plot to murder Zachary because of “threatening” text messages which had been sent to his girlfriend.
Broyles is put behind bars
Terry reportedly killed himself on August 20, 2007, before his trial took place.
Kimberly was convicted of first-degree murder and imprisoned with two concurrent life sentences in 2009.
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She was jailed at a correctional facility in Missouri and has been denied any chance at parole, thanks to the premeditated nature of her crime.
Meanwhile, Jerry was convicted of second-degree murder and was initially given a life sentence.
Death row inmates convicted of capital murder give a firsthand account of their crimes in Netflix series ‘I Am A Killer’
However, in 2022, he was granted parole after serving 15 years behind bars.
He now takes part in a rehabilitation program in East Bank, West Virginia.
I Am a Killer
Broyles' crime is featured in hugely successful documentary series I Am a Killer.
The show sees convicted killers opening up about their crime and explaining the motives behind their actions.
The sixth series of the show, which features Broyles’ case, landed on Netflix on January 8, 2025.
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