Alexis Gabe case: D.A. concludes ex-boyfriend's mom was not accessory in murder

The Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office on Thursday announced the mother of Alexis Gabe's ex-boyfriend did not act as an accessory to her murder after the fact. 

The D.A.'s office said Alicia Coleman-Clark, the ex-boyfriend's mom, was under investigation to determine if she was criminally liable for actions taken after Gabe's murder. 

The East Bay community of Oakley was gripped by the case when Gabe, a 24-year-old woman, went missing in January 2022. 

Police theorize her ex-boyfriend, Marshall Jones, strangled her to death and then discarded and dismembered her. 

Jones, who was 27 at the time, was killed by law enforcement in Washington State in June 2022 as they attempted to arrest him on a warrant. He was the prime suspect in Gabe's murder. Jones had officially been charged in her death days before the attempted arrest. Officials said Jones charged at task force officers with a knife before officers opened fire, killing him. 

The D.A.'s office said they, along with Oakley and Antioch police departments, met with Gabe's family in December 2024 to pursue additional investigative leads. They said they examined forensic evidence, including recovered clothing.  They also re-interviewed the mother's ex-boyfriend to clarify statements he had made to law enforcement. 

In addition, they looked into Jones' flight purchase records from when he fled to the Seattle area. They were looking into whether his mother facilitated the purchase. Law enforcement determined she was not involved. 

"The District Attorney's Office has concluded there is insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the elements required to charge that Alicia Coleman-Clark acted as an accessory after the fact under Penal Code Section 32," a statement from the D.A.'s office read. 

Last spring, at a screening of a documentary about the murder case, Gabe's family members questioned why Jones' mother was not facing charges for aiding and abetting in Gabe's murder. At the time, the D.A.'s office said there was no indication anyone other than Jones was responsible. Gabe's family vowed they wouldn't quit until Jones' mother was in jail.

That didn't end up happening. 

Accompanying Thursday's announcement, D.A. Diana Becton offered her condolences to Gabe's family for the "unimaginable loss of Alexis." The D.A. offered the family her office's continued support. 

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Parents of Alexis Gabe disappointed with documentary about her murder

More than two years after the disappearance of 24-year-old Alexis Gabe in Antioch, family and friends gathered at a pizza joint in her hometown of Oakley on Wednesday night for a watch party of an hour-long episode of On the Case with Paula Zahn, titled "Where is Alexis?"

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