Fulton judge Sanford Jones killed in Ala. plane crash

Fulton County Juvenile Court Judge Sanford "Sammy" Jones and an 18-year-old Newnan man died Friday when a Coweta County-bound plane crashed in an east Alabama hayfield.

Jones, 56, was the pilot of the plane, and the front seat passenger also killed has been identified as Alexander Nicholas "Sasha" Medina, according to Lee County Coroner Bill Harris.

Medina, a 2008 graduate of Newnan High School, was a student at the University of West Georgia.

The coroner identified the injured passengers as Sarah Conklin, 19, and Joshua Rumohr, 18, both of Newnan.

About 65-70 staff members were still at work Friday afternoon when news of Jones' death came, said Careatha Daniels, chief probation officer for juvenile court.

"It's such a big, big loss," said Daniels, who worked with Judge Jones for 20 years. "We've just been crying together over the loss."

Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones (no relation to the judge) said the coroner is notifying family members.

Jones took off early Friday in the single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza plane from Newnan-Coweta County airport and traveled to Destin, Fla. He picked up the three teenagers, who had driven to Florida earlier to deliver a car, Rumohr's grandmother Linda Rumohr said.

The plane was on its way back to Coweta when it crashed around 12:30 p.m., Sheriff Jones said.

The plane radioed the Alabama airport for help shortly before crashing in a hayfield in the Beauregard section of Lee County, Jones said. The plane clipped several trees on its way down.

"The pilot did radio our local airport and indicate he was having trouble of some nature," said Jones. "We got a second call from a passenger on the plane that it had crashed. We got the coordinate location from the cell phone, which was tremendously efficient."

Sheriff's deputies arrived at the crash 16 minutes later. The coroner pronounced two dead at the scene.

Rumohr and Conklin were treated at East Alabama Medical Center and on their way home to Newnan Friday night, Linda Rumohr said.

"They're doing just fine," the grandmother said. "Joshua had a gash on his head, but other than that he's OK."

An Birmingham-based Federal Aviation Administration investigator is on scene and looking into the crash, Sheriff Jones said Friday evening. The sheriff reported no adverse weather.

The three teenagers graduated from Newnan High School in 2008 and remained friends. They knew the judge from First Baptist Church in Newnan, Linda Rumohr said.

The grandmother said she didn't know the judge, but knew he had arranged for a private plane to retrieve the teenagers from Florida.

Judge Jones graduated from the University of Georgia and earned his law degree at the Woodrow Wilson College of Law. He took the bench in January 1992.

"Judge Jones was a compassionate public servant, whose single purpose was to improve the lives of so many troubled young people who came into his court," said Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears in a statement. "He worked tirelessly for our children, and understood better than anyone that all young lives are worth saving. I considered Sammy my friend, and like so many others, I will miss him."

The judge's work for children was lauded by those who knew him.

Rick McDevitt, president of the Georgia Alliance for Children, said he just spoke to Jones on Wednesday.

"He's made tremendous contributions to the court system," McDevitt said. "We didn't always agree on priorities. But we always agreed on improvements that were needed for the courts."

It was the judge's casual, conversational approach to dealing with his clients that showed he genuinely cared, said Daniels, who attended picnics at the judge's south Fulton farm.

"I never met a person who did not have a good story to tell about Judge Jones," an emotional Daniels said. "He would help anyone."

By 7 p.m., about a dozen friends had posted good-bye messages on Medina's Facebook page. Friends described the lacrosse player, known as Sasha, as kind and gentle, yet funny with a "cocky smile."

"Your future here was very bright, and you were truly loved by all of your family. We ask that you watch out for us, and know that we will always be inspired by your grace, your faith, your kindness, and your gentle way of being you," Erica Brohman wrote.

Joshua Rumohr and Conklin dated in high school and remain a couple, Linda Rumohr said.