More than a decade after Philadelphia Officer Moses Walker Jr. was shot during an attempted robbery, a judge has overturned the murder conviction of Rafael Jones and ordered a new trial. The ruling centers on the case’s connection to Philip Nordo, a disgraced former homicide detective whose misconduct has shaken other Philadelphia murder prosecutions.
Jones was convicted in 2015 and sentenced to life in prison for Walker’s killing. NBC10 Philadelphia reported that the judge’s order was issued Monday after court documents confirmed the conviction had been vacated.
How The 2012 Officer Killing Became Tied To Nordo
Walker, an off-duty Philadelphia police officer, was walking toward a North Philadelphia bus stop early on Aug. 18, 2012, when police said he was confronted and shot by Jones and Chancier McFarland. Walker had just completed a night shift, according to archival reporting by The Philadelphia Inquirer.
McFarland later took a plea deal and testified that Jones was the shooter. During Monday’s hearing, Judge Jennifer Schultz found that Nordo’s involvement raised serious fairness concerns, according to KYW Newsradio.
Prosecutors said Nordo questioned McFarland’s cousin after learning he had a car resembling one seen fleeing the shooting. The cousin later received $20,000 from Philadelphia’s homicide reward fund and alleged Nordo falsely claimed the tip had led investigators to Jones and McFarland; the judge also noted that Nordo sat in on Jones’ confession, even though that confession was not used at the original trial.
New Trial Ordered As Walker Family Reacts
The ruling does not declare Jones innocent, but it wipes away the existing conviction and sends the case back toward a new trial. Officials have not announced a trial date, and it remains unclear whether McFarland’s conviction will also face a legal challenge, NBC10 reported.
Walker’s family criticized the decision, saying they now face the prospect of reliving the killing in court. His mother, Wayniya, told KYW that the family was disgusted and said the ruling was unfair to them.
The case is part of the wider fallout from Nordo’s time in the Philadelphia homicide unit. Nordo was convicted of rape, sexual assault, official oppression and related offenses, then sentenced to 24½ to 49 years in prison in 2022; the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Conviction Integrity Unit has separately helped overturn other convictions tied to his investigative work, including a case vacated in 2023 by the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said the department remains confident in the evidence surrounding Walker’s death while respecting the court process. The next major decision will be whether prosecutors seek to retry Jones — a legal fight that could reopen one of the city’s most painful officer-killing cases.
