Nothing about the initial call summoning police to the Embassy Suites in Blue Ash, Ohio, suggested they were about to enter a crime scene on Sept. 3, 1994. Rather, when Rhoda Nathan was found unresponsive on her hotel room floor, people at first assumed the 67-year-old grandmother had suffered a heart attack.
After police arrived, though, everything shifted. Nathan’s roommate, lifelong friend Elaine Shub, told police that money was missing from the purse she’d left in the room. An officer spotted one of Nathan’s teeth on the floor. Was that a result of a fall or something worse?
Ultimately, a hotel worker named Elwood Jones would be convicted in the beating and murder of Nathan, but Jones continues to maintain his innocence as he nears his scheduled execution date.
The fourth season of the hit podcast Accused – created by Cincinnati Enquirer journalists Amber Hunt, Amanda Rossmann and Amy Wilson – re-examines Nathan’s death and the police’s subsequent investigation. As you ready to listen, step inside the hotel room, take a look at the crime scene and learn what police did – and didn’t – do to solve the case.
To access the AR experience “Accused: The Impending Execution of Elwood Jones” in the Delaware Online app:
For iOS
- Download the latest version of the Delaware Online app on your iOS device.
- Open your camera app on your phone and scan the QR code below.
For Android
- Download the USA TODAY app. Go to Sections and click on the Augmented Reality section.
- Click on the “Accused: Inside the Crime scene” headline.
