He had a smile that could brighten anyone’s day, a thirst for knowledge that couldn’t be quenched and a passion for biological and cultural anthropology that was striking. But after he ran from the scene of a violent incident and became the primary suspect in the beating of fellow University student Devan Long in early March, 25-year-old Eric Dylan Jones saw no hope for his once-bright future. He took his own life March 21.
Jones’ girlfriend of six months, Ariana Schwartz, 20, said the other side of what happened that night was not portrayed in the initial media coverage about the beating incident, adding that the attack was indeed provoked. But because Jones fled the scene and did not immediately return to his only known address, his side of the story was not attainable.
“(Jones) was in fact coming to my defense in a situation where I felt menaced,” the senior art major said. Michael P. Stephenson, Jones’ friend of nearly 10 years, said his younger brother and Schwartz were initially harassed by two inebriated football players the night of the incident before Jones stepped into the confrontation. Friends of Jones said he had an extraordinary strength, especially when he felt those close to him were in danger.
“Unfortunately for them, Eric Jones was not the right person to pick a fight with,” Stephenson said.
Stephenson said his brother, Schwartz and Jones were targets of threats and aggressive behavior, and the initial articles describing the incident only served to make Jones’ “sensitive situation even worse.”
To her understanding, Schwartz said Jones was planning to turn himself in to police the day the initial Emerald article was published. However, he changed his mind because he feared people would no longer respect him and because he didn’t feel comfortable returning to campus, she said.
“He felt he had lost his chance to successfully achieve his future goals and aspirations,” she said.
But the details of the incident are not as important now in how Schwartz and others want Jones to be remembered.
“Eric was a great friend who was always there to help out,” Stephenson said. “No matter what situation you got yourself into, he was always there.”
Jones was born Aug. 13, 1977, the son of Gail Burch and Logan Jones, both of whom declined to comment. He grew up in Salem and graduated from South Salem High School in 1995. He attended Chemeketa Community College, Oregon State University and graduated from the University of Oregon in 2002. Jones was accepted to Rutger’s University to study anthropology and travel in western Africa in the summer of 2001. He was still studying anthropology at the University at the time of his death.
Jones was known for his love of reading, writing, food, music and the outdoors, including activities such as hiking and backpacking. Jones also showed a strong commitment to fitness and loved baseball.
“He certainly felt more at home and at peace in the wilderness than on a couch in front of a TV — or just about anywhere,” Schwartz said.
As for his dreams and goals, Jones wished to pursue a career in anthropology and wanted to travel extensively to collect ancient art from diverse cultures and unlock the secrets of the past.
“He had a real passion for understanding the complexity of nature and was driven to seek knowledge of the origins of life and the forces that keep us ticking,” Schwartz said.
John Lukacs, an anthropology professor and interim department head, had been an academic adviser to Jones for years and said he was shocked to hear of his suicide, especially considering how frequently he and Jones met and worked together.
“I had no clue there was anything going on in other parts of his life,” he said.
Lukacs, who was out of town when the beating was reported, said Jones always went above and beyond the college curriculum and was passionately interested in the study of human evolution.
Lukacs said he was quite impressed with the determination and independence of undergraduate Jones when he spent the summer at a high profile field school in Kenya, Africa, a few years ago. Today, Lukacs said he can’t help but wonder if he could have helped Jones through his difficult time, had he been in town.
“It’s a little disturbing to me,” he said. “Our interactions were always more of a one-on-one thing, and I wonder if he just didn’t feel comfortable sharing more of his life with me.”
Besides his love for African culture and the natural environment, Jones was also devoted to his dog, Jamilla, who Schwartz said was the center of his life.
Before he died, Jones left instructions for his loved ones about what to do with his belongings, and he had conversations with some close friends regarding his hopes and intentions for their futures.
Schwartz said many of Jones’ fossils and anthropology books will be donated to the University anthropology department, as he wished. His other belongings have gone to friends, family and non-profit organizations.
“Even as he left this world, Eric inspired me to reach for my greatest dreams,” Schwartz said. “To love and respect my life and, above all else, to believe in myself and never give up.”