As soon as they entered the apartment, the police witnessed a gruesome scene. It was a body on a long chair with a gunshot wound almost piercing through the head.
After Jon Hickey was discovered murdered in his own home, investigators pieced together details of the killing and found a surprising suspect.
The happy man
Jon Hickey was born on May 24, 1986, in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. During high school years, Jon was known as a sports athlete, skilled in various disciplines. Eventually, he followed in his grandfather’s footsteps, deciding to become a firefighter.
In 2005, Jon joined the volunteer fire department and emergency medical technician at Woodlawn Fire Department. In 2007, he graduated from college with a degree in architecture and fire engineering. In his spare time, Jon pursued photography and completed a photography course.
In October 2017, Jon started dating a girl named Jennifer McKay. Their relationship progressed rapidly. Shortly after, he was officially accepted into the Baltimore City Fire Department and was scheduled to start work on December 27, 2017.
At the age of 31, Jon Hickey was very happy with what he had, a career on the rise and a girlfriend he deeply loved. But in November 2017, Jon’s dreams of being a firefighter and his beautiful romance were tragically cut short.
On November 30, Jon Hickey returned home to the Upper Fells Point apartment complex, locked the door, and would never be able to talk to anyone again.
Gruesome scene
After several calls and messages to her boyfriend, Jennifer still didn’t receive a response. Worse, she couldn’t get into Jon’s house even though she saw his car parked on the apartment complex’s driveway. Despite continuously knocking and ringing the doorbell, Jennifer received no answer. Feeling something was amiss, Jennifer immediately called the authorities, requesting them to check on Jon’s welfare.
As they entered the apartment, detectives came across a gruesome scene. It was the body of Jon slumped on the long chair with a gunshot wound almost piercing through his head.
This fatal wound allowed authorities to immediately rule it as a homicide. It wasn’t the result of a failed robbery but was deemed a deliberate attack. Jon’s relatives were both puzzled and devastated. They had no idea who would want Jon dead.
Police searched the victim’s apartment for clues but found nothing missing, everything remained in its place. But then they discovered the back door slightly ajar and not far from it, a surveillance camera.
Reviewing the surveillance footage, police saw a figure had broken into Jon’s house a few days earlier and left through the back door after about 15 minutes. Combining family and friends’ interviews with careful examination of the surveillance video, shortly after, the police announced they had arrested a former firefighter in another town. His name was Daniel Greene.
Interestingly, Daniel was Jennifer McKay’s ex-boyfriend. The two had broken up just two months prior.
The Deceptive Man
Externally, Daniel Greene led a normal, quiet life. He was married to Jennifer Greene, and the couple had two children together. Daniel had over 15 years of experience in a fire department unit in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
However, behind that facade, Daniel was actually hiding some secrets, including his extramarital affair with Jennifer McKay.
The two had known each other since elementary school. After a period of no contact, Daniel reconnected with Jennifer around 2012. They quickly developed feelings and began a romantic relationship.
Jennifer had no idea that Daniel was married. Daniel showed her divorce papers and custody rights that she later found out were fake, using the company credit card to buy things for her and even renting a house to pretend to live alone there. When he couldn’t be with Jennifer, Daniel lied, saying he was traveling, on business trips, or spending time with his children.
The Deadly Jealousy
So, Jennifer lived in a deceitful relationship for years, never suspecting anything from the man beside her. But eventually, she also discovered this surprising secret. The couple ended their relationship in early 2017.
Shortly after, she started dating volunteer firefighter Jon Hickey. Jennifer said that Jon had never met Daniel, and she was always convinced that her ex-boyfriend had permanently exited her life, especially since he was a married man.
After clearly identifying Daniel as the man appearing in the surveillance footage at the victim’s apartment, the police arrested him in December 2017. Authorities concluded that Daniel’s motive for the crime was jealousy and obsession with his ex-girlfriend and her new relationship.
The police investigation later found that Daniel had been monitoring his ex-girlfriend while also using his wife’s laptop to track Jennifer and Jon on social media.
In Daniel’s trial, based on the evidence gathered, the prosecution reconstructed what had happened on the night Jon was murdered.
Almost Perfect Plan
On the night Jon was murdered, Daniel was said to have borrowed a black pickup truck, and turned off his cell phone for an hour while driving to the victim’s house.
Footage from the neighborhood’s cameras showed Daniel pacing back and forth on the sidewalk and lurking for an hour before breaking into Jon’s house through the back window. Here, the suspect shot Jon dead while he was asleep on the couch.
About 15 minutes later, the camera captured Daniel leaving the house from the back door with the murder weapon in hand.
Authorities concluded it would have been an almost perfect murder plan if not for two details. Daniel’s actions were captured on video, and his former lover Jennifer could identify him.
Furthermore, surveillance footage from across the street also showed a figure breaking in and leaving the crime scene. Jennifer confirmed it was Daniel. He was the only person seen entering and exiting the victim’s apartment until his body was discovered.
Police investigation also found Daniel’s wife’s laptop, which he used to monitor his ex-girlfriend’s new relationship. Daniel conducted numerous searches on social media about Jon’s address and personal information.
Life Imprisonment for the Murderer
Although the murder weapon, a gun, was not found, the video footage, laptop data, and Jennifer’s identification provided enough evidence for investigators to bring the case to court.
Daniel Greene’s murder trial began on June 15, 2023, over 5 years after Jon Hickey’s death. The day before, the prosecution rejected a plea deal proposed by the defense attorney.
Daniel was accused of shooting Jon in the head while he was sleeping in his Baltimore, Maryland apartment. Since the gun was not recovered, the case relied entirely on circumstantial evidence. The prosecutor summoned witnesses and presented the evidence obtained.
On June 23, 2023, after only a few hours of deliberation, the jury convicted Daniel of charges including first-degree murder, burglary, and using a gun in a serious violent crime.
In February 2024, Daniel was sentenced to life imprisonment for first-degree murder, 10 years for burglary, and an additional 10 years for using a gun. Currently, Daniel Greene is serving his sentence under the management of the Maryland Department of Corrections and intends to appeal in the future.
