Former Suspect in Parents' Double-Murder Asks New Baltimore Police to Seek Fresh Leads

The former suspect in a met with police investigators today, asking them to seek fresh leads in his parents' murder.

Accompanied by his high-profile lawyer Stephen Rabaut, Ron F. Jabalee Jr. expressed an interest in finding the couple's killer two years after a Macomb County Circuit Court jury acquitted him of the crimes.

"He's looking to want to assist our agency," Chief Tim Wiley said. "In law enforcement perspective, time has gone by and circumstances have changed ... we're looking to generate very fresh information on the case."

Jabalee did not cite any particular factor that prompted him to contact police recently and agree to the meeting arranged by Wiley. But, he said he wanted his parents' murders solved, Wiley said.

Ronald and Christine Jabalee, both 58, were bludgeoned and stabbed in their garage on Oct. 6, 2006. An by one of the victims on the garage floor. Investigators never were able to crack the code of that clue, largely because it's believed their assailant smeared the message before fleeing.

Ronald F. Jabalee, also known as Ron Jr., was the sole suspect in their deaths until his acquittal. Wiley said New Baltimore police conducted a thorough investigation that led to his arrest, but the case remains open and tips are welcome.

"I can't guarantee that it won't lead back to him," he said, noting Jabalee could not be charged again with the deaths because of the state's double-jeopardy law. "We're not interested in going backwards in this case. We're looking at going forward."

Crime Stoppers told Patch today .

Anyone with tips should call the at 586-725-2181 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP (1-800-773-2587).

Check back with Patch for updates.