MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The Texas man convicted in the murder of Learfield/MSN employee Jacob Lough will spend the rest of his life in a West Virginia state prison.
Jonathan Ramirez, 25, was sentenced Friday in Monongalia County Circuit Court to life in prison with no chance for parole for the January 2024 stabbing death of Jacob Lough.
A 12-member jury convicted Ramirez on charges of murder, burglary and larceny last August. It took the panel less than 30 minutes to reach its decision. It was also took about a half hour to decide Ramirez should receive no mercy.
Lough’s mother, Terri Lough, credited the jury for its work when speaking with reporters after Friday afternoon’s sentencing hearing.
“It came down to August 28 and 29 where that was the sentencing and they got it right- he deserved life in prison,” Jacob Lough’s mother Terri said.
Lough said her family and many others will remember Jacob, 24, for the loving family member and good friend he was.
“He would give his shirt off his back- everyone says that’s so cliché, but he truly was everybody’s friend. ” Terri Lough said. “Just the best son and brother as well.”
Ramirez came to West Virginia in January 2024 to meet with a girl he had made contact with on the internet. The get-together in Wayne didn’t work out so he made his way to Morgantown. He checked in the Hampton Inn located in the Suncrest area. He began checking for open hotel rooms to burglarize and then made his way into the Suncrest community where video showed him casing residences for possible crimes. He was able to make his way into Lough’s residence where he attacked him in his sleep, stabbing him more than 200 times.
Monongalia County Circuit Court Judge Perri Jo DeChristopher sentenced Ramirez life in prison and also to 1 to 15 years for burglary and and additional 1 to 10 years for grand larceny, all to served consecutively.
Ramirez appeared virtually for Friday’s hearing. He remains in the North Central Regional Jail awaiting his transfer to state prison.