Slain Federal Prosecutor Is Mourned

Hundreds of people packed into a church Monday for the funeral of slain federal prosecutor Jonathan P. Luna, who was remembered for the enthusiasm he brought to the courtroom and his dedication to his family.

As his colleagues talked about his accomplishments prosecuting the worst of the region’s criminals, the search for Luna’s killer continued.

Authorities have said Luna was stabbed 36 times and drowned in a rural Pennsylvania creek, but they haven’t said why he left his office late on the night of Dec. 3 or why he would drive to the creek in Lancaster County, Pa., 70 miles from his suburban Baltimore home.

Bonnie Greenberg, a fellow prosecutor, described the 38-year-old assistant U.S. attorney as a “team player” who brought joy and enthusiasm to the court.

Luna always had a smile that made his colleagues feel good, Greenberg told the nearly 1,000 mourners gathered at Long Reach Church of God.

“He would bring you up no matter how bad your day was,” she said.

Through his work, Luna protected hundreds of children by prosecuting sex offenders, she said. He was also dedicated to his own children, Justin, 5, and Jacob, 1, and often showed pictures of them to his colleagues.

Reggie Shufford, a roommate of Luna’s during law school at the University of North Carolina, recalled how Luna took his second year off to care for his father, who was suffering from cancer. Luna had said his family “remained his top priority,” Shufford said.

“Jonathan, may you rest in peace, buddy. You’ve earned it,” he said.

Even some of the defendants Luna prosecuted seemed to respect him, said Andrew Norman, an assistant U.S. attorney.

“He was polite and dignified with them at all times, and they knew that he was just doing his job,” Norman said.

William Osteen, a federal judge in North Carolina for whom Luna clerked after graduating from law school in 1992, said he picked Luna out of more than 400 applicants.

He learned about Luna’s candor during the job interview when Luna, a native New Yorker, admitted he was a Yankees fan, even though he knew the judge was a fan of the Boston Red Sox.