When Timothy Jones Sr. realized his grandchildren had been lacking, a deep, unshakable dread set in, and he feared his personal son had killed them.
“I bear in mind I advised my spouse, ‘I do know he’s killed them,’” the patriarch tearfully recalled to Fox Information Digital. “I simply don’t know the place they’re. However I do know he has. I simply comprehend it in my coronary heart. I might really feel it.”
Timothy Jones Jr. admitted to killing his 5 kids, ages 1 to eight, of their Lexington County, South Carolina, house in August 2014.
He drove with their our bodies in his SUV for 9 days earlier than dumping them in 5 rubbish baggage on a hillside close to Camden, Alabama.
Jones Jr. was later arrested at a site visitors checkpoint in Smith County, Mississippi, after an officer smelled an odor of decomposition, The Related Press reported.
His case is now being examined in an episode of Investigation Discovery’s (ID) true-crime sequence, “Evil Lives Right here: My Youngster the Killer.”
It focuses on dad and mom pressured to confront the unthinkable, that the youngsters they raised and beloved have change into able to monstrous acts.
Earlier than the murders got here to gentle, Jones Sr. stated he hadn’t heard from his son.
Then got here a name from his grandchildren’s college, involved about their absence.
When he reached out to one in all his son’s associates, he realized that Jones Jr. hadn’t been seen in the day before today or two at work.
“Then the police officer known as me from Mississippi,” stated Jones Sr. “I inform him, ‘I simply wish to be sure he’s OK and the youngsters are with him.’ He stated, ‘What kids? There are not any kids with him. We discovered a bit little bit of blood within the automobile, and we’re having it checked. It may very well be animal blood.’”
Panicking, Jones Sr. begged to see his son. On the trial, authorities testified that they allowed the assembly, hoping a face-to-face confrontation may break Jones Jr. and reveal what had occurred to the lacking kids.
When Jones Sr. entered the interrogation room, he was surprised by what he noticed. He stated it was like observing a wild animal.
“He’s only a blubbering mess,” stated Jones Sr. “I’d by no means seen this individual earlier than. I didn’t know that boy. However I simply needed to know the place my infants had been. And he was everywhere.”
That’s when Jones Sr. stated his son immediately jumped up and snarled, “I might kill you proper now.”
“I advised him, ‘You’ll be able to’t kill me. I really like you,’” stated Jones Sr. “He was going to place his fingers round my throat. He by no means did. He simply sat again down and began crying. However I simply didn’t have a very good feeling. I’m attempting to get him to inform me something.
“One cop acquired p—-d off a bit bit, jumped up and stated, ‘There’s a considerable quantity of blood in that rattling automobile. I wish to know what the hell is happening.’ I simply checked out him in shock, like, ‘What? You simply advised me there was a bit little bit of blood, and also you had been going to check it.’”
Jones Sr. provided to go together with his son to search out the youngsters.
“I begged him, ‘Son, please, these kids are on the market by themselves with animals,’” stated Jones Sr. “He advised me, ‘You’ll be able to’t go along with them.’ I stated, ‘That’s advantageous. Simply take them to these children.’”
Jones Jr. ultimately led authorities to the our bodies of his 5 kids.
“And, after all, my life’s modified ever since,” stated Jones Sr.
“I knew he killed them. However how might he? What man might probably do that to their very own kids?”
Jones Sr. remembered his son as “a very good little boy” who grew up with out his mom.
Elevating him on his personal, Jones Sr. labored a number of jobs however nonetheless made positive to be there, fixing him breakfast, taking him to high school and spending lengthy afternoons by his facet.
However, trying again, there have been indicators that one thing wasn’t proper.
“He was only a regular boy,” stated Jones Sr. “I didn’t have any bother with him till he was about 9. Then he shot the neighbor behind the leg with a BB gun, which I acquired him for Christmas. He had this little pet that he slapped and swore at. It appeared uncommon. However I talked to him about it, and we by no means had that subject once more.”
In highschool, Jones Jr. turned more and more offended, worrying his father.
“We acquired in a number of tussles and acquired into arguments,” stated Jones Sr. “However I assumed it was not more than another teenage child.”
In 2001, Jones Jr. was charged with against the law spree that included housebreaking, automobile theft and solid checks. He was sentenced to seven years in jail. When Jones Jr. was launched, he was seemingly a modified man.
“We used to go to church,” stated Jones Sr. “However when he got here again [from prison], he’s all hell-bent on dwelling by the Bible. I advised him, ‘Son, I perceive what you’re attempting to do, however you’ve acquired to recollect, the Bible is the rule of thumb of life. You’ll be able to’t comply with each rule in there as a result of you’ll be able to contradict your self, and it’s simply too tough.’ However he was satisfied that that’s the best way it was going to be.
“I went to church with him a number of instances,” he stated. “He would stand up and act loopy. I didn’t count on it. I nearly felt like he was in a cult. He was speaking in tongues.”
Jones Jr. married Amber Kyzer in 2004. The union was extremely tumultuous, particularly within the years main as much as the killings. The connection deteriorated right into a contentious custody battle, with Jones Jr. having major custody. They divorced in 2012.
“To start with, he was an important father,” stated Jones Sr. “Appeared like a very good husband. We’d do all the things we might to assist with the children. However once they divorced, I simply thought, ‘My God, it’s going to be actually arduous for one man with 5 kids who has to work.’ We actually needed to assist. We tried.
“I pleaded with him, ‘Allow us to assist you to. You’ve got household who might assist. I’m right here.’ However all he stated was, ‘It’ll be all proper.”
On their final Christmas night time collectively, the 2 males acquired right into a heated argument.
“He advised me how I by no means beloved him, by no means cared for him,” stated Jones Sr. “Now, at that time, this had been happening many, many instances. He would inform me how I didn’t love him. I lastly stated, ‘I gave up my life for you, raised you on my own.
“I did all the things I probably might. I attempted to provide the finest life I might. How am I a foul dad? What did I do? Inform me what I did now, and possibly I can repair it.’ And he simply stated, ‘I by no means wish to see you once more. You’ll be able to go f— off.’”
Jones Sr. stated he would attain out to his son, hoping he might see him and the children.
“I bear in mind he stated, ‘Would you want to speak to the youngsters?’ Now I used to be alleged to see him the following day. So I stated, ‘You realize what, Timmy? Let’s shock them. They’ll be actually joyful as a result of they beloved coming over to ‘papa’s large home,’ as they known as it. I constructed a pool and all the things for them. However the subsequent day, he went lacking.”
“That’s all the time been my largest remorse, not chatting with the infants one final time,” he tearfully stated.
Throughout the trial, Jones Jr.’s protection workforce argued that he suffered from psychological well being points.
Protection lawyer Boyd Younger claimed the prosecution ignored proof that proved Jones Jr. was insane. Nevertheless, prosecutors maintained that Jones Jr. knew what he was doing.
The jury convicted him of 5 counts of homicide and sentenced him to loss of life.
Jones Sr. stated he hasn’t spoken to his son.
“I simply can’t,” he stated. “I’m falling aside. I’ve misplaced my enterprise. I rattling almost misplaced my house. I knew he was sick. However after the trial, he known as and simply acted prefer it by no means occurred. I’m right here falling aside, and he’s simply laughing, guffawing. I couldn’t do that anymore.”
Jones Sr. admitted he’ll all the time carry guilt with him for the remainder of his life. He nonetheless wonders what he might have executed to assist his son and grandchildren.
“There’s no method I can not blame myself,” he stated. “These infants ought to be right here. I ought to have executed one thing earlier than it went too far. I knew he was going to have a tough time with 5 kids. I knew all these items. I ought to have executed extra. I’ll remorse that till the day I die.”
