Father Of Man Charged With Killing His Children Releases A Statement

AMORY, Miss. (From Staff, Wire and The Monroe Journal) – The father of a man who officials say has confessed to killing his five children calls his son a loving parent and not an animal. But he says the family may never have all the answers about the “tragic event.”

The father of 32-year-old Timothy Ray Jones Jr. made a brief statement outside his Amory home Wednesday.

Timothy Jones Sr. says the event has broken the family’s hearts. He refers to his son as Little Tim and says those who know him will agree that he is not the animal he will be portrayed as in news stories.

He did not take questions from reporters. The family referred further questions to an attorney.

“Everyone has been asking what they can do for us, and we would like to request prayers from loved ones for our family as well as their mother and their family. We know we have angels with us, but your prayers are helping us cope,” said Timothy Jones Sr. of Amory.

“Let it be known that people will come to their own conclusions and as parents, we can understand that decision based on the circumstances. But please remember that our little Tim is a very loving father, brother and son.”

The bodies of the five Jones children were found off of a dirt road in Wilcox County, Alabama on Tuesday.

Their father, 32-year-old Timothy Jones Jr., is currently being held in Smith County awaiting extradition to South Carolina to be prosecuted. The older Jones directed all questions to the office of Columbia, South Carolina attorney Boyd Young.

“At this time, we need to use all our strength to say goodbye to our grandchildren and be allowed privacy to grieve. We know you have questions, but right now we have no answers,” Timothy Jones Sr. said.

Timothy Jones Jr. will be charged with five counts of murder, and officials believe he acted alone, Acting Sheriff Lewis McCarty of Lexington County said. Authorities think all five children – ages 1 to 8 – were killed at the same time, but they said they didn’t yet know how or why. Autopsies were scheduled to begin Thursday.

The case has unfolded over the past two weeks, covering five states and about 700 miles in what the sheriff called a “logistical nightmare.” It wasn’t until Tuesday afternoon – when authorities made the gruesome discovery of the children’s bodies – that they went public with the case.

“We were trying to balance the children and the investigation against the releasing of information,” McCarty said. “I am a police officer. I’m not a politician. My job basically is to get this job done.”

Smith County deputies took Jones into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence at 10 p.m. Saturday. His SUV was towed and upon inspection of the vehicle, evidence of a crime was found. Deputies inquired through the National Criminal Information Center (NCIC), and found Jones was wanted in South Carolina regarding a welfare concern of his children, according to a statement from the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.

Smith County Sheriff Charlie Crumpton contacted the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and asked for Crime Scene Technicians and investigators. Further investigation led law enforcement authorities to the rural area of Wilcox County, where five bodies were found.

In addition to the grandfather, the children are survived in Amory by their grandmother, Julie Jones; great-grandparents Larry and Roberta Thornberry; uncles Chad and Tyler Jones; and aunt Jacqueline Jones.

“As it stands now, our grandbabies, whom we love dearly, will be remembered during a service at the Amory Church of Christ,” Timothy Jones Sr. said.

The children were last seen Aug. 28. The older children were at school, and Jones picked up his younger kids at daycare. He was to return the children to their mother’s home Sept. 2, but never showed up. Their mother, Jones’ ex-wife, reported them missing Sept. 3.

South Carolina authorities did not issue an Amber Alert because the case didn’t meet the criteria and Jones had legal custody of his children, State Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel said.

On Wednesday, food and other garbage were piled up outside Jones’ mobile home south of Lexington. The yard was overgrown, with broken toys strewn about.

A sign on font door said, “Is there life after death? Trespass here and find out” with a photo of a gun.

The children’s bodies have been brought back to South Carolina for the autopsies. Officials won’t comment on any causes of death until the autopsies are completed.

The children’s mother, Jones’ ex-wife, is in shock and distraught, McCarty said.

Records describe a messy divorce in October. His wife was having an affair with a neighbor, according to the divorce file. Jones was given primary custody, and a therapist called him “highly intelligent” and a “responsible father.” According to the Clarion-Ledger, Jones is a graduate of Mississippi State University.

Jones was an Intel engineer and made more than $70,000 a year, and his wife didn’t work outside the home or have a driver’s license, according to the records.

A memorial service will be held for the children Friday at 1 p.m. at Amory Church of Christ, located at 1005 Boulevard Drive, with Bro. Philip Hathcock and Derrick Maranto officiating.

The memorial service will be a celebration of the children’s lives with prayers, the singing of “Amazing Grace,” reading of cards in memory, a slide show, the beauty of where they are and a balloon ceremony.

The children’s uncle, Danny Ray, will also speak.