LEXINGTON, S.C. — The trial of The State of South Carolina versus Timothy Ray Jones Jr. is now in closing arguments, meaning jurors will soon be deciding on his fate.
The defense rested its case on Friday — Jones has admitted to killing his children — Abigail Elaine, 1; Gabriel, 2; Nahtahn, 6; Elias, 7; and Mera Gracie, 8 — on Aug. 28, 2014, after picking them up from school and daycare. The killings took place at the family home on South Lake Dr. in Red Bank.
Jones' attorneys are trying to prove he's not guilty by reason of insanity, while prosecutors seek a murder conviction and the death penalty.
The state finally rested its case after presenting testimony from Dr. Julie Dorney, a forensic psychiatrist from Atlanta.
It was Dorney’s opinion that, in Jones’ mind the following was true:
- He felt morally justified in punishing Nahtahn and didn’t know potential harm of PTing Nahtahn (making the boy do 100 push-ups, sit-ups and squats) — the boy’s death was an accident, felt justified in punishment
- When Jones didn’t call 911 — he knew it was legally wrong
- When he killed his other four children — he felt morally justified
- When he lied to Ehlke, Amber, his father and grandmother about the whereabouts and wellbeing of the children — Dorney said it was evidence of Jones not wanting to go to jail, knew it was legally wrong
- When he destroyed evidence and made web searches and lists concerning escape and disposal of bodies — Jones knew it was legally wrong.
Monday morning’s session had the prosecution calling one witness: Dr Kimberly Cruz, a clinical neuro-psychologist who was contacted by Dr Frierson, the court-appointed forensic psychiatrist, to do a psychological assessment of Jones.
Cruz conducted a battery of tests on Jones to evaluate Jones’ mental capacity and personality, looking for signs of psychosis. Her raw data — the answers she was given by Jones — was fed into a computer to help with the assessment.
The computer can pick out a pattern of responses and generate a summary report of the patient’s symptoms based on accepted psychiatric norms. A doctor’s final report rarely completely uses computer summaries, but may incorporate bits of computerized outcomes in making a diagnosis.
Cruz conducted her tests on Jones for for Frierson on February 22, 2019. She said that Jones agreed to the testing — a post of contention from Jones’ defense team.
The doctor also reviewed Jones’ MRIs — which she says meets the criteria for brain trauma but does not equate to neural trauma. Cruz testified that impact to the brain can occur but still not hamper a patient’s brain function.
In testing, Jones did not meet requirement for brain disfunction. Tests don on Jones in 2016 showed low IQ and slowed mental function. Cruz explained the difference between the test results could be attributed to the medications and dosage Jones was on at the time. His drug regimen has changed over time.
To Cruz, there was no organic defect or psychosis diagnosed for Jones, but the doctor did find malingering (fakery). No evidence of schizophrenia, no psycho-stress… unless alcohol or drug-induced.
Frierson had testified last week — he did not diagnose Tim as malingering although it was a very strong consideration. Frierson didn’t believe Jones had a mental illness, and Tim’s mother’s diagnosed mental illness not an issue. He also said that Jones self-reports that he felt compelled to kill — but, at end of day, in Frierson’s opinion, Jones made a conscious decision about the four children.
Cruz was there to provide data for Dr Frierson, not make a diagnosis of Jones, and not to form a medical opinion for the jury to consider.
The state then rested its case.
>>>>>>>>>>>>> THE CHARGES
Jones has admitted to killing his children — Abigail Elaine, 1; Gabriel, 2; Nahtahn, 6; Elias, 7; and Mera Gracie, 8 — on Aug. 28, 2014, after picking them up from school and daycare. The killings took place at the family home at 2155-B South Lake Dr. in Red Bank.
He was arrested on Sept. 6, 2014, after a traffic safety stop in Smith County, Mississippi, during which law enforcement officers discovered blood and handwritten notes on how to mutilate bodies in Jones’ car. Jones had left the children’s bodies in plastic trash bags in a wooded area outside of Camden, Alabama. He had been traveling throughout the South with the bodies in the back of his car since Aug. 28.
Jones has pled guilty by reason of insanity. His guilty plea would allow one of four possible outcomes in the trial: guilty, guilty by reason of insanity, not guilty by mental defect, or not guilty.
If found guilty, the death penalty would not be automatic. Jurors would then be asked to consider extenuating circumstances and could sentence Jones to life without parole rather than death.
