Without the need for a trial to adjudicate his guilt, jurors were only brought in during the penalty phase of the case to decide whether Jones should be sentenced to life in prison without parole or be sentenced to death. pg.acq.push(function() { A jury on Thursday unanimously recommended that Michael Wayne Jones, the man who admitted killing his wife and four children in 2019, should be sentenced to death. Authorities believe the murders occurredbetween July 10and the end of August 2019. Fabian said that comes from jones being molested at age six by his step-uncle and living in a difficult home environment. Circuit Judge Anthony Tatti will factor the recommendation when he imposes sentence at a later date. [I]n the following weeks, detectives believe he killed the two oldest children by strangulation and his two youngest children by drowning them, the sheriffs office said at the time. Berndt said what Jones did to the children were cold, calculated and premediated. The judge will take that recommendation and sentence Jones at a later date. A day later, Jones was arrested in Brantley County, Georgia, after he was involved in a crash. MEAWW brings you the best content from its global team of He told law enforcement officials that his wife's remains were in the vehicle. He also sentenced Jones to life in prison without the possibility of parole for murdering his wife, Casei Jones, and credited him with 1,322 days of time served. A sister of Casei Jones testified at the trial last week, tearfully telling the court that her nephew Cameron was a sweet, loving little guy, according to the outlet. A second request from jurors was to see if an interpreter could be with them during deliberations. Once inside though they detected the foul odour of decomposition and a crime scene was established. }); He led them to the remains of the four children Aiyana, one; Mercalli Jones, two; Preston, five; and Cameron Bowers, 10, near Brantley County in Georgia. She told you quote his behavior was fairly typical for Michael right? However, he dropped the plan and decided to drown the girls in a bathtub. They assert that Jones who also has three kids from a prior marriage entered a psychotic spiral that culminated in the murders. Assistant State Attorneys Amy Berndt and Rich Buxman are prosecuting the case for the State Attorney's Office. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. On Friday, April 28, 2023, Marion County Circuit Judge Anthony Tatti sentenced Michael Wayne Jones to death for the murder of his four children and life without the possibility of parole for the death of his wife. Ocala death penalty case: Trial date set for man accused of killing 4 kids and his wife, Off death row: Parties agree to life in prison instead of retrial in Ocala murder case, Ocala courts: Six felony cases resolved. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. He graduated from Loyola University of California in 1956 and served in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. Following his arrest in September 2019, in a news release, the sheriffs office noted that Jones had kept the bodies at home for several weeks before transporting them. } eventAction: 'click_image_ads' Spivey, Jones' attorney,told the Star-Banner that Jonesmadethe plea because he wants to takeresponsibility for his actions. Prosecutors said they appreciate the jury's effort, attention and devotion to the case, especially over the Christmas holidays. :Will Ocala jurors recommend the death penalty for family killer Michael Wayne Jones? 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A Florida man has been arrested for allegedly killing his wife and their four young children, whose bodies were discovered after he was involved in a car crash. Michael Wayne Jones Jr. has been now been charged with one count of Second-degree Premedated in the deaths of his wife Casei Jones. He said he killed each child at different days and times by strangling or drowning them. Officials also did not say how they or their mother were killed. The possible remains of . Michael Wayne was the eldest son of John Wayne and his first wife, Josephine Alicia Saenz, the daughter from a socially prominent Latina family living in Los Angeles. Officials said more charges were likely as the investigation continues. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. Now that the guilt and penalty portions of the trial are concluded, the final step will be what's known as a Spencer hearing, where the defense has one more crack at persuading the judge to impose life in prison instead of the death penalty. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7c07a5741e4d1be5 he told detectives. [emailprotected]. At 11:05 a.m., the jury had two questions. pg.acq.push(function() { A state judge in Florida has sentenced a 41-year-old man to death for beating his wife to death with a metal baseball bat, then strangling his 9-year-old and 4-year-old stepsons to death and drowning his 2-year-old and 11-month-old biological daughters. "All we need to know is thats evil, and evil did something, and evil needs to pay for what he did, he said, according to BuzzFeed News. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Jurors began deliberating at 9:19 a.m. Thursday after the judge read aloud their instructions. Jones, who has been behind bars since his arrest in 2019, was granted credit for the 1,322 days he spent in jail for the life sentence in connection to his wife's death. }); When officers arrived, he told them he had killed his wife, and her body was inside the vehicle. Her husband Michael Wayne Jones Jr. is now in custody for their deaths. } Michael Wayne Jones Jr was sentenced to death for the murders of Cameron (9), Preston (4), Mercalli (2) & Aiyana (11 months) today in Florida. His defense attorneys argue that his traumatic upbringing including molestation at the hands of his father and abuse from a violent stepfather damaged his mental health from an early age. A dad has been sentenced to death for beating his wife to death with a metal baseball bat before strangling his two stepsons and drowning his two biological daughters. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Thanks for contacting us. Detectives identified Jones' husband, Michael Wayne Jones Jr., 38, as a suspect. As a father, as a parent, it breaks my heart. Sentence Length: 5 years 0 months 0 days Stephanie Baer is a reporter with BuzzFeed News and is based in the San Francisco Bay Area. ga('create', 'UA-67136960-15', 'auto', 'ads'); MARION COUNTY, Fla. . Michael Wayne Jones Jr. has been sentenced to death, Casei Jones was killed with a metal baseball bat, Horrified jury in Lori Vallow's murder trial shown pictures of victim covered in blood, Rise and fall of Steven Crowder - YouTube success and messy feud with wife Hilary, Doctor explains two distinctive symptoms of highly transmissible Arcturus Covid variant, Family inconsolable as they discover mum and daughters, 8 and 10, dead in New York fire, Inside abandoned Tennessee castle with dark past and links to millionaire Prince Mongo. Michael Wayne Jones Jr. (News4Jax screenshot). Please logout and login again. } window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { Michael Wayne Jones Jr., 38, is facing a charge of second-degree homicide for the death of his wife, 32-year-old Casei Jones, who was reported missing along with the four children Saturday night after family members said they had not been seen for six weeks. Shortly after the killings, Jones was charged with first-degree murder for each of the children and second-degree murder for his wife's death. 2023 www.ocala.com. During the trial, the jury was presented with evidence in the case to determine whether to issue the death penalty. So you agree that that information could be very helpful in what his mental state was and what he was thinking? The last Marion resident sentenced to death was Michael Shane Bargo in 2019 for the brutal killing of 15-year-old Seath Jackson. In November, Jones pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the deaths of Cameron Bowers, 9; his brother, Preston Bowers, 4; and sisters Mercalli Jones, 2; and 11-month-old Aiyana Jones. In cross-examining Fabian, prosecutors disagreed, saying Jones was well-functioning and brought up how a family member said jones acted normal after killing his wife. Police also stated that he left the bodies in the home for a few weeks before placing them in his van. The remains were in a wooded area, officials said, stuffed inside a suitcase and sealed totes. Life or death? "All we need to know is thats evil, and evil did something, and evil needs to pay for what he did.". Jones was arrested on September 15, 2019, after a deputy officer detected the stench of a decaying body when he arrived at a scene where Jones was involved in a single-car accident.
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