A jury ruled that a South Carolina father convicted of killing his five children deserves execution.
Timothy Jones Jr., 37, admitted to killing his five kids, ages one to eight, in August 2014, according to the Associated Press. The jury convicted Jones last week and sentenced him to death row Thursday.
In August 2014, Jones killed his six-year-old by forcing him to exercise until he died. Jones then strangled his four other children ages one, two, seven, and eight. The seven- and eight-year-olds he strangled with his hands. The one and two-year-olds he used a belt to strangle because his hands were too big, Jones told the jury.
Jones drove the bodies of his children around for nine days before dumping them in Alabama.
Amber Kyzer, the mother of the murdered children, asked the jury to show Jones mercy for the memory of her children, though she said throughout the trial that she wanted to “fry him.”
“He did not show my children any mercy by any means. But my kids loved him and if I’m speaking on behalf of my kids and not myself, that’s what I have to say,” Kyzer said.
Prosecutors pushed the jury to put Jones to death.
Kyzer and Jones divorced before the murders took place. Kyser testified that Jones had been a good father and she had given up custody of the children to him because he made more money than she did.
South Carolina has not executed anyone since 2011.
