EUGENE -- During closing arguments in the trial of a man convicted of torturing his pregnant girlfriend, prosecutor Steve Morgan asked jurors to listen to the suspect's words.

The Lane County deputy district attorney played two recordings Kevin Shannon Jones made of himself using a digital camera. In the first segment, Jones says, "If my mama's watching, I'm sorry," then sings as the victim, eight months pregnant, cries in pain.

In a second segment, Jones looks into the lens and says, "I done wrong. I have hit her, beat her ... she doesn't deserve to be treated like this."

He adds: "I love her and I'm jealous."

The jury swiftly convicted Jones on Tuesday of almost 20 charges related to the violence delivered in a Eugene motor home.

The convictions included felony assault charges for burning the woman with a lighter; hitting her with barbecue tongs and a crescent wrench; cutting her with a knife; putting hot sauce in her eyes; pulling her tooth; holding a machete to her throat; and shaving her hair and eyebrows to make her unattractive to other men.

Jones, 26, is scheduled to be sentenced on Friday.

During his closing argument, defense attorney Chris Hansen urged the jurors to acquit his client, saying the woman was injured by someone else.

Hansen cited testimony by workers at a local center for homeless people who did not remember seeing injuries on the woman and who described Jones treating the victim lovingly after she went into labor in March. Hansen also said the victim engaged in "risky, reckless behavior," such as methamphetamine use and sexual activity with other men.

"Is it possible that she met with another man, and took a risk that backfired in the worst way possible?" he asked.

Morgan, however, reminded jurors that investigators found items allegedly used in the assault inside the motor home.

"Somebody else did this?" he asked. "No way."



-- The Associated Press