Jurors are deciding this week whether Timothy Jones Jr, upper left, will be put to death for murdering his five children (Picture: AP)

A father who killed his five children had a chaotic childhood with a father conceived of rape and a schizophrenic mother who was abused with voodoo rituals as a child, a court heard.

Timothy Jones Jr was in court on Tuesday for the sentencing phase of his hearing where his lawyer introduced testimony to convince the jury not to sentence him to death.

Social Worker Deborah Grey took the stand and detailed three generations of rapes, molestation by relatives, violence, drugs, voodoo rituals, prostitution, and fights. She also said that Jones’ mother dipped him in ice water baths and gave him laxatives to try to make him behave because – as Jones’ grandmother said of her daughter – ‘she didn’t want a fat baby.’



Grey began her testimony, which prosecution opposed heavily, by saying that Jones’ father Timothy Jones Sr, was born after Jones’ grandmother was raped by her stepfather at 12-years-old.


She said that Jones’ mother was schizophrenic and was committed to a mental institution when Jones was three-years-old – where she stayed for decades.

Social worker Deborah Grey explains the social histories of Timothy Jones Jr. and his extended family during the sentencing phase of his trial (Picture: AP)

Defense for Timothy Jones Jr. charged with killing his 5 kids calls his dad to ask for mercy. Timothy Jones Sr. shows the jury his tattoo of his five grandchildren. (Picture: ABC)

Grey also testified that her psychiatric records showed Jones’ mother told doctors that she was locked in a closet with a dead chicken dripping blood on her by her voodoo-obsessed father.

All of Grey’s testimony seemed to prelude how Jones would eventually snap and kill his five children in his home in Lexington, South Carolina in 2014.

Hazmat suited officials detain BA cabin crew after positive test but pilots free to go

Jones’ lawyers have painted their client as a struggling father of five with underlying mental illness. They say he cracked after his wife, Amber Kyzer, left him for a teenager who lived next door – once she was through with Jones using conservative religion to control her.

Both Jones’ father and a babysitter that Jones’ later had a sexual relationship with, named Chrystal Ballentine, testified about the ‘cult-like’ church Jones frequented, where parishioners ‘rolled on the floor’ and ‘spoke in tongues.’

Kyzer also testified Tuesday and opened by saying ‘I hear what my kids went through and what they endured. if I could rip his face off, I would… That’s the mama bear inside me.’

Tim Jones’ grandmother, Roberta Thornsberry, wipes her eyes while testifying during the sentencing phase of the trial of Tim Jones, Jr (Picture: AP)

However, through tears Kyzer asked the jury to spare Jones’ life.

‘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 kinds and not myself, that’s what I have to say.’

She continued, talking to Jones: ‘Nothing justifies what you have done to our babies. But they loved you. I loved you…I hope for mercy for you.’ (edited)