Father recalls horror after son murdered his 5 grandchildren: ‘I knew he killed them’

When Timothy Jones Sr. learned his grandchildren were missing, a deep, unshakable dread acceptable successful — helium feared his ain lad had killed them.

"I retrieve I told my wife, ‘I cognize he’s killed them,’" the patriarch tearfully recalled to Fox News Digital. "I conscionable don’t cognize wherever they are. But I cognize helium has. I conscionable cognize it successful my heart. I could consciousness it."

Timothy Jones Jr. admitted to sidesplitting his 5 children, ages 1 to 8, successful their Lexington County, South Carolina, location successful August 2014. He drove with their bodies successful his SUV for 9 days earlier dumping them successful 5 garbage bags connected a hillside adjacent Camden, Alabama.

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In this Sept. 11, 2014 photo, Smith County Sheriff Charlie Crumpton, left, watches arsenic Timothy Ray Jones Jr., is escorted by lawmen retired of the Smith County Jail to a conveyance for transport to Lexington County, South Carolina. The then-37-year-old killed his children, ages 8, 7, 6, 2, and 1, successful their Lexington home. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Jones Jr. was aboriginal arrested astatine a postulation checkpoint successful Smith County, Mississippi, aft an serviceman smelled an odor of decomposition, The Associated Press reported.

His lawsuit is present being examined successful an occurrence of Investigation Discovery’s (ID) true-crime bid "Evil Lives Here: My Child the Killer." It focuses connected parents forced to face the unthinkable: that the children they raised and loved person go susceptible of monstrous acts.

Before the murders came to light, Jones Sr. said helium hadn’t heard from his son. Then came a telephone from his grandchildren’s school, acrophobic astir their absence. When helium reached retired to 1 of his son’s friends, helium learned that Jones Jr. hadn’t been seen successful the past time oregon 2 astatine work.

The occurrence "The Sins of Our Son" from ID's "Evil Lives Here: My Child the Killer" premieres April 28 astatine 9 p.m. (Investigation Discovery)

"Then the constabulary serviceman called maine from Mississippi," said Jones Sr. "I archer him, ‘I conscionable privation to marque definite helium is OK, and the children are with him.’ He said, ‘What children? There are nary children with him. We recovered a small spot of humor successful the car, and we’re having it checked. It could beryllium carnal blood.’"

Panicking, Jones Sr. begged to spot his son. At the trial, authorities testified that they allowed the meeting, hoping a face-to-face confrontation mightiness interruption Jones Jr. and uncover what had happened to the missing children.

When Jones Sr. entered the interrogation room, helium was stunned by what helium saw. He said it was similar staring astatine a chaotic animal.

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"Evil Lives Here: My Child the Killer" features a caller affectional interrogation with Timothy Jones Sr. (Investigation Discovery)

"He’s conscionable a blubbering mess," said Jones Sr. "I’d ne'er seen this idiosyncratic before. I didn’t cognize that boy. But I conscionable wanted to cognize wherever my babies were. And helium was each implicit the place."

That’s erstwhile Jones Sr. said his lad abruptly jumped up and snarled, "I could termination you close now."

"I told him, ‘You can’t termination me. I emotion you,’" said Jones Sr. "He was going to enactment his hands astir my throat. He ne'er did. He conscionable sat backmost down and started crying. But I conscionable didn’t person a bully feeling. I’m trying to get him to archer maine anything.

The Lexington County Sheriff’s Department released these photos of the victims. Top, near to right: Gabriel Jones, Abigail Elizabeth Jones, and Nahtahn Jones. Bottom, near to right: Merah Gracie Jones and Elias Jones. (The Lexington Conty Sheriff’s Department)

"One bull got p----d disconnected a small bit, jumped up, and said, ‘There’s a important magnitude of humor successful that damn car. I privation to cognize what the hellhole is going on.’ I conscionable looked astatine him successful shock, like, ‘What? You conscionable told maine determination was a small spot of blood, and you were going to trial it.’"

Jones Sr. offered to spell with his lad to find the children.

"I begged him, ‘Son, please, those children are retired determination by themselves with animals,’" said Jones Sr. "He told me, ‘You can’t spell with them.’ I said, ‘That’s fine. Just instrumentality them to those kids.’"

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Timothy Jones Jr. was sentenced to death. (Investigation Discovery)

Jones Jr. yet led authorities to the bodies of his 5 children.

"And of course, my life’s changed ever since," said Jones Sr.

"I knew helium killed them. But however could he? What antheral could perchance bash this to their ain children?"

Timothy Jones Jr. was raised by Timothy Jones Sr., a azygous begetter who described himself arsenic doting portion juggling aggregate jobs to marque ends meet. (Investigation Discovery)

As a child, Jones Sr. remembered his lad arsenic "a bully small boy" who grew up without his mother. Raising him connected his own, Jones Sr. worked aggregate jobs but inactive made definite to beryllium there, fixing him breakfast, taking him to schoolhouse and spending agelong afternoons by his side.

But looking back, determination were signs that thing wasn’t right.

11th Circuit Solicitor Rick Hubbard delivers closing arguments showing pictures of the Jones children portion pushing for the decease punishment during the sentencing signifier of Timothy Jones Jr.'s proceedings successful Lexington, South Carolina, connected June 13, 2019. (Tracy Glantz/The State/Pool)

"He was conscionable a mean boy," said Jones Sr. "I didn’t person immoderate occupation with him until helium was astir nine. Then helium changeable the neighbour successful the backmost of the limb with a BB gun, which I got him for Christmas. He had this small puppy that helium slapped and swore at. It seemed unusual. But I talked to him astir it, and we ne'er had that contented again."

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Timothy Jones Sr. is seen with his son, Timothy Jones Jr. during happier times. "He was a bully small boy," the patriarch told Fox News Digital. (Investigation Discovery)

In precocious school, Jones Jr. became progressively angry, worrying his father.

"We got successful a fewer tussles and got into arguments," said Jones Sr. "But I thought it was nary much than immoderate different teenage kid."

In 2001, Jones Jr. was charged with a transgression spree that included burglary, car theft and forged checks. He was sentenced to 7 years successful prison. When Jones Jr. was released, helium was seemingly a changed man.

Timothy Jones Sr. told Fox News Digital helium tried to springiness his lad a loving upbringing. But arsenic Timothy Jones Jr. grew older, helium struggled with choler issues. (Investigation Discovery)

"We utilized to spell to church," said Jones Sr. "But erstwhile helium came backmost [from prison], he’s each hell-bent connected surviving by the Bible. I told him, ‘Son, I recognize what you’re trying to do, but you've got to remember, the Bible is the line of life. You can’t travel each regularisation successful determination due to the fact that you tin contradict yourself, and it’s conscionable excessively tricky.' But helium was convinced that that’s the mode it was going to be."

"I went to religion with him a fewer times," helium said. "He would get up and enactment crazy. I didn’t expect it. I astir felt similar helium was successful a cult. He was talking successful tongues."

Deputy Solicitor Suzanne Mayes questions Amber Kyzer during the sentencing signifier of the proceedings of her ex-husband, Timothy Jones Jr., successful Lexington, South Carolina, connected June 11, 2019. Jones was recovered blameworthy of sidesplitting their 5 young children successful 2014. (Tracy Glantz/The State/Pool)

Jones Jr. joined Amber Kyzer successful 2004. The national was highly tumultuous, particularly successful the years starring up to the killings. The narration deteriorated into a contentious custody battle, with Jones Jr. having superior custody. They divorced successful 2012.

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Lawyers for Timothy Jones Jr. (right) claimed that accent from a failed matrimony portion struggling to rise his children unsocial exacerbated his intelligence illness. They said successful tribunal helium tried to medicate himself with intoxicant and synthetic marijuana, which pushed him implicit the edge. (Investigation Discovery)

"In the beginning, helium was a large father," said Jones Sr. "Seemed similar a bully husband. We would bash everything we could to assistance with the kids. But erstwhile they divorced, I conscionable thought, ‘My God, it’s going to beryllium truly hard for 1 antheral with 5 children who has to work.’ We truly wanted to help. We tried."

"I pleaded with him, ‘Let america assistance you. You person household who could help. I’m here.’ But each helium said was, ‘It’ll beryllium each right."

On their past Christmas nighttime together, the 2 men got into a heated argument.

Timothy Jones Sr. told Fox News Digital helium offered to spell with his lad to hunt for his 5 grandchildren. "I conscionable wanted to find my babies," helium said. (Investigation Discovery)

"He told maine however I ne'er loved him, ne'er cared for him," said Jones Sr. "Now, astatine that point, this had been going connected many, galore times. He would archer maine however I didn’t emotion him. I yet said, ‘I gave up my beingness for you, raised you by myself. I did everything I perchance could. I tried to springiness you the champion beingness I could. How americium I a atrocious dad? What did I do? Tell maine what I did now, and possibly I tin hole it.’ And helium conscionable said, ‘I ne'er privation to spot you again. You tin spell f--- off.’"

Jones Sr. said helium would scope retired to his son, hoping helium could spot him and the kids.

Tim Jones Sr. listens arsenic defence lawyer Casey Secor delivers closing arguments during the decease punishment sentencing signifier of Tim Jones Jr.'s proceedings successful Lexington, South Carolina, connected June 13, 2019. (Tracy Glantz/The State/Pool)

"I retrieve helium said, ‘Would you similar to speech to the children?’ Now I was expected to spot him the adjacent day. So I said, ‘You cognize what, Timmy? Let’s astonishment them. They’ll beryllium truly blessed due to the fact that they loved coming implicit to ‘papa’s large house,' arsenic they called it. I built a excavation and everything for them. But the adjacent day, helium went missing."

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A assemblage convicted Timothy Jones Jr. of 5 counts of execution for the 2014 killings. (Investigation Discovery)

"That’s ever been my biggest regret, not speaking to the babies 1 past time," helium tearfully said.

During the trial, Jones Jr.’s defence squad argued that helium suffered from intelligence wellness issues. Defense lawyer Boyd Young claimed the prosecution ignored grounds that proved Jones Jr. was insane. However, prosecutors maintained that Jones Jr. knew what helium was doing. The assemblage convicted him of 5 counts of execution and sentenced him to death.

Jones Sr. said helium hasn’t spoken to his son.

Tim Jones wipes his eyes arsenic his ex-wife, Amber Kyzer, testifies during the sentencing signifier of his proceedings successful Lexington, South Carolina, connected June 11, 2019. (Tracy Glantz/The State/Pool/USA TODAY NETWORK)

"I conscionable can't," helium said. "I’m falling apart. I’ve mislaid my business. I damn astir mislaid my home. I knew helium was sick. But aft the trial, helium called and conscionable acted similar it ne'er happened. I’m present falling apart, and he’s conscionable laughing, giggling. I couldn’t bash this anymore."

Jones Sr. admitted helium volition ever transportation guilt with him for the remainder of his life. He inactive wonders what helium could person done to assistance his lad and grandchildren.

According to investigators, Timothy Jones Jr. drove the bodies of his 5 young children (four are pictured here) astir for a week, burying them successful Alabama. He was arrested successful Mississippi. (Investigation Discovery)

"There’s nary mode I cannot blasted myself," helium said. "Those babies should beryllium here. I should person done thing earlier it went excessively far. I knew helium was going to person a hard clip with 5 children. I knew each these things. I should person done more. I’ll regret that until the time I die."