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. Undergoing his court trials, Michael Wane Jones has already admitted to killing his wife and the children. eventAction: 'view' 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. Summerfield man pleads guilty to killing wife, 4 children, may face death penalty, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Michael Wayne Jones Jr. A Summerfield man accused last month of killing his wife is now facing murder charges in the deaths of four children as well. Sure, Fabian replied. But with the school year fast approaching, Jones grew concerned that the boys absence would spark questions from staffers at Fruitland Park Elementary. 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. This came after Casei's mother, Nikki Jones, alerted the authorities saying that she hadn't heard from them for several weeks. This comes five months after vile Michael Wayne Jones Jr. pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree murder in the childrens deaths and one count of second-degree murder in wife Casei Jones death. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. I don't know what I would do without any of them. The 41-year-old Summerfield man was charged with first-degree murder for each of the children, while given a second-degree charge for his wife,Casei Jones. Casei Jones husband, Michael Wayne Jones Jr., 38, has been arrested and is suspected of killing all five in their Florida home weeks before the bodies were discovered in Georgia. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. 86th Terrace but initially said the residence appeared to have been vacant for several weeks. During the trial, the jury was presented with evidence in the case to determine whether to issue the death penalty. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! 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. } The defense lawyer said Jones, whose court appearances have been few and far between since his 2019 incarceration,is also takingmedication while at the Marion County Jail. Two defendants still await sentencing, Assistant State Attorneys Amy Berndt and Rich Buxman, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. A jury will decide the fate of a Florida man who beat his wife to death with a baseball bat in 2019 before he murdered her four small children over several days and stored their bodies in tote bags. She told you quote his behavior was fairly typical for Michael right? Detectives identified Jones' husband, Michael Wayne Jones Jr., 38, as a suspect. }); Offense 1 Time service requirement: THEFT BY UNLAWFUL TAKING OR DISPOSITION > $500 AND < $10,000 Incomplete offense information found; Indictment #: 22-CR-00004 . Casei Jones and her four kids were reported missing over the weekend. The search for a missing Florida mom and her four children came to a tragic end Monday, when authorities discovered all five bodies. He added that jones dropped out of school at 16, has a low IQ score and his academic skills are equivalent to a 6th grader. he told detectives. if(document.querySelector("#google_image_div")){ Michael Wayne Jones, 38, of Summerfield, Florida, is accused in connection with the death of his wife Casei Jones, 32 and their four children, Cameron Bowers, 10, Preston Bowers, 5, Mercali. Michael Wayne Jones Jr. has been now been charged with one count of Second-degree Premedated in the deaths of his wife Casei Jones. The body was then put in a suitcase. 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. Deputies arrived at their Florida home but found it seemingly vacant. He graduated from Loyola University of California in 1956 and served in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. Casei Jones and her four children; Cameron Bowers , Preston Bowers, Mercalli Jones, Aiyana Jones were last seen approximately six weeks ago in the local Ocala, FL area. The sentencing comes in the wake of a jury unanimously recommending that Michael Wayne Jones be put to death in January 2023. window.adsContainer = {"position2":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Above_Next_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position3":{"code":"Article_Mobile_300x250_ATF_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position4":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position5":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle1_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position6":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle2_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position7":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle3_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position8":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle4_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position9":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle5_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position10":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle6_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position11":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle7_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position12":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle8_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position13":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle9_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position14":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle10_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position15":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle11_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position16":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle12_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250}} Her husband Michael Wayne Jones Jr. is now in custody for their deaths. Michael Wayne. Update: 9/18/2019. However, the prosecutors have not welcomed these defenses and argues for his execution. In 2019, Michael Wayne Jones, a 41-year-old man from Summerfield, Florida, killed his wife, Casei, and their four children, Cameron Bowers, 9, his brother, Preston Bowers, 4, and sisters Mercalli Jones, 2, and 11-month-old Aiyana Jones. 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. He told law enforcement officialsthat his wifes body was inside the vehicle he was driving. The girls belonged to the couple, while the boys were from Casei Jones' previous marriage. A jury on Thursday unanimously recommended that Michael Wayne Jones, Trial date set for man accused of killing 4 kids and his wife. Michael Wayne Jones Jr., 38, who has been charged with murdering his wife, Casei Jones, also was charged Monday with four counts of first-degree premeditated . When asked about her grandchildren, she said: "They're my whole world, just like my kids. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. 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. Jones' attorney expects to deliver his defense the first week of January, which will include 18 witnesses, seven experts and a team of medical professionals. Michael Wayne Jones Jr. (News4Jax screenshot) 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. Florida man gets death penalty for brutal murder of wife and children. A week before they were due in class, Jones, dragged Cameron out of his bed and fatally strangled him on the floor, he told detectives. },false) The outlet reported that for the argument of death or life sentence, Jones' attorneys defended him saying that his traumatic upbringing under an abusive father and violent stepfather has a bad impact on his mental health. Locate the whereabouts of a federal inmate incarcerated from 1982 to the present. She lived with her children Cameron Bowers, 10; Preston . According to multiple reports, on September 14, 2019, deputies with the Marion County Sheriffs Office responded to a welfare check on Casei and the children. He struggles interpersonally being bullied and picked on and not well-liked.. Detectives believe Jones killed his family at their home in Summerfield, Florida, sometime in the last several weeks before moving the bodies to his van and driving north to Georgia. }); Published: Sep. 16, 2019 at 8:13 AM PDT. All the latest news, showbiz, lifestyle and sports updates, brought to you by our dedicated American team. },false) He said he killed each child at different days and times by strangling or drowning them. According to New York Post, Jones put Casei's body in a closet after wrapping it in blankets and storing it in a large tote bag. 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. He then began devising plans by dropping the boys, his two stepchildren Preston and Cameron at their father's place and dropping his two daughters Mercalli Jones and Aiyana Jones, two children he shared with his wife Casei at her mother's home. His interest in film production began when he served as a production assistant during the filming . Will Ocala jurors recommend the death penalty for family killer Michael Wayne Jones? Jones said she had not seen or heard from her daughter or grandchildren in several weeks and was concerned that Michael Jones had done something to them.. Tatti sentenced Jones to death for each of the four childrens murders. On Friday Marion County Circuit Court Judge Anthony Tatti ordered Jones be executed by the state. 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. I dont know, just everything mounted up and it seemed like the way out, according to Martin County Sheriffs Office documents. hitType: 'event', Appearing with his attorney, John Spivey, an executive assistant public. 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. He confessed to the arresting officers that the reason which led to the grizzly murders was rooted in a heated argument between him and his wife when she looked through his phone and accused him of infidelity in July 2019, reports the New York Post. He later led detectives to the remains of the four children Cameron, 10, Preston, 5, Mercalli, 2, and Aiyana, 1 officials said. Using a basketball bat, he beat his wife to death and went on to murder her four children, storing their dead bodies in tote bags. "As a parent it breaks my heart. Be the first one to comment on this story. Facing a possible death sentence, Michael Wayne Jones has pleaded guilty to killing his wife and their four children. But prosecutors reject those defenses, arguing that the heinous killings warranted his execution. The house is empty. 1:26 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. In Florida, defendants convicted of first-degree murder can be put to death if the jury unanimously recommends such an outcome, while the maximum penalty for second-degree murder is life in prison. She said he was acting out the norm? Fabian said that comes from jones being molested at age six by his step-uncle and living in a difficult home environment. "All we need to know is thats evil, and evil did something, and evil needs to pay for what he did," the local sheriff said. [emailprotected]. The January 2023 trial took place a month after Jones pleaded guilty to the murders. :Will Ocala jurors recommend the death penalty for family killer Michael Wayne Jones? hitType: 'event', Both of their bodies were put in a single tote bag. 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. 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. The older twowere his wifes sons from another relationship, authorities said. He then dropped off the two girls he shared with his wife, Mercalli Jones, 2, and Aiyana Jones, 11 months, with his spouses mother. Detectives determined her husband, Michael Jones, was a person of interest in the disappearance, according to the sheriffs office. Jones was ultimately arrested on September 15, 2019 after he was involved in a single-car accident and a deputy responded to the scene. As per the Ocala Star Banner, Jones was the biological father to two young daughters, and the two older boys were his wife's sons from another relationship. All rights reserved. Jones was sentenced to death for each of the four children's murders. pg.acq.push(function() { Prosecutors said they appreciate the jury's effort, attention and devotion to the case, especially over the Christmas holidays. Contact Austin L. Miller ataustin.miller@starbanner.com. Berndt said what Jones did to the children were cold, calculated and premediated. MEAWW is an initialism for Media Entertainment Arts WorldWide. Detectives said Jones then admitted to the killing of the couples four children:Cameron Bowers, 8; Preston Bowers, 4;Mercalli Jones, 2;and her 11-month-old sister, Aiyana Jones. Officials said more charges were likely as the investigation continues. Michael Wayne Jones Jr was sentenced to death for the murders of Cameron (9), Preston (4), Mercalli (2) & Aiyana (11 months) today in Florida. He then admitted to the murders committed and led the detectives and investigators through the place where the bodies were dumped and other evidences. He recounted to police that she poked him with a baseball bat during an escalating argument in their Marion County home, and that he beat her to death with it in a rage. With a Spanish speaking juror on the panel, the judge wanted to find out from the foreman and the juror if there were any communication problems. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Notifications can be turned off anytime from browser settings. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. The nine men and three. 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. ADVERTISEMENT Casei Jones and her four kids were reported missing over the weekend. pg.acq.push(function() { He was picking up their kids from school and hanging out with the kids? Marion County Sheriff's Office, Detectives believe he stored the bodies at his home and in his van for several weeks before transporting them to Brantley County, Georgia, the Marion County Sheriffs Office said in, "You may want to put me in handcuffs because there was a dead body (inside the vehicle)" he allegedly told deputies, according to, The sheriffs office confirmed the body of his 32-year-old wife Casei Jones was found inside. The nine men and three women announced the recommendation just shy of five hours after they started discussing the case. Detectives identified Jones' husband, Michael Wayne Jones Jr., 38, as a suspect. Ms Jones said she had not heard from her daughter or the grandchildren in weeks and was concerned that Michael Jones had done something to them.. Jury selection for the case is expected to start on Dec. 5 and is expected to last two or three days. [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 wrote in a news release following the arrest. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Several days later, Jones told detectives, he drove with his two young daughters and parked outside a police station, planning to turn himself in. eventAction: 'click_ads' Defense attorney point to Jones deeply dysfunctional upbringing as grounds for the lesser punishment, while prosecutors are pushing for his execution. His interest in film production began when he served as a production assistant during the filming . Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Casei Jones and her four children; Cameron Bowers , Preston Bowers, Mercalli Jones, Aiyana Jones were last seen approximately six weeks ago in the local Ocala, FL area. Casei Jones and the children were reported missing Saturday night after her family became concerned after not seeing them for six weeks. He later led detectives to the remains of the four missing childrenCameron Bowers, 10, Preston Bowers, 5, Mercalli Jones, 2, and Aiyana Jones, 1.