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Timothy Jones Jr.- Case Archive
personpersonBarry SowardsBarry SowardsLexington County Sheriff's Department sergeant involved in bringing Timothy Jones back from Mississippi.← All People
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Barry Sowards

Courtroom still of Barry Sowards.

Lexington County Sheriff's Department sergeant involved in bringing Timothy Jones back from Mississippi.

Appeared2019 Murder Trial
75 lines·4 proceedings·2 mentions

About

Barry Sowards, a Lexington County Sheriff's Department fugitive task force sergeant, testified for the defense on Day 28 about transporting and handling Timothy Ray Jones, Jr. He said Jones was compliant and courteous during transports and at trial, and that Jones did not make him personally uncomfortable.

In a proffer, Sowards described an extradition-stop conversation concerning his automatic weapon. The court allowed evidence that Jones said the weapon was not needed for him, but excluded Sowards's response that it was for people trying to kill Jones, finding that response irrelevant to Jones's character.

Sowards also described unusual behavior he noticed during trial. He said Jones reported hearing voices and needing a doctor, and that jail staff later said Jones's Geodon dosage had changed. The court sustained objections when questioning sought Sowards's opinion about whether Jones's crying and remorse were genuine.

Trial Record (4)

Murder2019 Murder TrialApr 29, 2019 – Jun 13, 2019Called by defense

Barry Sowards testified for the defense on Day 28 about his transports and observations of Timothy Ray Jones, Jr., including Jones's reported voices, request for a doctor, and later medication change.

Day 28

DirectBarry Sowards — Proffer DirectBarry SowardsRobert Madsen3highlights5lines spoken

Summary

The court allowed Tim's statement from an extradition conversation but excluded Barry Sowards's response as irrelevant personal opinion.

Highlights (3)

testimony highlightBarry Sowards described an extradition-stop conversation in which Mr. Jones said he would not hurt the officers, and Sowards responded that the weapons were for people trying to kill Jones.Open in transcript →
Quote“these weapons are not for you, in particular, it's for everyone trying to kill you.”— Barry SowardsThis was the proffered portion of Sowards's account that the court later excluded.Open in transcript →
Quote“You can get Tim's response in, but Detective Sowards response, to me, is his personal opinion and not relevant to Mr. Jones character in any way.”— Eugene C. Griffith, Jr.The court explained the boundary of its ruling on the proffered testimony.Open in transcript →
DirectBarry Sowards — DirectBarry SowardsRobert Madsen4highlights70lines spoken

Summary

Sowards described Mr. Jones as compliant during years of transport and trial security and recounted a reported request for mental-health care during trial.

Highlights (4)

testimony highlightSowards recounted noticing an unusual change in Mr. Jones during trial; he said Mr. Jones reported hearing voices and needing to speak with a doctor, after which Sowards notified jail staff. Sowards later testified, to his knowledge, that staff changed Mr. Jones's Geodon dosage.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
testimony highlightSowards testified that during roughly five years of transports and trial security, Mr. Jones had been compliant and had not caused him problems, while qualifying that his observations were limited to his own interactions.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
Quote“It's difficult to answer. In one point, he has not particularly made me uncomfortable. The level or the heightened sense of the charges is what makes me uncomfortable on a daily basis. Not necessarily with him, but the level of charges, what I deal with.”— Barry SowardsSowards distinguished his concern about the charges from his personal interactions with Mr. Jones.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶

Day 32