Roberta Thornsberry

Roberta Thornsberry, the defendant's grandmother, testified for the defense on Day 19 about her observations of his early environment, family conflict, substance use, violence, custody disputes, and behavior after he left prison. She also described a 2014 Atlanta visit in which she saw him as thinner, sweaty, drinking, and unlike himself, while saying she could not identify what was wrong.

Before and during that Day 19 testimony, the court limited the defense presentation. It excluded Thornsberry's childhood social history and a bathroom incident involving Cynthia Turner as irrelevant to the jury's determination of Timothy Jones, Jr.'s mental condition, while permitting testimony about her medical history and his upbringing. On cross-examination, she confirmed that he appeared happy and played with the children during the Atlanta visit, and said a mental-health questionnaire reflected no knowledge of treatment or reports that he heard voices. On redirect, she described a 2012 Christmas visit that ended when he left during the night without saying goodbye.

In the penalty phase on Day 29, Thornsberry described her own childhood abuse and instability after the court considered and limited the scope of that history. She then identified family photographs and a backyard video, described childhood memories and continued contact with Timothy Jones, Jr. while he was imprisoned, and told the jury she did not want him put to death. The State questioned her about missed calls, the children's absence from school, DSS reports, and the Atlanta visit; she said she did not know of the 2014 reports or safety plan and did not know what was wrong with him. On redirect, she described her family's efforts to contact and locate the children after they missed school.