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Timothy Jones Jr.- Case Archive
2019 Murder Trialtrial-daytrial-dayShawn GrahamRick HubbardSuzanne MayesRobert MadsenCasey SecorBoyd YoungCharles JohnsonJessie LaintzJamie McClellanMarty PattersonChristina EhlkeJames McConnellJanet RicardLinda WatkinsJan WisedirectcrossredirectrecrossDay 12 - May 15, 2019School, childcare, workplace, and Mississippi officers described the children's disappearance, the Escalade stop, and the later trip to a rural Alabama location.
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Day 12 - May 15, 2019

Witnesses Describe Children's Absences, Escalade Stop, and Alabama Trip

Judge Eugene C. Griffith, Jr.
29Proceedings
9Pages
9Witnesses
3,578Lines
Day 12 of 32
Appearing:
Shawn Graham Rick Hubbard Suzanne Mayes Robert Madsen Casey Secor Boyd Young Charles Johnson Jessie Laintz Jamie McClellan Marty Patterson Christina Ehlke James McConnell Janet Ricard Linda Watkins Jan Wise

School, childcare, workplace, and Mississippi officers described the children's disappearance, the Escalade stop, and the later trip to a rural Alabama location.

Full day summary

School and childcare witnesses described the children's absences after August 28, 2014, efforts to contact Timothy Jones, and a September 1 call in which Christina Ehlke said Jones told her he and the children had left South Carolina. Intel supervisor James McConnell described changes he observed in Jones during summer 2014 while saying he had not observed workplace concerns about Jones's mental status. Mississippi officers then described the September 6 stop of Jones's Escalade, an NCIC alert stating that five children should have been in the vehicle, and the absence of children from the vehicle. Marty Patterson testified that Jones later led authorities to a rural Alabama location where the children were found. The court admitted records, communications, surveillance footage, photographs, and other exhibits during the testimony.

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1. Jan Wise — Direct/Cross/Redirect

Jan Wise testified that Boys and Girls Club records showed Timothy Jones picking up the children through August 28, after which she did not see them again.

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Procedural
Session Opening and Jury Admonition
12 lines
Direct
Jan Wise — Direct Jan Wise Suzanne Mayes
181 lines

Jan Wise described the children's after-school pickup records, identified Timothy Jones as the person who signed them out through August 28, and authenticated related records and video.

Cross
Jan Wise — Cross Jan Wise Robert Madsen
24 lines

Jan Wise said the structured after-school program had no disciplinary issues with the Jones children and that she never observed concerns about them.

Redirect
Jan Wise — Redirect Jan Wise Suzanne Mayes
18 lines

Wise confirmed the video time as 6:16 p.m.; the court sustained a scope objection and ended her testimony.

Highlights

Jan Wise — Directtestimony highlightWise testified that the sign-out sheet showed Timothy Jones signing out the three children through August 28 and that she did not see them again after that date.

2. Janet Ricard — Direct/Cross/Redirect/Recross

Janet Ricard testified about the school’s concern when the children remained absent, efforts to contact Timothy Jones, and discipline and DSS-related questions.

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Direct
Janet Ricard — Direct Janet Ricard Suzanne Mayes
130 lines

Janet Ricard described the school's unsuccessful efforts to locate the absent children, the resulting welfare check, and her observations of Timothy Jones, Jr.'s communications and demeanor.

Cross
Janet Ricard — Cross Janet Ricard Robert Madsen
121 lines

Ricard described school discipline incidents, her concerns about requested punishment, support for Eli's reading, and a DSS visit to the school.

Redirect
Janet Ricard — Redirect Janet Ricard Suzanne Mayes
39 lines

Ricard described Eli as not a discipline problem, explained the school's DSS reporting duty regarding Nahtahn, and said Timothy Jones communicated less after the report.

Recross
Janet Ricard — Recross Janet Ricard Robert Madsen
24 lines

Ricard called the requested discipline unusual for an elementary-school child and described the threshold for reporting suspected intoxication.

Highlights

Janet Ricard — Directtestimony highlightRicard described the school's growing concern after all three children remained absent, unsuccessful calls to Mr. Jones, contact with emergency contacts, and the request for a welfare check.

3. James McConnell — Direct/Cross/Redirect

James McConnell, Timothy Ray Jones Jr.'s Intel supervisor, described positive work performance alongside changes he noticed in Jones's appearance, focus, and timeliness during summer 2014.

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Direct
James McConnell — Direct James McConnell Rick Hubbard
399 lines

Jones's Intel supervisor described his work record, changes observed in summer 2014, unanswered messages after his absence, and no observed workplace concerns about his mental status.

Cross
James McConnell — Cross James McConnell Casey Secor
131 lines

McConnell limited his workplace observations of Tim's changes to summer 2014 and confirmed he never suspected drug use.

Redirect
James McConnell — Redirect James McConnell Rick Hubbard
25 lines

McConnell narrowed his observations to summer 2014 and said Intel's closure was not anticipated in 2014.

4. Christina Ehlke — Direct/Cross/Redirect/Recross

Christina Ehlke testified about caring for the Jones children, Tim Jones's August 28 pickup, and his later statement that he and the children had left South Carolina.

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Direct
Christina Ehlke — Direct Christina Ehlke Suzanne Mayes
422 lines

Childcare provider Christina Ehlke described the children's last pickup, later texts and a phone call with Tim Jones, and her observations that his communications appeared normal.

Cross
Christina Ehlke — Cross Christina Ehlke Boyd Young
225 lines

Ehlke discussed the residence, the children's care, DSS questions, and her qualified observations of Tim's behavior; three defense exhibits were admitted.

Redirect
Christina Ehlke — Redirect Christina Ehlke Suzanne Mayes
74 lines

Ehlke authenticated communications about childcare payments, clarified the DSS visit, and said Tim's social awkwardness did not cause her to question his soundness of mind.

Recross
Christina Ehlke — Recross Christina Ehlke Boyd Young
30 lines

Ehlke qualified her recollection of Merah's reported statement; the court preserved defense objections to phone records and prior suppression-related matters.

Highlights

Christina Ehlke — Directtestimony highlightEhlke described a September 1 phone call in which Tim Jones said he and the children had left South Carolina and would not return, while offering property from the residence to address childcare money he owed.Christina Ehlke — Direct“He said that he had left South Carolina. That he needed a fresh start, he and the kids, and they would not be returning.”— Christina EhlkeEhlke described the account Tim Jones gave during their September 1 phone call.

5. Jessie Laintz — Direct/Cross/Redirect/Recross (Recall)

Lieutenant Jessie Laintz described the missing-children response and the early travel timeline assembled from receipt information; the court admitted a whiteboard summary of those receipts.

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Direct
Jessie Laintz — Direct Jessie Laintz Shawn Graham
37 lines

Laintz outlined the missing-persons response and the Mississippi notification locating the Escalade and defendant.

Cross
Jessie Laintz — Cross Jessie Laintz Robert Madsen
92 lines

Laintz described the investigation's early focus and receipt-based travel timeline; the court admitted a whiteboard summary as Defendant's Exhibit number 7.

Redirect
Jessie Laintz — Redirect Jessie Laintz Shawn Graham
18 lines

Laintz identified Tim Jones, Sr. as the source of the early, limited report of possible undiagnosed mental illness.

Recross
Jessie Laintz — Recross Jessie Laintz Robert Madsen
6 lines

Laintz said no one then knew the children were dead; her testimony concluded.

6. Linda Watkins — Direct

Linda Watkins described a September 6 Bypass Liberty purchase and authenticated the receipt and store surveillance images connected to the encounter.

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Direct
Linda Watkins — Direct Linda Watkins Rick Hubbard
241 lines

Linda Watkins described a Bypass Liberty customer encounter, authenticated the receipt and surveillance video, and gave qualified observations of the customer's demeanor and appearance.

7. Charles Johnson — Direct/Cross/Redirect

Charles Johnson testified about the traffic-checkpoint stop of Timothy Jones, Jr., the items officers seized from his vehicle, and an NCIC alert concerning five children who were not present.

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Direct
Charles Johnson — Direct Charles Johnson Suzanne Mayes
237 lines

Charles Johnson described stopping Timothy Jones, Jr.'s Escalade at a Mississippi checkpoint, finding alleged drug-related items, and receiving an alert that five children expected in the vehicle were absent.

Cross
Charles Johnson — Cross Charles Johnson Robert Madsen
33 lines

Johnson could not recall several specific chemicals in the vehicle or whether he had previously testified that the modified Starbucks can was warm.

Redirect
Charles Johnson — Redirect Charles Johnson Suzanne Mayes
12 lines

Johnson reaffirmed that the can was warm and described chemicals and other items in a bucket in the vehicle.

Highlights

Charles Johnson — Directtestimony highlightJohnson testified that the license and tag checks identified Timothy Jones, Jr. and produced an NCIC alert stating that five children should have been in the vehicle; he said no children were present and Patterson contacted South Carolina.

8. Jamie McClellan — Direct/Cross

Investigator Jamie McClellan testified about the checkpoint encounter, evidence handling, and the blood-draw chain of custody; the defense questioned the lack of a recording or report of his initial conversation with Timothy Jones.

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Direct
Jamie McClellan — Direct Jamie McClellan Shawn Graham
155 lines

Jamie McClellan described Timothy Jones's changing responses about his children after the checkpoint and the custody of vehicle evidence and blood samples.

Cross
Jamie McClellan — Cross Jamie McClellan Boyd Young
97 lines

McClellan said his initial conversation with Mr. Jones was unrecorded and undocumented, then described suicide-watch procedures and the warrant-based collection of biological samples.

Highlights

Jamie McClellan — Direct“I asked Mr. Jones where his children were and at that time he advised that he did not have any children.”— Jamie McClellanMcClellan gave a firsthand account of Jones's initial response to the inquiry about the children.

9. Marty Patterson — Direct/Cross/Redirect/Recross

Marty Patterson's testimony continued with questions about the checkpoint stop, Jones's statements and condition, and the map-and-receipt evidence before the jury was excused for the day.

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Direct
Marty Patterson — Direct Marty Patterson Rick Hubbard
366 lines

Marty Patterson described the checkpoint stop, his observations of the Escalade and missing-children inquiry, and the later trip in which Timothy, Jr. led officers to the children.

Cross
Marty Patterson — Cross Marty Patterson Casey Secor
333 lines

Patterson discussed jail records, his observations of Timothy Jones, Jr.'s September 7 interview, and the limited role he played in the receipt-and-map investigation.

Redirect
Marty Patterson — Redirect Marty Patterson Rick Hubbard
69 lines

Patterson described custody monitoring, Jones's differing accounts about the children, and the timeline leading to the Pine Apple recovery area.

Recross
Marty Patterson — Recross Marty Patterson Casey Secor
27 lines

Patterson limited his knowledge of the route and receipt information; the court excused the jury for the day.

Highlights

Marty Patterson — Directtestimony highlightPatterson testified that Timothy, Jr. led officers to a rural Alabama location where the children were found.Marty Patterson — Direct“He had told us that he would take us to the bodies of the children, and that's what we done.”— Marty PattersonPatterson described the stated purpose of the September 9 trip to Alabama.
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