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Timothy Jones Jr.- Case Archive
2019 Murder Trialtrial-daytrial-dayShawn GrahamRick HubbardSuzanne MayesRobert MadsenBoyd YoungHeather ClaryShelby DerrickDavid Britt DoveCandy KyzerJanice RossStephanie StanleyKaren LeonhardtAmber KyzerdirectcrossredirectrecrossDay 15 - May 20, 2019DNA analyst Stephanie Stanley, forensic pathologist Janice Ross, and Amber Kyzer testified. The court denied a mistrial motion after Kyzer became distressed on the stand.
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Day 15 - May 20, 2019

DNA Results, Autopsy Testimony, And Amber Kyzer

Judge Eugene C. Griffith, Jr.
29Proceedings
15Pages
8Witnesses
2,299Lines
Day 15 of 32
Appearing:
Shawn Graham Rick Hubbard Suzanne Mayes Robert Madsen Boyd Young Heather Clary Shelby Derrick David Britt Dove Candy Kyzer Janice Ross Stephanie Stanley Karen Leonhardt Amber Kyzer

DNA analyst Stephanie Stanley, forensic pathologist Janice Ross, and Amber Kyzer testified. The court denied a mistrial motion after Kyzer became distressed on the stand.

Full day summary

SLED analyst Stephanie Stanley gave DNA and serology results from items associated with the Escalade. Forensic pathologist Janice Ross testified about the children's autopsies, the limitations created by decomposition, and her cause-and-manner-of-death opinions. Amber Kyzer described the custody arrangement, an August 28 call in which she heard Nahtahn crying, later voicemails and a September 2 recorded call; several recordings were admitted and played for the jury. After Kyzer became distressed while testifying, the court denied a defense mistrial motion and instructed the jury not to decide the case based on witness emotion. The State also presented testimony tracing custody and forensic handling of a Samsung Galaxy Note 3.

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1. Stephanie Stanley — Direct

SLED DNA analyst Stephanie Stanley reported testing results from evidence associated with the Jones children after the parties entered related stipulations.

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Procedural
Jury Admonition and Trial Resumption
5 lines
Direct
Stephanie Stanley — Direct Stephanie Stanley Shawn Graham
108 lines

SLED DNA analyst Stephanie Stanley reported results from a bucket and several Cadillac Escalade items matching DNA profiles of Merah, Elias, Nahtahn, Gabriel, and Abigail Jones.

Highlights

Stephanie Stanley — Directtestimony highlightStanley reported DNA results for a bucket-handle swab, biological material from the Escalade trunk, and a center-console swab that tested presumptively positive for blood.

2. Karen Leonhardt — Direct/Cross/Redirect/Recross

Karen Leonhardt authenticated the children's school health cards and testified about DSS reports, a lice-treatment discussion, and photographs of bruising on Nahtahn Jones.

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Direct
Karen Leonhardt — Direct Karen Leonhardt Suzanne Mayes
76 lines

School nurse Karen Leonhardt authenticated and introduced three children’s health cards, which recorded Timothy Jones as parent and stated the children were in good health.

Cross
Karen Leonhardt — Cross Karen Leonhardt Robert Madsen
74 lines

Karen Leonhardt clarified that a DSS call concerning Merah involved head lice, after defense counsel questioned her about school health-room records and contacts.

Redirect
Karen Leonhardt — Redirect Karen Leonhardt Suzanne Mayes
21 lines

Karen Leonhardt identified the source of a DSS report and confirmed photographing bruises on Nahtahn's neck and forearms.

Recross
Karen Leonhardt — Recross Karen Leonhardt Robert Madsen
26 lines

Defense photographs of Nahtahn were admitted, and Karen Leonhardt confirmed they depicted bruising on his neck and arms.

3. Out-of-Jury Record on Defense Exhibit Photographs

With the jury excused, the court admitted a photograph of Nahtahn's knee and declined to allow five defense autopsy photographs during the State's case.

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Procedural
Out-of-Jury Record on Defense Exhibit Photographs
143 lines

The court admitted the State's knee photograph and deferred the defense's five autopsy photographs, preserving the defense objection.

4. Janice Ross — Direct/Cross/Redirect/Recross

Forensic pathologist Janice Ross completed autopsy testimony, describing decomposition limits, homicide classifications, and questions about strangulation findings and revised death certificates.

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Direct
Janice Ross — Direct Janice Ross Rick Hubbard
348 lines

Forensic pathologist Janice Ross gave autopsy findings for the five Jones children, classifying each death as a homicide and describing decomposition-related limitations.

Cross
Janice Ross — Cross Janice Ross Boyd Young
143 lines

Defense questioning of Janice Ross explored decomposition limits, changes to cause-of-death certificates, and autopsy findings concerning the children.

Redirect
Janice Ross — Redirect Janice Ross Rick Hubbard
41 lines

Janice Ross explained revisions to death-certificate conclusions and rejected accident as Nahtahn's manner of death.

Recross
Janice Ross — Recross Janice Ross Boyd Young
15 lines

Janice Ross agreed that autopsy findings were consistent with the account attributed to Tim Jones, while qualifying her recollection of when she heard it.

Redirect
Janice Ross — Redirect Janice Ross Rick Hubbard
11 lines

Janice Ross confirmed that strangulation could not be ruled out for any of the five children, including Nahtahn.

Procedural
Out-of-Jury Exhibit Record
34 lines

Highlights

Janice Ross — Directtestimony highlightDr. Ross identified a fractured hyoid bone in Elias Jones and concluded that his death was asphyxia due to strangulation, classified as homicide.

5. Shelby Derrick — Direct/Cross (Part 1)

Shelby Derrick described the custody of a sealed Samsung Galaxy Note 3, then confirmed photographs from the South Lake Drive residence as defense exhibits were admitted without objection.

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Direct
Shelby Derrick — Direct Shelby Derrick Shawn Graham
44 lines

Shelby Derrick described retrieving State's Exhibit 91, a sealed Samsung Galaxy Note 3 cell phone, and transferring it into Lexington County evidence storage.

Cross
Shelby Derrick — Cross Shelby Derrick Boyd Young
39 lines

Shelby Derrick authenticated defense photographs from the South Lake Drive search, including images of medication items and Chantix-labeled blister packs.

6. Out-of-Jury Hearing on Defense-Collected Books

Before the jury entered, the court barred Shelby Derrick from authenticating defense-collected books based only on photographs and declined to restrict advocacy concerning potential PCR.

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Procedural
Out-of-Jury Hearing on Defense-Collected Books
54 lines

The court found that Shelby Derrick could not authenticate defense-collected books and declined to restrict the State's arguments about potential PCR.

7. Shelby Derrick — Cross (Part 2)

Defense counsel continued cross-examining crime-scene investigator Shelby Derrick about South Lake residence photographs, including electrical outlets and the circuit breaker box.

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Cross
Shelby Derrick — Cross (Continued) Shelby Derrick Boyd Young
34 lines

Shelby Derrick said she photographed electrical fixtures at the South Lake residence but did not personally test the outlets.

8. Candy Kyzer — Direct/Cross

Candy Kyzer traced the recorded custody of State's Exhibit 91, a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 cell phone, and said evidence staff rely on computer documentation when they do not independently recall a handling event.

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Direct
Candy Kyzer — Direct Candy Kyzer Shawn Graham
73 lines

Evidence custodian Candy Kyzer traced the recorded custody of State's Exhibit 91, a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 cell phone.

Cross
Candy Kyzer — Cross Candy Kyzer Robert Madsen
8 lines

Candy Kyzer said she had no independent memory of the item's handling and relied on computerized evidence records.

9. David Britt Dove — Direct/Cross

SLED Lieutenant David Britt Dove described the handling and logical examination of a Samsung Galaxy Note 3, then answered brief cross-examination questions about extraction software.

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Direct
David Britt Dove — Direct David Britt Dove Shawn Graham
57 lines

SLED Lieutenant David Britt Dove traced the custody and logical examination of State's Exhibit 91, a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 cell phone.

Cross
David Britt Dove — Cross David Britt Dove Robert Madsen
19 lines

Dove said Detective Phipps may have had Cellebrite software and noted that other forensic software could be used.

10. Amber Kyzer — Direct (Part 1)

Amber Kyzer described her separation from Timothy Jones, limited contact with the children, and an August 28, 2014 call in which she heard Nahtahn crying.

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Direct
Amber Kyzer — Direct Amber Kyzer Suzanne Mayes
348 lines

Amber Kyzer described the custody arrangement and recounted an August 28, 2014 call involving Nahtahn, then authenticated three voicemails she said she left afterward.

11. Out-of-Jury Hearing on Voicemail Evidence

The court allowed voicemail recordings from the defendant's phone after hearing a hearsay objection outside the jury's presence.

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Procedural
Out-of-Jury Hearing on Voicemail Evidence
44 lines

The court overruled a hearsay objection and allowed the State to play voicemail recordings from the defendant's phone extraction.

12. Amber Kyzer — Direct (Part 2)

Amber Kyzer authenticated call records and recordings that were admitted and played for the jury.

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Direct
Amber Kyzer — Direct (Continued) Amber Kyzer Suzanne Mayes
167 lines

Amber Kyzer authenticated communication evidence, described her final contacts with Nahtahn and Timothy Jones, and recounted the missing-person report and unsuccessful planned visitation.

Highlights

Amber Kyzer — Direct (Continued)evidence eventKyzer authenticated a recording she made of the September 2 call; State's Exhibit 185 was admitted and published for the jury.

13. Out-of-Jury Hearing on Witness's Emotional Testimony

The court denied a mistrial motion after Amber Kyzer became visibly distressed while testifying, preserved the relevant audio, and instructed jurors to decide the case on the evidence.

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Procedural
Out-of-Jury Hearing on Witness's Emotional Testimony
76 lines

The court denied a defense mistrial motion after Amber Kyzer's emotional reaction on the stand, preserved audio of the incident, and cautioned jurors not to consider witness emotion.

Highlights

Out-of-Jury Hearing on Witness's Emotional TestimonyrulingThe court denied the mistrial motion, directed that the relevant audio be preserved as Court's exhibit 87 for identification only, and gave the jury a cautionary instruction about witness emotion.

14. Amber Kyzer — Direct/Cross/Redirect (Part 3)

Amber Kyzer identified recorded calls and family videos, then faced cross-examination about the family’s marriage, parenting, and church life. She clarified that she was not describing a bipolar diagnosis.

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Direct
Amber Kyzer — Direct (Continued) Amber Kyzer Suzanne Mayes
34 lines

Amber Kyzer identified voices on a recorded call and two videos she said Tim Jones sent to her phone; the defense objected to the proposed exhibit offer.

Cross
Amber Kyzer — Cross Amber Kyzer Boyd Young
111 lines

Amber Kyzer discussed the family's religious practices, parenting materials, and Tim's behavior during their marriage; a defense parenting book was admitted.

Redirect
Amber Kyzer — Redirect Amber Kyzer Suzanne Mayes
8 lines

Amber Kyzer clarified that her use of “bipolar” was not a reference to an actual diagnosis.

15. Heather Clary — Direct

Heather Clary described residence photographs from September 8, 2014, and the court admitted them along with a disassembled Woody doll.

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Direct
Heather Clary — Direct Heather Clary Shawn Graham
138 lines

Crime-scene investigator Heather Clary authenticated residence photographs, described bedroom conditions, and identified a Woody doll admitted as State's Exhibit 194.

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