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Timothy Jones Jr.- Case Archive
2019 Murder Trialtrial-daytrial-dayShawn GrahamRick HubbardRobert MadsenCasey SecorBoyd YoungRobert BrannonRonald RogersDeborah GreyDonna MaddoxTimothy Jones, Sr.Roberta ThornsberrydirectcrossredirectrecrossDay 29 - June 10, 2019Defense psychiatrist Donna Maddox testified about her schizophrenia diagnosis, while family witnesses asked the jury not to impose death. The court issued several rulings limiting proposed mitigation evidence and heard social-history proffers outside the jury's presence.
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Day 29 - June 10, 2019

Psychiatrist Testimony, Family Witnesses, and Mitigation Rulings

Judge Eugene C. Griffith, Jr.
21Proceedings
12Pages
6Witnesses
2,112Lines
Day 29 of 32
Appearing:
Shawn Graham Rick Hubbard Robert Madsen Casey Secor Boyd Young Robert Brannon Ronald Rogers Deborah Grey Donna Maddox Timothy Jones, Sr. Roberta Thornsberry

Defense psychiatrist Donna Maddox testified about her schizophrenia diagnosis, while family witnesses asked the jury not to impose death. The court issued several rulings limiting proposed mitigation evidence and heard social-history proffers outside the jury's presence.

Full day summary

Defense psychiatrist Dr. Donna Maddox testified that Timothy Ray Jones, Jr. met the diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia based on evaluations beginning in 2014. On cross-examination, she maintained that her 2014 observations showed psychosis while describing the cause as uncertain and agreeing that SCDC staff had not observed certain symptoms. Correctional officers Robert Brannon and Ronald Rogers described Jones as quiet, compliant, and nonaggressive during their observations. The court declined to admit Amber Kyzer's affidavit because she was available to testify, limited the wording of proposed family mercy questions, and later restricted Roberta Thornsberry's testimony to her role in Jones's upbringing rather than details of her own childhood trauma. Thornsberry and Timothy Jones, Sr. identified family photographs and videos and told the jury they did not want Jones put to death. Outside the jury's presence, the court excluded late-disclosed testimony from Dr. Adriana Flores while allowing a later proffer, declined to play Bethany Yeiser's prior proffer testimony for the jury, and heard Deborah Grey's social-history proffer. The court directed counsel to condense proposed family-history evidence and avoid extensive hearsay detail in any presentation to the jury.

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1. Donna Maddox — Direct/Cross/Redirect

Defense psychiatrist Donna Maddox testified that Timothy Ray Jones Jr. met the diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia, then maintained her diagnosis during cross-examination as questioning addressed testing, medication, synthetic cannabis, and his functioning.

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Procedural
Morning Jury Scheduling and Trial Resumption
17 lines
Direct
Donna Maddox — Direct Donna Maddox Boyd Young
80 lines

Dr. Donna Maddox testified that Mr. Jones met the criteria for schizophrenia and, in her opinion, was not malingering.

Cross
Donna Maddox — Cross Donna Maddox Rick Hubbard
268 lines

Maddox defended her schizophrenia diagnosis while facing questions about later testing, medication effects, functioning, and inconsistent observations.

Redirect
Donna Maddox — Redirect Donna Maddox Boyd Young
15 lines

Maddox confirmed that she had previously worked for the State in another Lexington death penalty case.

Highlights

Donna Maddox — Directtestimony highlightDr. Maddox testified that Mr. Jones met the diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia based on her evaluations from 2014 through the present, despite the role she said synthetic cannabis played in his symptoms.Donna Maddox — Direct“Mr. Jones meets the diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia, and I based that on my evaluations of him from 2014 until the present.”— Donna MaddoxDr. Maddox stated her diagnosis and the period of evaluations supporting it.

2. Kyzer Affidavit and Family Mercy Testimony Rulings

Before the jury entered, the court excluded Amber Kyzer's affidavit and limited family mercy testimony, while the defense preserved an objection.

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Procedural
Kyzer Affidavit and Family Mercy Testimony Rulings
88 lines

The court excluded Amber Kyzer's affidavit in favor of live testimony and limited the wording of proposed family mercy questions.

Highlights

Kyzer Affidavit and Family Mercy Testimony RulingsrulingThe court declined to admit the proposed affidavit from Amber Kyzer, explaining that she was locally available to testify and either party could call her.

3. Robert Brannon — Direct/Cross

Robert Brannon testified that Timothy Ray Jones Jr. was compliant and nonaggressive in maximum-security safekeeping; cross-examination emphasized the limited scope of his observations.

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Direct
Robert Brannon — Direct Robert Brannon Robert Madsen
77 lines

Correctional officer Robert Brannon described Tim as compliant and nonaggressive in restrictive housing and said he did not see him as a future threat in SCDC.

Cross
Robert Brannon — Cross Robert Brannon Shawn Graham
52 lines

Brannon said his observations of Mr. Jones came during highly restrictive confinement with little contact outside staff interactions.

4. Ronald Rogers — Direct

Ronald Rogers testified that Timothy Ray Jones Jr. was quiet, compliant, and respectful in a self-injury behavior unit.

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Direct
Ronald Rogers — Direct Ronald Rogers Robert Madsen
79 lines

Correctional officer Ronald Rogers said Tim was quiet, respectful, and compliant during observation, while other inmates made derogatory comments about his case.

5. Roberta Thornsberry — Direct (Recall) (Part 1)

Before the jury entered, defense counsel sought to present family social history as mitigation. Roberta Thornsberry described childhood abuse, early pregnancy, interrupted schooling, and moves with her children.

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Direct
Roberta Thornsberry — Direct Roberta Thornsberry Casey Secor
75 lines

Roberta Thornsberry described childhood abandonment, sexual abuse, family violence, interrupted schooling, and repeated moves as family-history evidence in mitigation.

6. Family-History Mitigation Evidence Ruling

Before the jury entered, the court limited mitigation testimony about Roberta Thornsberry, allowing evidence of her role as a grandmother and mother figure but excluding details of her childhood trauma.

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Procedural
Family-History Mitigation Evidence Ruling
33 lines

The court allowed testimony about Thornsberry's role in raising Tim, Jr. but excluded details of her childhood trauma from mitigation evidence.

Highlights

Family-History Mitigation Evidence RulingrulingThe court ruled that testimony about Thornsberry's role in raising Tim, Jr. could be presented, but excluded the details of her own childhood trauma as irrelevant and potentially confusing.

7. Roberta Thornsberry — Direct/Cross/Redirect (Recall) (Part 2)

Roberta Thornsberry continued describing family memories and her opposition to a death sentence, then answered questions about the family's concerns for the children and Tim's early exposure to substance abuse.

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Direct
Roberta Thornsberry — Direct (Resumed) Roberta Thornsberry Casey Secor
111 lines

Roberta Thornsberry described family memories and losses, identified defense exhibits, and asked that Tim, Jr. not be put to death.

Cross
Roberta Thornsberry — Cross Roberta Thornsberry Shawn Graham
70 lines

Thornsberry said she did not know of DSS concerns and described limited observations that Tim appeared unwell during an Atlanta visit.

Redirect
Roberta Thornsberry — Redirect Roberta Thornsberry Casey Secor
50 lines

Thornsberry described the family's effort to locate the children and confirmed Tim, Jr.'s early exposure to family substance-use problems.

8. Social-History Evidence and Flores Testimony Hearing

The court declined to allow Dr. Adriana Flores to testify after the penalty phase had begun because she was not on the witness list, while permitting a defense proffer the next morning.

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Procedural
Social-History Evidence and Flores Testimony Hearing
49 lines

The court excluded late-disclosed expert Dr. Flores from testifying but allowed a proffer, then addressed the planned social-history proffer.

9. Timothy Jones, Sr. — Proffer (Recall) (Part 1)

Outside the jury's presence, Timothy Jones, Sr. gave a defense proffer about childhood instability and family mental-health history; the court adhered to its ruling excluding the testimony from the jury.

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Direct
Timothy Jones, Sr. — Proffer Direct Timothy Jones, Sr. Casey Secor
179 lines

Timothy Jones, Sr. gave a proffer about childhood violence and family history; the court kept the testimony from the jury and noted the defense objection.

10. Timothy Jones, Sr. — Direct/Cross/Redirect/Recross (Recall) (Part 2)

Timothy Jones, Sr. testified about his son’s childhood, his family’s loss, and his opposition to a death sentence.

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Direct
Timothy Jones, Sr. — Direct Timothy Jones, Sr. Casey Secor
286 lines

Timothy Jones, Sr. used family photos and a pool video to describe family memories, then opposed a death sentence for his son.

Cross
Timothy Jones, Sr. — Cross Timothy Jones, Sr. Rick Hubbard
137 lines

Timothy Jones, Sr. described a strained relationship with his son, agreed that his son killed the children, and expressed grief and self-blame.

Redirect
Timothy Jones, Sr. — Redirect Timothy Jones, Sr. Casey Secor
19 lines

Timothy Jones, Sr. described cooperating with the Solicitor's Office and said he loved Tim “More than anything.”

Recross
Timothy Jones, Sr. — Recross Timothy Jones, Sr. Rick Hubbard
9 lines

Timothy Jones, Sr. denied mistreatment by the Solicitor's Office and confirmed his prior cooperation with Hubbard.

Highlights

Timothy Jones, Sr. — Directemotional momentTimothy Jones, Sr. said he did not want Tim put to death and described the loss as having destroyed his family.Timothy Jones, Sr. — Direct“No, sir. I don't. I love him so much. I don't want to hurt no more. I mean, I've hurt enough. I mean, this has destroyed my family.”— Timothy Jones, Sr.He directly opposed putting his son to death.

11. Planned Mitigation Proffers

The court addressed planned mitigation proffers and reaffirmed that Bethany Yeiser's prior proffer testimony would not be presented to the jury, though it could be marked and republished as a proffer.

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Procedural
Planned Mitigation Proffers
67 lines

The court declined to play Bethany Yeiser's prior proffer for the jury, preserved the defense objection, and excused the jury for planned mitigation proffers.

Highlights

Planned Mitigation ProffersrulingThe court declined to allow Bethany Yeiser's prior proffer testimony to be played for the jury, finding it irrelevant to mitigation and, if relevant, confusing and prejudicial; it permitted the testimony to be marked as an exhibit and republished as a proffer.Planned Mitigation Proffers“I don't think it would be -- I think it would be prejudicial and confusing if it were played or presented during any phase.”— Eugene C. Griffith, Jr.The court explained why it would not permit Yeiser's prior proffer testimony to be presented to the jury.

12. Deborah Grey — Proffer Outside Jury

Before the jury entered, Deborah Grey described her biopsychosocial-history review and reported family history; the court directed a condensed jury presentation.

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Direct
Deborah Grey — Direct (Proffer Outside Jury) Deborah Grey Casey Secor
351 lines

Grey's outside-the-jury proffer described her social-history methodology and proposed family-history mitigation evidence; the court directed counsel to streamline the details for the jury.

Highlights

Deborah Grey — Direct (Proffer Outside Jury)rulingThe court directed counsel to develop a more concise way to present family-history evidence to the jury, permitting some latitude while expressing concern about detailed hearsay accounts.
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