The Latest on the South Carolina father accused of killing his five children (all times local):
2:15 p.m.
Jurors have found a South Carolina father guilty of five counts of murder for killing his young children.
The Lexington County jury had the case a little over six hours before unanimously reaching the guilty verdicts against 37-year-old Timothy Jones Jr. around 1:45 p.m. Tuesday.
Now the same jurors will come back later this week for a separate proceeding to decide if Jones faces the death penalty or life in prison.
Prosecutors say Jones killed one child by making him exercise for hours after he broke an electrical outlet in their Lexington home in August 2014. Several hours later, he then strangled the other four children. The kids were between ages 1 and 8.
Jones’ lawyers argued he was insane from undiagnosed schizophrenia made worse by using synthetic marijuana.
Jones showed no reaction when the verdicts were read.
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10:05 a.m.
Jurors are again deliberating whether a South Carolina father is guilty of murder in the deaths of his five children.
After 90 minutes of discussions Monday, the Lexington County jury resumed its deliberations in the Timothy Jones Jr. case around 9 a.m. Tuesday.
Jurors can find Jones guilty, guilty but mentally ill, not guilty by reason of insanity or just not guilty.
Any guilty verdict would mean a second phase to Jones’ trial where the same jurors decide if he faces the death penalty.
A not guilty by reason of insanity verdict would require Jones to stay in a mental hospital until a judge rules he has regained his sanity.
Authorities say the 37-year-old man killed his children, ages 1 to 8, in their Lexington home in 2014.
