The father and grandmother of a man who killed his five children asked a jury on Monday to spare his life for the slayings because their family has seen so much death and sadness.
Roberta Thornsberry testified that along with losing her five great-grandchildren after Timothy Jones Jr. killed them in their Lexington home in 2014, she has also had to deal with untimely deaths of other children and grandchildren.
Click to Gallery
Tim Jones, Sr., listens to testimony during the sentencing phase of the trial of his son, Tim Jones, Jr. in Lexington, S.C., Monday, June 10, 2019. Timothy Jones, Jr. was found guilty of killing his 5 young children in 2014. (Tracy GlantzThe State via AP, Pool)
Tim Jones, Sr., listens to testimony during the sentencing phase of the trial of his son, Tim Jones, Jr. in Lexington S.C., Monday, June 10, 2019. Timothy Jones, Jr. was found guilty of killing his 5 young children in 2014. (Tracy GlantzThe State via AP, Pool)
Tim Jones, Jr. wipes his eyes while hearing his grandmother testify during the sentencing phase of his trial in Lexington, S.C., Monday, June 10, 2019. Timothy Jones, Jr. was found guilty of killing his 5 young children in 2014. (Tracy GlantzThe State via AP, Pool)
Defense attorney Casey Secor waits for Judge Eugene Griffith to make a ruling during the sentencing phase of the trial of Tim Jones Jr. in Lexington, S.C., Monday, June 10, 2019. Timothy Jones, Jr. was found guilty of killing his 5 young children in 2014. (Tracy GlantzThe State via AP, Pool)
Dr. Donna Maddox, a forensic psychiatrist, testifies during the sentencing phase of the trial of Tim Jones Jr. in Lexington, S.C., Monday, June 10, 2019. Timothy Jones, Jr. was found guilty of killing his 5 young children in 2014. (Tracy GlantzThe State via AP, Pool)
Eleventh Circuit Solicitor Rick Hubbard shows the jury photographs of Nahtahn Jones with bruises on his neck and arms during the sentencing phase of the trial of Tim Jones, Jr. in Lexington, S.C., Monday, June 10, 2019. Timothy Jones, Jr. was found guilty of killing his 5 young children in 2014. (Tracy GlantzThe State via AP, Pool)
Tim Jones, Sr., listens to testimony during the sentencing phase of the trial of his son, Tim Jones, Jr. in Lexington, S.C., Monday, June 10, 2019. Timothy Jones, Jr. was found guilty of killing his 5 young children in 2014. (Tracy GlantzThe State via AP, Pool)
Defense lawyer Casey Secor asked her if the jury should sentence her grandson to death for killing her five great-grandchildren.
Tim Jones, Sr., listens to testimony during the sentencing phase of the trial of his son, Tim Jones, Jr. in Lexington S.C., Monday, June 10, 2019. Timothy Jones, Jr. was found guilty of killing his 5 young children in 2014. (Tracy GlantzThe State via AP, Pool)
"No, God no. I love him. Our family has been through enough. I don't think we can take any more. This has broken us so bad I think that would be the final nail in the coffin," Thornsberry said, wiping tears from her eyes.
Later Monday, Timothy Jones Sr. also urged the jury to spare his son's life, taking off his dress shirt and tie to show the jury tattoos of all five of his grandchildren's faces covering his back.
Earlier, he testified how he had torn down the pool he built in his backyard for the grandchildren to play in after defense lawyers at trial had showed a home movie of him holding the oldest two in floaties.
Tim Jones, Jr. wipes his eyes while hearing his grandmother testify during the sentencing phase of his trial in Lexington, S.C., Monday, June 10, 2019. Timothy Jones, Jr. was found guilty of killing his 5 young children in 2014. (Tracy GlantzThe State via AP, Pool)
"I feel more responsible than anyone," Jones Sr. said of the murders of his five grandchildren at the hands of his son.
The same jury that convicted Jones Jr., 37, of five counts of murder last week is deciding his sentence. They must unanimously choose the death penalty or Jones automatically gets life in prison without parole.
Thornsberry talked about how Jones Jr. was mostly happy as a child. She identified her five great-grandchildren from a photo of all of them in the bed during a visit to her house.
Defense attorney Casey Secor waits for Judge Eugene Griffith to make a ruling during the sentencing phase of the trial of Tim Jones Jr. in Lexington, S.C., Monday, June 10, 2019. Timothy Jones, Jr. was found guilty of killing his 5 young children in 2014. (Tracy GlantzThe State via AP, Pool)
Jones' lawyers are trying to get the jury to have mercy on Jones by showing how his execution would just continue the heartache his family has endured.
Prosecutor Shawn Graham reminded Thornsberry of her testimony before Jones was convicted, in which she said he was selfish because he was an only child. Then, in a soft voice, he asked her if she heard testimony from Jones' confession about how the older children begged for their lives or said they loved their dad as he strangled them.
She cried and quietly agreed.
Dr. Donna Maddox, a forensic psychiatrist, testifies during the sentencing phase of the trial of Tim Jones Jr. in Lexington, S.C., Monday, June 10, 2019. Timothy Jones, Jr. was found guilty of killing his 5 young children in 2014. (Tracy GlantzThe State via AP, Pool)
Jones confessed he exercised 6-year-old Nahtahn until he collapsed and died, then several hours later decided to kill the other four children . Jones said he strangled 8-year-old Merah and 7-year-old Elias with his hands and used a belt to choke 2-year-old Gabriel and 1-year-old Abigail because his hands were too big.
Earlier Monday, defense lawyers called two prison guards who said Jones has been a model prisoner in his nearly five years behind bars, ignoring horrible things said by other prisoners when they discovered who he was and what he had done.
They also called psychiatrist Donna Maddox who has treated Jones and said his schizophrenia is getting worse, taking away his outward emotions and his intelligence.
Eleventh Circuit Solicitor Rick Hubbard shows the jury photographs of Nahtahn Jones with bruises on his neck and arms during the sentencing phase of the trial of Tim Jones, Jr. in Lexington, S.C., Monday, June 10, 2019. Timothy Jones, Jr. was found guilty of killing his 5 young children in 2014. (Tracy GlantzThe State via AP, Pool)
When he killed his children, Jones was a computer engineer making $80,000 a year. Now he is scoring below average on a number of intelligence tests, Maddox said.
Jurors have heard nearly four weeks of heart wrenching testimony in the case, from the mother of the children breaking down in sobs that she didn't do more to help her kids to teachers who said they have nightmares and can still see the children they taught in the halls of their school.
Jones' own father testified he feared his son would break down mentally because his mother has been in a mental intuition with schizophrenia for more than two decades and a court appointed psychiatrist testified Jones mental problems came from synthetic marijuana, not a disorder in his brain.
Tim Jones, Sr., listens to testimony during the sentencing phase of the trial of his son, Tim Jones, Jr. in Lexington, S.C., Monday, June 10, 2019. Timothy Jones, Jr. was found guilty of killing his 5 young children in 2014. (Tracy GlantzThe State via AP, Pool)
The trial is being livestreamed from the Lexington County courthouse.
Follow Jeffrey Collins on Twitter at https://twitter.com/JSCollinsAP .
GUANARE, Venezuela (AP) — Freedom came too late for Edilson Torres.
The police officer was set to be buried Tuesday in his humble, rural hometown following his death in a Venezuelan prison, where he was held incommunicado since his December detention on what his family said were politically motivated accusations. Hours ahead of the ceremony, his children, neighbors, police officers, friends and dozens others gathered to pay their respects.
Torres, 51, died of a heart attack on Saturday, just as his family awaited the government's promised release of prisoners following the U.S. capture of then-President Nicolás Maduro. His death comes as scores of families like his — who once hesitated to approach advocacy groups — are now coming forward to register their loved ones as “political prisoners.”
Alfredo Romero, director of the organization Foro Penal, a non-governmental organization that tracks and advocates for Venezuelan prisoners, said the group has received a “flood of messages” since last week from families.
“They didn’t report it out of fear, and now they’re doing it because, in a way, they feel that there is this possibility that their families will be freed,” Romero said. “They see it as hope, but more importantly, as an opportunity.”
The head of Venezuela’s national assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, said last week that a “significant number" of Venezuelan and foreigners imprisoned in the country would be released as a gesture to “seek peace" following the explosions that rocked the South American nation in the early hours of Jan. 3.
The U.S. and Venezuela's opposition have long demanded the widespread release of detained opposition figures, activists and journalists, whom they claim are used as a political tool by the ruling party.
Venezuela’s government denies that there are prisoners unjustly detained, accusing them of plotting to destabilize Maduro’s government.
Following Torres' death, Venezuela's Attorney General Tarek William Saab said in a statement that the case had been assigned to a terrorism unit and “was linked to criminal activities detected by state security agencies.” He did not offer any details, but the vague language tracks with past accusations leveled against real or perceived government critics.
Romero explained that of the roughly 300 families who reached out, about 100 cases so far have been confirmed as politically motivated. Most of those reported over the past few days, he said, once worked for Venezuela's military. That is on top of more than 800 people that the organization says continue to be detained for political reasons in Venezuela.
As of Tuesday morning, Foro Penal had confirmed the release of 56 prisoners. While Venezuela's government reported a higher figure of 116, it did not identify them, making it impossible to determine whether those freed were behind bars for political or other reasons.
“My little brother, my little brother,” Emelyn Torres said between sobs after his casket, cloaked in Venezuela's flag, arrived at her home for the wake. A few feet away, their grandmother nearly fainted as dozens of people crammed into the living room to pay their respects.
Hours earlier, as a minivan transported the body of her brother 267 miles (430 kilometers) from the capital, Caracas, to Guanare, Torres learned that other men linked to the WhatsApp group that led to her brother's arrest had just been released from prison. She wailed. He did not live long enough to walk free.
Among those who have been released are: human rights attorney Rocío San Miguel, who immediately relocated to Spain; Biagio Pilieri, an opposition leader who was part of Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado’s 2024 presidential campaign; and Enrique Márquez, a former electoral authority and presidential candidate.
Italian businessman Marco Burlò, who was released from prison Monday, told reporters outside an international airport in Rome Tuesday that he was kept isolated throughout his detention, which he characterized as a “pure and real kidnapping.”
“I can’t say that I was physically abused, but without being able to talk to our children, without the right to defense, without being able to speak to the lawyer, completely isolated, here they thought that I might have died," he said.
The small set of releases over the past few days continues to fuel criticisms by families, human rights watchdogs at the United Nations and U.S. politicians, who have accused the government of not following through on their word of a wider release.
But the rapid political shifts in the Latin American nation and the distant possibility of release simultaneously marked a rare moment of hope for many families who have spent years wondering if their loved ones would ever be freed.
Part of the reason that Romero said he believed so many people had not come forward is the government's ongoing crackdown on dissent since Venezuela's tumultuous 2024 election, which Maduro claimed to have won despite ample credible evidence to the contrary.
As mass street protests broke out, authorities said they detained more than 2,000 people. In the month after July elections, Venezuela's government passed a law – dubbed the “anti-NGO law” by critics – making it easier for the government to criminalize human rights groups.
That had a chilling effect, Romero said, making families hesitant to come forward — until now.
Janetsky reported from Mexico City.
Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
Students lay out photos of people they consider political prisoners at the Central University of Venezuela in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Jacklin Ibarreto, whose father Miguel Ibarreto is detained, waits outside the Rodeo I prison in Guatire, Venezuela, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, after National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said the government would release Venezuelan and foreign prisoners. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Relatives and friends of political prisoners hold candles calling for their loved ones to be set free outside the Rodeo I prison in Guatire, Venezuela, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026 after the government announced prisoners would be released. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Relatives stand beside the coffin during the wake of Edilson Torres, a Venezuelan police officer who died in prison a month after being arrested on accusations of treason, in Guanare, Venezuela, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
El Helicoide, the headquarters of Venezuela's intelligence service and detention center, stands in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, after National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said the government would release Venezuelan and foreign prisoners. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
Students lay out photos of people they consider political prisoners at the Central University of Venezuela in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Flor Zambrano, whose son, Rene Chourio, she says is detained at Zone 7 of the Bolivarian National Police for political reasons, embraces relatives of other detainees outside the facility in Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
A photo of Edilson Torres, a Venezuelan police officer who died in prison a month after being arrested on accusations of treason, and his family adorns his coffin during his wake at his home in Guanare, Venezuela, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
Relatives of Edilson Torres, a Venezuelan police officer who died in prison a month after being arrested on accusations of treason, sit by his coffin during his wake in Guanare, Venezuela, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
Emelyn Torres leans over the casket of her brother, Edilson Torres, a Venezuelan police officer who died in prison a month after being detained on accusations of treason, during his wake at his home in Guanare, Venezuela, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
Emelyn Torres and Maria Cristina Fernandez, the sister and grandmother of Edilson Torres, a Venezuelan police officer who died in prison after being detained on accusations of treason, embrace during his wake at his home in Guanare, Venezuela, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
