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LEXINGTON, SC — The father of the South Carolina man accused of murdering his five young children spoke to the public Wednesday.
Many new details are emerging surrounding the gruesome murder in which police say Tim Jones, Jr. drove More than seven hours to dump his children’s bodies in Alabama.
“At this time we need to use all our strength to say goodbye to our grandchildren and be allowed privacy to grieve,” said Tim Jones, Sr.
The South Carolina Department of Social Services admitted Wednesday that it did investigate reports of child abuse at the father’s Lexington home.
“At that time, there was nothing to alarm them immediately,” said Jackie Swindler. “There was nothing that showed that the children were in any kind of imminent danger.”
Less than two months later, the children’s mother told the Sheriff Lewis McCarty that her kids were missing. She shared custody with their father, but he was nowhere to be found.
“I made this mother a promise that I would bring her children home,” said Sheriff McCarty.
Wednesday, their bodies arrived back in South Carolina at the Medical Examiner’s Office. “We know you have questions, but right now we have no answers,” said Jones, Sr.
Police say the father buried his children in five separate garbage bags. Deputies arrested him at a driver’s license checkpoint in Mississippi on Saturday.
“They found evidence of cleaning supplies, material that would be used to clean blood,” said Sheriff McCarty. “They saw blood. They saw children’s clothing, but no children.”
Investigators say at that point, Jones, Jr. showed them where he dumped his children.
Still, his father asks for mercy. “Please remember our little Tim is a very loving father, brother, son,” said Jones, Sr.
Police are working to extradite Jones, Jr. back to South Carolina.
