OCALA, Fla. — Facing a possible death sentence, Michael Wayne Jones has pleaded guilty to killing his wife and their four children.
Appearing with his attorney, John Spivey, an executive assistant public defender, Jones entered his plea to five counts of murder in front of Circuit Judge Anthony Tatti.
The 41-year-old Summerfield man was charged with first-degree murder for each of the children, while given a second-degree charge for his wife, Casei Jones.
Jones was arrested in Brantley County, Georgia, in September 2019 after a single-vehicle crash. He told law enforcement officials that his wife’s body was inside the vehicle he was driving.
He then took Georgia and Marion County Sheriff’s Office detectives to the children’s bodies.
When he was interviewed by sheriff’s detectives, Jones admitted to killing his wife with a metal baseball bat by hitting her repeatedly. Detectives said Jones then admitted to the killing of the couple’s four children: Cameron Bowers, 8; Preston Bowers, 4; Mercalli Jones, 2; and her 11-month-old sister, Aiyana Jones.
Circuit Judge Anthony Tatti
The two younger children were Jones’ daughters. The older two were his wife’s sons from another relationship, authorities said.
Sheriff’s officials said Jones drowned or strangled the children at different times on separate days.
Detectives believe the victims were killed between July 10 and the end of August 2019. Law enforcement officials said the bodies of the children were stored in totes and a suitcase.
With the plea, prosecutors said instead of having a trial, the next step is the penalty phase where a jury of 12 people would determine whether Jones spends the rest of his life behind bars or is put to death.
Assistant State Attorneys Amy Berndt and Rich Buxman are prosecuting the case for the State Attorney's Office.
Spivey, Jones' attorney, told the Star-Banner that Jones made the plea because he wants to take responsibility for his actions. The lawyer said Jones made two confessions, one to Georgia authorities and the other to local detectives.
The defense lawyer said Jones, whose court appearances have been few and far between since his 2019 incarceration, is also taking medication while at the Marion County Jail.
Jury selection for the case is expected to start on Dec. 5 and is expected to last two or three days.
Jones' attorney expects to deliver his defense the first week of January, which will include 18 witnesses, seven experts and a team of medical professionals.
If the jury decides to give Jones the death penalty, the decision must be unanimous. A separate hearing would then be held for each side to make their arguments before a judge makes the ultimate decision.
As of Wednesday, 302 people — only three of whom are women — are currently on the state's death row, according to the Department of Corrections website. Marion County has five of those inmates.
