By Mark Bellune
markbellune@yahoo.com
The jury is out.
Will they decide if Tim Jones Jr. is sane or not?
Jones has been on trial for more than 3 weeks for killing his 5 children —  Merah, 8; Elias, 7; Nahtahn, 6; Gabriel, 2 and Elaine Abigail, 1 — in their Red Bank home Aug. 28, 2014.
He has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
The jury has been charged by Judge Eugene Griffith to make a decision whether or not Timothy Ray Jones Jr. was crazy that August night in 2014.
Jones told police he killed his children as an act of mercy out of fatherly love.
“Killing children out of love is insane,” Boyd Young said in closing the defense.
Earlier prosecutor Rick Hubbard said, “that is pure, evil malice” referring to how he killed his children in revenge of his wife leaving him.

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Judge Griffith tried to explain the law before a break late Monday afternoon.
In early morning testimony, a rebuttal witness said she found Jones was competent and sane according to her tests.
“He didn’t have a broken brain?” asked 11th Circuit Solicitor Rick Hubbard.
“Correct,” Kimberly Cruz, a clinical neuro-psychologist replied.
“This man doesn’t have schizophrenia?” Hubbard asked her about possible faking symptoms of schizophrenia.
“I can tell between the differences,” she replied.
Of the multiple psychiatrists and psychologists Jones was interviewed by, Cruz said there are always differing opinions.
“He knew what he was doing that night,” Hubbard told the jury in the state’s closing argument.
One of the biggest issues for his defense is insanity and his drug use.
Court testimony detailed use of alcohol, marijuana, LSD, ecstacy, cocaine and synthetic marijuana. It is the synthetic marijuana that the prosecution is targeting for his guilt.
“Voluntary consumption of drugs is not a defense,” Hubbard told the jury.
Later in closing arguments Hubbard said “We’re seeking justice.”
“I have a unique role for speaking for the dead.”
“They deserve justice.”
“Justice is all I can do.”
Defense attorney Boyd Young replied in Jones’ defense.
“Killing the children you love is insane,” he said.
“He’s crazy.”
“You can’t rationalize crazy.”