Man pleads guilty to beating 7-year-old son to death, feeding his remains to pigs

A 41-year-old Kansas man admitted to killing his 7-year-old son and feeding his body to pigs.

Michael A Jones pleaded guilty in Wyandotte County District Court last Friday, March 31, to one count of first-degree murder over the death of child Adrian Jones. The boy’s remains were found in a barn at a home rented by Jones and his wife, 31 year old Heather Jones.. 

The crime scene was “one of the worst things” investigators had seen in their careers, according to Wyandotte County District Attorney Jerome Gorman.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Sheryl Lidtke described Adrian Jones as a curious, energetic boy who was cute as a button and said the abuse he endured was the worst she had seen in her nearly three decades as a prosecutor.

"He was horribly abused, neglected and ultimately killed. I 'm sure his suffering was unbearable" she said, adding that he was essentially starved to death.

According to court documents, he died between September 18 and October 4th, 2015, but his remains weren't found until more than a month later when police were called to the family's home for a domestic disturbance.

Jones was arrested the day before Thanksgiving in 2015 and later charged with aggravated battery and assault for the incident, but investigators learned while on the couple's property that the boy had not been seen for several months.

A search warrant was then executed on the property and human remains found in a barn were later identified as Adrian's, through DNA testing.

The boy's stepmother, Heather Jones, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and child abuse in November. She was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years. She also received an additional five years and eight months in prison for child abuse.

Jones, who faces a life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years, is scheduled to be sentenced on May 3, 2017. 

Judy Conway, the boy's grandmother said she was relieved to learn of the guilty plea.

"It makes me pretty happy. I am relieved that Jones and Heather Jones will hopefully be behind bars for the rest of their lives. It won't bring Adrian back, of course, but it makes me feel really good that neither one can hurt another child again."

Source: Kansas City Star