Three missing in Georgia

[Beffie]

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/2749905/detail.html

Four Killed, Three Children Abducted In Georgia

POSTED: 10:27 a.m. EST January 8, 2004
UPDATED: 11:07 a.m. EST January 8, 2004

RANGER, Ga. -- Authorities in northwest Georgia are looking for a man believed to have killed four people in Gordon County, Ga., and to have abducted three girls, including two of his own.


A spokesman for the sheriff's department -- Clent Harris -- says authorities have issued a murder warrant for 31-year-old Jerry William Jones, (pictured, left). He is believed to be traveling with the three girls in a 1991 Ford Explorer that is either red or maroon. It has a Georgia licence plate of 730 YFV.

The girls are identified as his daughters, 4-year-old Brandy Jones and 3-year-old Tammy Jones and another girl, 10-year-old Brittney Phelps.

Georgia Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Vicki Metz says the four people found dead are believed to have been killed between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Wednesday.

She says authorities are not certain when the girls were taken. Investigators discovered the children were missing while they were investigating the killings.

Authorities have not released the names of the dead. CNN reported that one of the dead was a 10-month-old baby.

The sheriff's department and the GBI issued the Amber Alert, known as Levi's Call in Georgia, at 8:30 a.m. Thursday.


Copyright 2004 by ClickOnDetroit.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

I hope it is okay that I posted the article. If not please feel free to delete or edit it.

[jubie]

I just got back from dropping my kids off at school and came back to see this at CNN. It hits home how truly awful humans can be. I'm just sick thinking about the terror those three little girls must be suffering. I'm praying for them. Every minute that goes by and they are still in danger must be an eternity for them. I had hope he wouldn't hurt them as they are children and the younger two are even his own until I read that there was a 10 month old found dead in the house.

Son of a B*tch. Catch him and hang him!

[Newswolf]

MSNBC reported that the 10 month old was the perp's own baby. And that he called his wife yesterday, told her he had killed 4 people, that if she told police, he would start killing the children with him, one by one. Sicko. I hope they catch him soon.
edited to add: MSNBC is covering a news conf on this live at 1pm E

[Casshew]

OMG... a 10 month old baby murdered :( that is so sad..... the poor little girls with this creep right now, they must be terrified...

Where does the 10 year old girl fit in? she is not his child... her family must be frantic with fear.

[shdbepaintin]

I read on one of the stories that the 10 year old was a former stepdaughter, a child his exwife had from a previous relationship.
This is so awful.
If the Mother is in another state, who and why did he kill the other Three Adults, and then to kill your own baby.
This is so sad.

OMG... a 10 month old baby murdered :( that is so sad..... the poor little girls with this creep right now, they must be terrified...

Where does the 10 year old girl fit in? she is not his child... her family must be frantic with fear.

[Newswolf]

MSNBC: two of the adult victims were grandparents of the kids involved

[Newswolf]

An update

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3906801/

Murder suspect sought
in kidnapping of 3 kids
Man's daughter among 4 slain
FREE VIDEO


• Georgia manhunt
Jan. 8: WXIA-TV's Kevin Rowson reports from the murder scene.
MSNBC

MSNBC staff and news service reports
Updated: 12:35 p.m. ET Jan. 08, 2004RANGER, Ga. - Three adults and a 10-month-old baby were found shot to death early Thursday in two homes in rural Georgia, and three young girls were missing and feared kidnapped by the suspected killer, authorities said.

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Gordon County Sheriff’s spokesman Clent Harris said an arrest warrant for suspicion of murder had been issued for Jerry William Jones, 31, identified as the father of two of the missing girls and former stepfather of the third.

Authorities said they believe Jones took all three girls and that the children are in danger.

The murder scenes at the two homes in Ranger, Ga., 55 miles north of Atlanta, showed that the killer was “very methodical,” Georgia Bureau of Investigation spokesman John Bankhead said.

‘This wasn’t quick’
”This wasn’t quick. He clearly took his time,” Bankhead said.

A man and a woman were found dead at one home, and a woman and an infant girl were slain at the other home, Bankhead said. It wasn’t clear where the kidnapped girls had been staying. Their mother, who authorities say was divorced from the Jones, was in Oregon at the time.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution quoted Jones’ former brother-in-law as saying that the victims were his in-laws, Tom and Nola Blaylock, one of their adult daughters, Georgia Bradley, and Jones’ own infant daughter, Harley.

David O’Donnell told the newspaper that Jones was divorced from Melissa Peeler, the mother of the missing girls and Harley. Peeler was visiting her boyfriend in Oregon and her parents and sister were caring for the children.

After Wednesday’s killings, O’Donnell said, Jones called Peeler in Elliott, Ore., and told her that if she went to authorities, he would “start killing the kids one by one.”

Missing girls last seen Wednesday

[Newswolf]

MSNBC: infant was strangled, adults multiple gunshot wounds.

[bluehawaii25]

On MSNBC Jones brother in law stated this all began after there had been a child custody dispute and his children had been given by the courts to another couple (in laws, I believe). That is when he killed that couple and another of their family members.

[turbosleuthing]

This is just awful. The GBI is very competant (SP?) though so hopefully they will find this guy before the children are hurt.

[Newswolf]

Thanks BlueHawaii for that info, I had to leave during the news conference. Turbo, I'm thinking about what those children saw as he slaughtered members of their family and now they're trapped on the run with him. It's too horrifying.

[turbosleuthing]

I guess I just don't get why he killed one of his own children but took the other 2 and the step daughter.

Maybe b/c a 10 month old whines and needs to be fed and changed? That is sick but I can't think of anyother reason. No wonder the court didn't give him custody of his children........

This will be very hard on the children and hopefully they will receive counseling on how to deal with those images and what they have been through.

[turbosleuthing]

I also just wanted to say that I have the utmost respect for the GBI and the way that (most) of the Georgia police agencies conduct themselves. I use to live there and there are quite a few cases where they just didn't give up until they had the right person.

[turbosleuthing]

"Jerry William Jones had been in the county jail before, primarily for minor traffic charges, Gordon County Sheriff Jerry Davis said.

"We've had him in our jail and we're fixing to put him back in our jail. We're gonna put him back on the chain gang he was on," Davis said."


http://abcnews.go.com/wire/US/ap20040108_818.html

[kgeaux]

Don't know how many of you are from Louisiana/Arkansas/Texas area, but the vehicle has possibly been spotted. Keep those eyes open.

http://www.katc.com/Global/story.asp?S=1592815&nav=EyAzK512

Can't figure out why the LSP are "considering" issuing a Statewide Amber Alert--wouldn't you think they'd want to take every possible step to get those babies into safe hands, and back down later if it is discovered the vehicle has already crossed a state border?

[Jeana (DP)]

Don't know how many of you are from Louisiana/Arkansas/Texas area, but the vehicle has possibly been spotted. Keep those eyes open.

http://www.katc.com/Global/story.asp?S=1592815&nav=EyAzK512

Can't figure out why the LSP are "considering" issuing a Statewide Amber Alert--wouldn't you think they'd want to take every possible step to get those babies into safe hands, and back down later if it is discovered the vehicle has already crossed a state border?


Yes, they must think they might be heading toward Texas because I'm in Dallas and they just broke into the radio program I was listening to and did an Amber alert. I pray to God that they find these children unharmed and SOON!!! :(

[angelmom]

We are in GA and were driving on 85 South from the far NE corner of the state today when we saw the AA on the hwy signs. It was a horrible feeling to know that we were very near where he was - most other AAs that I've been aware of have been several states away. We couldn't help looking for that red Explorer, even though we weren't anywhere he'd be going.

I hope and pray they can find these poor babies safe.

[Ghostwheel]

I guess I just don't get why he killed one of his own children but took the other 2 and the step daughter.

Maybe b/c a 10 month old whines and needs to be fed and changed? That is sick but I can't think of anyother reason. No wonder the court didn't give him custody of his children........

This will be very hard on the children and hopefully they will receive counseling on how to deal with those images and what they have been through.A 10 month old would have to be cared for and would also call attention to them with it's crying and fussing. This man is short the whole load of bricks, didn't want to have to care for the baby, but didn't want anyone else to have her either. I'm not seeing a good end to this, but we can hope that the girls somehow can get away at a gas station, which is the one thing he will HAVE to stop at sooner or later. You know, with a car ID'd Amber Alert, there ought to be some way to alert ALL gas stations.

[OrdinaryLife]

I just wanted to share that they have found the little girls, father may have shot himself after a chase/crash.

CNN is carrying updates to this story. God bless their Mom for the loss of her family but receiving the gift of her daughters back to her.

[bluehawaii25]

I just heard this on the TV also. So glad to hear the children are safe and that he didn't harm them. Last I heard Jones is alive but in serious condition from a self inflicted gunshot wound.

[turbosleuthing]

Where were they found?

[turbosleuthing]

Great Link with lots of info,

also shows a picture of the guy.

http://www.11alive.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=41349

[ThoughtFox]

I've been watching this story unfold all day on CNN, and they kept saying that the Neanderthal who stole these children would go south! But whenever I've been out driving today, I kept looking around because I live near I-75, and I figured he would hear the reports and head north. And he did!

The place they stopped this monster is just 10 miles from where I live, and 5 miles from where I grew up! The children have been taken to the same hospital where my children were born! Thank God they're alive! The moron scumbag shot himself.

I just saw the pictures of the children on the news. Beautiful kids - this is a tragedy! But I truly believe these Amber alerts save lives, and this is proof. In the old days, the police wouldn't have put out the suspect's license plate number so soon. The woman who saw him on the Interstate was someone just like us with her eyes open!

Here's a local link:

http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_45275.asp

He said a citizen spotted the Explorer on I-75 in Whitfield County and contacted the sheriff's office. Officers confirmed it was the Jones vehicle and began following it as the car traveled at about 70 miles per hour into Catoosa County and then across the Tennessee line, refusing to stop.

Among those taking part in the chase were officers from Gordon, Whitfield and Catoosa counties. The Georgia Patrol ultimately took the lead in the pursuit.

Director Keenan said when Jones got on Ringgold Road that he slowed down so that the lead patrol car was able to pull up beside him. He said the patrol officer, Jason Davis, then carried out the spin maneuver. Trooper Davis is the son of Gordon County Sheriff Jerry Davis, who was also on the scene.

Director Keenan said when officers jumped out they saw that Jones had shot himself and was lying back in the driver's seat. The 10-year-old girl quickly exited the car.

Officers could see the other two girls in the back, including one who was covered with blood from the Jones wound.

Director Keenan said it appeared that the 10-year-old girl had scrapes and bruises, but that all three girls were alright.

He said the FBI was assisting in getting the mother of two of the girls returned here from where she was visiting in Oregon and where there has been severe weather.

Director Keenan also called the rescue "another success story" for Amber Alert - the nationwide notification system involving missing children.

A host of police and rescue vehicles were on the scene on Ringgold Road, and the Jones vehicle remained pinned against the pole. A wide area around the wreck was roped off across from the El Acapulco restaurant.

[Newswolf]

OMG Thoughtfox. SO close to you, that's chilling.

I just heard an hour ago that he was caught and the girls are okay. Thank Heavens. Tragic.

[angelmom]

Praise that these little girls are (physically) unharmed!!!

I agree that it is scary how close they were.

I'll bet old Jer is wishing right now that EMS hadn't been so quick on the scene. What a monster.

[Jade]

Thought Fox, I live off the next northbound exit and first thing I said to my husband was he will go straight up 75! Kind of weird with major freeway intersection [75/ 24].
Have been wondering what he was doing all day if he killed family at 8ish and was caught right up the road.

[Doyle]

By the time Melissa Peeler got the phone call, her infant daughter had been strangled and her parents and sister fatally shot. The man she had left Georgia to escape was on the phone, saying he had her three other girls and would "start killing the kids one by one" if she called police, relatives say.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/nat-gen/2004/jan/11/011105620.html

The oldest of three girls allegedly abducted by a man accused of murdering four relatives said she did not know anyone had been killed until she was rescued by police the next day.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/01/12/national1910EST0735.DTL

[Doyle]

A family grieves
Girl recalls police chase; slaying victims mourned
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/0104/13funeral.html

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=730&NewsID=518445&CategoryID=3511&show=localnews&om=1

[WasBlind]

So we do not forget

[WasBlind]

Praying for justice, Lanie
Help For The Missing
MissingProfiles@yahoo.com

[amandab]

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/US/ap20040917_53.html