Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Nearly half of the jurors who sentenced a South Carolina man to death for killing his five kids say they're haunted by what they heard in court.
Eight of the 18 jurors who made the unanimous decision for Timothy Jones Jr. to die told The State newspaper they can't escape the testimony that left even veteran police officers shaken. Gruesome evidence included confession audio that detailed how Jones used belts to strangle some of the children because their necks were too small.
Some jurors say they're traumatized. Others are getting counseling and at least one got a tattoo memorializing the children. Wofford College psychology professor Dawn McQuiston says horrific testimony harming jurors' mental health is known as secondary trauma. The court offered jurors counseling to handle the case's emotional aftereffects.
___
Information from: The State, http://www.thestate.com
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
