An investigation into Michael Jones began on Sept.14 when officials received a call from the family of Jones' wife, Casei, that she and her children were missing and had not been seen for at least six weeks.
Officials located Jones in Georgia the next day during a traffic incident, at which time he told officers that his wife's body was in the vehicle he just crashed. He later led detectives to the remains of the four children who were reported missing.
After interviewing Jones and conducting an investigation, officials believe Jones killed his wife in their Marion County home July 10 and killed his stepchildren, 10-year-old Cameron and 5-year-old Preston Bowers, the following day by strangulation. Officials believe he killed his own children, 2-year-old Aiyana and 1-year-old Mercalli Jones, two weeks later by drowning them.
He left all the bodies in his home for a few weeks before placing them in his van and keeping them there for a couple of weeks before driving with their bodies to Georgia.
Jones faces four counts of first-degree premeditated homicide in the deaths of the four children, in addition to the second-degree homicide charge in his wife's death.
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