Life in prison for father who confessed to killing son, feeding body to pigs

KANSAS CITY, Kansas -- A Kansas City, Kansas, father who confessed to killing his seven-year-old son, and is accused of feeding the boy's body to pigs was sentenced to life in prison on Monday, May 8th.

Under the sentence, Michael Jones, 46, won't be eligible for parole for at least 25 years. He pleaded guilty in March to first-degree murder in the 2015 death of Adrian Jones.

Michael Jones turned his chair away from Adrian's grandmother, mother and old sister, never making eye contact as they addressed the judge. They excoriated him during the sentencing hearing for a slaying authorities described as horrific, even haunting.

"You do not deserve a second chance," Keiona Doctor, the late boy's 21-year-old sister, told Michael Jones, who declined the judge's offer to make a statement. "You do not deserve sunlight as a free man."

The judge ordered Jones to spend the rest of his life on parole if he is ever released from prison. His attorney did not object in court Monday to the life sentence prosecutors sought.

Authorities say the victim, Adrian Jones, was "essentially starved to death" before his remains were found in a pig sty back in 2015, the Associated Press reported.

Prior to his death, the little boy spent the last months of his life confined to their master bedroom and was let out only once a day, according to WDAF.

In late March, Michael Jones pleaded guilty to first-degree murder.

His wife, Heather Jones, has already been sentenced to life in prison, with no chance of parole for 25 years, for her role in Adrian's death.

Adrian was found dead on Thanksgiving in 2015. His remains were discovered in a barn on the family's property.

Wyandotte County Coroner Dr. Alan Hancock said that the boy’s bones had been in the pig enclosure for several weeks by that point. He was believed to have died in September or October 2015.

The disturbing discovery was made after police responded to the home for a domestic violence situation.

While they were on the scene, police were told that the couple’s son had not been seen for some time. The next day, authorities announced they had discovered human remains on the property.

Six other children -- all younger than 11 at the time -- were removed from the home and taken into protective custody.

Heather Jones told KCTV that Adrian suffered from severe PTSD and emotional detachment disorder due to abuse and neglect even before he was removed from his biological mother's home, which happened several years ago.

Then the abuse got worse.

Dozens of calls were made to children's services officials in both Kansas and Missouri about Adrian, according to the station. The family moved back and forth across the state line several times to keep people from noticing the abuse. He was also home-schooled to keep teachers in the dark.

At the time charges were filed, the Wyandotte County district attorney referred to the case as one of the worst investigators had ever seen, according to AP.

The child was found to have been physically and emotionally abused, and had "essentially starved to death," Sheryl Lidtke, a former prosecutor in the case, said back when Heather Jones was sentenced.

"He was horribly abused, neglected and ultimately killed," she said. "I'm sure his suffering was unbearable."

Thirty security cameras were set up in the family's home, and some of them captured videos of the abuse he suffered in his short life.

The victim's grandmother -- who viewed some of the disturbing images -- told the Associated Press that the couple kept Adrian naked in a shower stall that they had modified so he was essentially trapped inside and couldn't escape.

Sometimes, Judy Conway said, they strapped the little boy to an inversion table. Another time, he was made to stand overnight in a swimming pool, with water up to his neck.

Conway added that the videos showed Jones occasionally using a broom handle to beat Adrian, and that alarms had been placed on the family's food so that the hungry child couldn't eat.

The grandmother said the images were so horrific when she first saw them that she "physically threw up."

"What they did to my grandson was beyond horrific," Conway said.

She described Adrian as "a gorgeous little boy" who had "the kindest heart."