The sister of a Marion County mother is speaking out, after learning the gruesome details of how her sister, nieces and nephews were killed.
Timeline of murders: Suspect Michael Jones accused of killing wife and 4 children
Action News Jax, Meghan Moriarty, spoke on the phone with Casei Jones sister, Sarah Gilbert, who lives in Indiana. They spoke on the phone for 30 minutes. She explained why she thinks (Michael) Jones did what he did.
Back in September, Gilbert said she wanted answers on why Jones took her family members' lives.
A report released by the Marion County Sheriff's Office gave Gilbert some of those answers, but she says the road to closure will be a long one. She said it's like a wound that continues to reopen each time more information comes out.
"It's like a roller coaster. It calms down, and then it hits us and reopens it every time."
The 142-page report from MCSO, reveals how and why Michael did what he did. It said Jones said he killed the children, because he needed to keep up the façade that Casei was still alive. We asked Gilbert what she thinks of his explanation.
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"If his thing was to get rid of her, and say well ‘she just up and left, and she told me to take the kids to her dads or her moms and hasn't been back." Gilbert stated, explaining what she thinks Jones logic was. "Everybody would've known that that was a lie, because she would've never left her children. I think he had on his mind that there was no other way but to take out the children as well."
All four children were murdered one by one. Gilbert believed Jones was more violent with the boys murder, because Jones had a "stereotypical stepson, stepfather relationship with them." Gilbert said, "I think it was hard for both of them, and I think in the end he took that on Cameron -- being his stepson."
Gilbert said this roller coaster -- that she's so eager to get off of -- feels like it won't end until her family gets justice for Casei.
"You don't know when you're going to be able to just get better."
Gilbert has set up a GoFundMe account. She said as a single mother of four, it has been hard to travel from Indiana to Marion County to help her mother and attend court hearings. The account is also for funeral funds. More information can be found on the website.
Jones will be in court on Tuesday morning in Marion County.
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