South Carolina father accused of killing 5 kids to use insanity defense

LEXINGTON, S.C. — A South Carolina man accused of killing his five children is planning to use an insanity defense in his upcoming murder trial.

[Sheriff: SC father killed 5 children, wrapped bodies in plastic bags]

News outlets report that attorneys for Timothy Ray Jones Jr. have notified prosecutors of their intent for his trial set to begin October 15.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Jones on five counts of murder.

[Photos of 5 SC children found dead]

Authorities said the 36-year-old father killed his children at his Lexington home in 2014, put their bodies in plastic trash bags and drove for nine days around the Southeast before leaving them on a hillside in Camden, Alabama.

Jones was stopped at a DUI checkpoint in Mississippi, where authorities said they found blood in his vehicle and handwritten notes about killing and mutilating bodies.

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Associated Press