After a marathon 10-day jury trial that began on April 4, the jury returned with a verdict against 27-year-old Troy Justice Jones of Elk City.
Jones had been accused of first-degree murder following the January 22, 2021, death of two-year-old Benjamin Layne Taylor.
At approximately 7:30 pm on Friday, the court clerk notified the judge, attorneys, court officers, and families of Jones and the victim that a verdict had been reached.
Sitting beside attorney Tony Coleman, Jones had several rows of family and friends on the pews behind him.
The family of Jones’s victim, the toddler affectionately called Benji, held hands as they sat behind District Attorney Angela Marsee.
At approximately 7:45, Judge Michelle Kirby Roper asked the jury foreman if the verdict had been reached.
The foreman told the judge that a verdict had been reached and was unanimous. The jury deliberated for approximately two hours.
Judge Roper then read the verdict. The jury had found Jones guilty of first-degree murder of a child. Roper then read that the jurors recommended life with the possibility of parole for Jones.
In Marsee’s closing argument rebuttal, she explained to the jurors that, should they find Jones guilty, they had two possible sentences to recommend — life with the possibility of parole or life without the possibility of parole.
Marsee then detailed to the jury how those two sentences differ. Life without the possibility of parole, she said, would keep a convicted person incarcerated for the remainder of their natural life.
However, if the jury opted for life with the possibility of parole, Marsee explained that the State of Oklahoma defines life as 45 years.
Because first-degree murder of a child requires a defendant to serve at least 85% of their sentence, Marsee said that Jones would have to do 38.3 years before being eligible for parole.
As Roper read the verdict, the little boy’s family held hands and silently bowed their heads. They had worn blue ribbons to court in remembrance of the child.
At the same time, several people sitting with Jones’s friends and family audibly wept.
Marsee then requested that Jones be taken into custody until his formal sentencing, reportedly in late May.
Jones’s attorney requested that Jones remain free on bond until the formal sentencing.
Judge Roper ruled that Jones be taken into custody.
Jones remained silent as Beckham County Sheriff Derek Manning and Beckham County Undersheriff Jeff Miller placed hand restraints on him and escorted him to the Beckham County Detention Center.
Jones is also currently being prosecuted on an unrelated charge of assault.
