48 Hours - Fatal Family Feud

Episode Date: January 11, 2026

In July 2004, Jarrod Davidson was shot to death outside his apartment in California. Estranged from his ex-wife, Kelee, Jarrod had been scheduled to go to court in an attempt to get full custody of ...their daughter, Malia. The investigation would reveal a deep, and deadly, family feud. “48 Hours" Correspondent Maureen Maher reports. This classic "48 Hours" episode last aired on 7/28/2007. Watch all-new episodes of “48 Hours” on Saturdays, and stream on demand on Paramount+. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript
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Starting point is 00:00:00 On July 9th, 2004, at about 11 o'clock that night, I was laying down, getting ready to go to bed. Way off in the distance, I heard what I thought was a high-powered gunshot. It was definitely a distinctive sound. Within 15 minutes, I got a phone call from my sergeant telling me that somebody had been shot on Old Mill Road. Mill Road. My name is Greg Sorenson. I'm a detective with the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Department. Nine on month there was a big bang and some guy was screaming help help help help help. The man was yelling for help about four or five times. I think we need an
Starting point is 00:00:55 ambulance and maybe police. Most of the neighbors were startled by hearing the gunfire. It frightened them. Some of them would not look outside and those that did saw Jared lying on the entryway and the doorstep of his apartment complex. He had been shot. The victim was Jared Davidson, who was a UC Santa Barbara graduate student. Jared was incredibly kind and funny. He really was a joy to everybody who knew him. He was one of those fun people you just wanted to be around
Starting point is 00:01:36 because he made your life better. We're Jared's cousins. We were raised more like brothers and sisters. Now I need to smile to you. Kelly and Jared were both in chemistry and you know that's how they met. When Kelly got pregnant, he married her because that is the right thing to do. He went to school full time, he worked full time, he took care of that baby. He did so much. It really was Kelly who decided to leave.
Starting point is 00:02:10 She wanted a child and she wanted it all for herself. You ready? He cherished his daughter, Malia. Yay! It was all about her. Everything he was doing at that point was to create a better life for her. Hey Malia, can I see your eyes? Where are your eyes? Anytime you throw a penny into a well or blow on the pussy willow to make a wish,
Starting point is 00:02:35 she says, I wish my daddy was here. Where's your daddy? Yeah, I'm your daddy! It was one shot. It was one shot that killed Jared Davidson. This was not a random shooting. We noticed that there was a potted plant lying near the doorstep, had a card that said to my teacher.
Starting point is 00:03:02 The plant had been used as a ruse to get him to come out of the apartment. The person who killed him was hiding back in the shadows. There was one person who... who we focused on. I thought I knew definitely who did it. Murder comes knocking. When I found out he was murdered, I just kept screaming out.
Starting point is 00:03:46 He was so good. He was so good. In July 2004, Jared Davidson was shot to death outside his apartment in Santa Barbara. He was just 27 years old. It has destroyed. a happy, loving family. Our family used to be so filled with joy and laughter.
Starting point is 00:04:16 Jared's cousins, Courtney and Marissa, grew up close to Jared and his younger brother, Michael. When it's the three of us, when it's our family and he's missing, it hurts. It hurts. He was someone that I looked up to, that I love to hang out with, love to fight with, love to play with.
Starting point is 00:04:36 I lost my best friend. This is when he thought he was gonna be a businessman, The tragedy has scarred everyone in this tight-knit family. I'd give anything to take that day back. I would. Jared's parents, Richard and Susan, remember their son as athletic, but quiet. He was very shy and really very sweet. It was not until he was in college that Jared discovered his true passion.
Starting point is 00:05:04 Somehow he got involved in chemistry class, and chemistry just became his life. And it was in chemistry class where he met Kelly Jones. It was the first day of classes and we were both going to our organic chemistry lab. There was a misprint and schedule, so I happened to end up in the wrong room on the right day. And he was in the right room on the wrong day. About a year after they met, Jared and Kelly moved in together. And not long after that, they had some big news to break to both families. We sat down at a table across from each other, and immediately he said, well, the reason you're here is because Kelly's pregnant.
Starting point is 00:05:46 And not a heartbeat after that, she said, and I'm not having an abortion. Were you trying to get pregnant? No. This was a surprise. She was a pleasant surprise. Did you ever wonder if she got pregnant intentionally? Yes. Do you think she did?
Starting point is 00:06:02 Yes. Kelly was three months pregnant in January of 2000 when she and Jared got married. It was beautiful. Wedding was perfect. I was really happy. But from the very beginning, the marriage showed signs of trouble. I remember once after they were married, she started complaining that he didn't squeeze the toothpaste right. And I said, you know what?
Starting point is 00:06:29 Me and my boyfriend have the exact same problem. We've decided to buy two separate. tubes of toothpaste. You have yours, I have mine, life will go on. She looked at me like I had said the most ridiculous thing in the world and she went, no, he just needs to do it the right way. The first time I met her, I said, oh, she's such a nice girl. I'm so happy for Jared. The next time I met her, liked her a little bit less. Next time liked her a little bit less. In July of that year, Kelly gave birth to a girl, who they named Malia. He was so happy, just so proud and so happy.
Starting point is 00:07:11 But those happy feelings didn't last very long. Besides the new baby, Jared and Kelly were both still in school. Let's go with this one more time. And he worked part-time teaching. In fact, they both had jobs. So most of the child care fell to Kelly's parents, Phil and Mindy Jones. Kelly thought family was her and her mother, and her mother telling her what to do about everything.
Starting point is 00:07:35 and Jared thought family was him and Kelly and Malia and them making decisions for their own family. Jared and Kelly's relationship continued to deteriorate. Richard and I said, we're concerned about you. Is everything okay? And what did he say? No, it's not. I'm not sure what to do.
Starting point is 00:07:59 He seemed to never be home. It was one thing after another. You know, it was, I need to go to the library and study. I have a test tomorrow. So I kind of felt like a single mom. She started making accusations that he wasn't home enough, that he must be sleeping with his study partner. Before Malia's first birthday, Jared had moved out and filed for divorce. The court awarded Kelly custody and granted Jared visitation.
Starting point is 00:08:28 But Kelly made it very difficult for Jared to see his own daughter. She controlled when he got to see her, and that was rarely. I thought because I had done most of the daughter. the caregiving, that it might do both of them a little bit of good to take their time and ease into it. But over time, things only got worse. Getty up. Fighting over Malia went on for the next three years. At times, Jared and Kelly both dragged Sheriff's deputies into the mess to mediate their visitation disputes.
Starting point is 00:09:05 There were numerous occasions where he had gone to try to pick up his child at her residence and was denied access to the child. When Santa Barbara detective Greg Sorensen was called to Jared's apartment the night of the murder, he was already well aware of the family's domestic problems. Instantly, I thought of his ex-wife possibly being involved in this. But neighbors had reported seeing two suspicious-looking people, quickly leaving the apartment complex. One person was described as a female. Could it have been Kelly? Possibly. Kelly was immediately brought in for questions.
Starting point is 00:09:41 brought in for questioning. I told her during the course of the interview that he had been murdered. She didn't show a lot of emotion. It wasn't until we had mentioned to her how we were suspicious of the way she reacted to us telling her that he had been murdered, and she started to cry.
Starting point is 00:09:58 While she may have had a motive to commit murder, Kelly also had a very strong alibi for that night. Telling detective she was with her daughter and a friend some 90 miles away from here, Jared's apartment. Her story checked out. Still, investigators were not convinced that Kelly was entirely innocent. Finally, the big break they desperately needed came, thanks to, of all things, that potted plant founded the crime scene. Highly unusual to see a plant out on the walkway in this particular location.
Starting point is 00:10:35 Detectives believed that someone had knocked on the door delivering the plant as a gift to lure Jared outside. The plant had been purchased at a nearby store just minutes before the murder. We acquired some videotape surveillance of the person purchasing the plant. A person who appeared to be wearing a disguise. She's wearing a baseball cap. She's wearing large, baggy sweatshirt. That's the same description of the female seen leaving Jared's apartment complex just after the shooting. It looked like Kelly Davidson.
Starting point is 00:11:13 same size, same build, and walked similar to her. The investigation was just beginning. It would take nearly five months for detectives to realize this case was anything but simple. If they're bringing me in for questioning, they must have reason to believe that I'm involved somehow. I don't think she's as innocent and naive. as she tries to make herself look.
Starting point is 00:12:08 I truly believe that she was the person that was down here buying that potted plant. Detective Sorensen thinks there's more than just this store video that could link Kelly to her ex-husband, Jared's murder. He was specifically targeted by somebody who knew about him and knew his background. Detectives are convinced that the gift card in the plant that was found outside of Jared Davidson's apartment,
Starting point is 00:12:38 had his name purposely misspelled. It looked like the person was trying to disguise their handwriting and disguise their true knowledge of his name. That's all a pretty good theory, but it is not hard evidence, which this case badly needed, if ever there was going to be an arrest. Finally, five months after Jared's murder,
Starting point is 00:13:04 detective's got another big break. And once again, the potted plant would play a pivotal role. But this time it was from the plastic cardholder, much like this one, that was in the plant found near Jared's body. A state crime lab showed us how it discovered female DNA on that cardholder, apparently from someone's hands. This is the first piece of hard physical evidence that you have to work with. That's true.
Starting point is 00:13:34 And Detective Sorensen felt pretty sure he knew whose DNA was on the cardholder. Happy birthday to you. Are you ready? We immediately went to Kelly Davidson with a search warrant for her DNA. If anybody had the motive to have this carried out, it was her. In trying to build a case against Kelly, detectives decided to focus on her relationship with her parents. parents, Phil and Mindy Jones. You're pretty close with your parents, right?
Starting point is 00:14:10 Extremely. You discussed a lot of things with each other? Yes. As far as I was concerned, we discussed everything. More than that, investigators quickly determined that Kelly didn't make a move without consulting her parents, especially her mother. Kelly didn't make decisions. Kelly didn't make decisions. No.
Starting point is 00:14:31 Who made the decisions? Mindy. Phil and Mindy Jones actively supported their daughter in her visitation and custody fight with Jared. These are people that you're either with us or you're against us. And God forbid you be against them. It became a long and ugly court battle, and Kelly's parents clearly saw Jared as being against them. The arrangement was that he would pick Millie up to Kelly's apartment. but because Kelly worked late,
Starting point is 00:15:05 then he would have to drop her off to Mindy and Phil. Early on, they would call him names. Such as... To his face? No, to Malia's face. She'd take Malia out of the car and say, your daddy's an asshole. Sometimes weeks would go by,
Starting point is 00:15:28 and Jared would be kept from seeing his child. They started attacking me and the court room. attacking me in the courtroom saying that I wasn't cooperating, that I was doing everything that I could to be vindictive and take her away from him. And you didn't see it that way? No, I didn't. But a judge apparently did. In these court documents, a judge condemned Kelly's ongoing refusal to allow Jared to see his
Starting point is 00:15:56 daughter. The judge questioned Kelly's honesty and her respect for court orders, strongly suggesting that if she continued to deny Jared visitation, Kelly could actually lose custody of Malia altogether. I think they got very scared that they were going to lose Malia. Jared Davidson was going to go back to court to try to get full custody of that girl. And that is the last thing that they wanted to have happened. They wanted him out of their lives.
Starting point is 00:16:29 They wanted him out of the picture. It was just 19 days before that hearing that Jared was murdered. last weekend. Am I, sweetie? I'm only in the water. My love. Investigators decided to question Phil. He denied any involvement in the killing and told them he couldn't have shot Jared
Starting point is 00:17:06 because he is physically incapable of holding or firing a rifle. Phil claims he'd been disabled in a nearly fatal car accident back in the early 1980s when he worked as a carpenter. Phil had painted the picture and told us that he had us that his his hand was crippled and he couldn't carry anything well we decided to put surveillance on them and just to see how incapacitated he really is they followed Phil and Mindy with hidden cameras and just look what they found see right here you can see that Phil picks up a case of what I believe is wine and it's
Starting point is 00:17:48 certainly heavier than a rifle he was flying right If Kelly's father was lying about that, Detective Sorensen wondered what else might he be lying about? Phil and Mindy Jones told investigators they were on a beach, some 90 miles away from Jared when he was ambushed and gunned down. What they didn't realize was their cell phone was tracking their every move, and it indicated they were nowhere near the beach. The cell site information was telling us something completely different. Cell Tower records indicate that Kelly placed a call to her parents that night before the murder occurred, and that they were actually driving down a highway directly towards Jared's apartment. Well, that's very critical. That punches a big hole in their alibi of being at the beach.
Starting point is 00:18:43 But there is still the unanswered question about whose DNA is on that plant cart holder. Sorensen is shocked to learn it is not Kelly. It is not Kelly's, it's her mother's. Mindy Jones, who he now suspects played a pivotal role in Jared's murder. I believe that Melinda was the one who put the plan together in exactly how they were gonna eliminate him. So six months after Jared Davidson's fatal shooting,
Starting point is 00:19:15 his ex-mother-in-law, Mindy Jones, is arrested for his murder. Detectives take a closer look at the store surveillance video, and now believe it is Mindy, not her daughter Kelly, who is seen buying that potted plant used to lure Jared out of his apartment. When she checked out at the checkout stand, she had the sleeves of her sweatshirt pulled up over her hands, which appeared to us that she was doing everything she could to cover up possible fingerprints on the pot.
Starting point is 00:19:46 Apparently, Mindy let her guard down for just one critical moment. A moment caught on just one frame of that store video. See that a person appears to reach and grab what we believe was a plastic cardholder. The moment detectives believe Mindy transfers DNA from her hand to the cardholder. So if not for the DNA, you may not have even been able to make an arrest? That's true. Phil Jones is arrested not long after his wife Mindy. Detectives are now convinced they both murdered their ex-son-in-law.
Starting point is 00:20:25 We retraced the steps that detectives believe they took that night. Melinda went up to the door, placed the plant down at the doorstep, knocked on his door, why Philip was about 15 to 20 feet away over in the bushes with that high-powered rifle. Jared peered out the window to look to see what was outside. He went to get the plant and at that point, Philip Jones shot and killed him. Even though Kelly was nowhere near the crime scene, she is also arrested. Though her alleged role in all of this is far from clear.
Starting point is 00:21:13 And I believe that she was involved in the planning of this murder. From the beginning. From the beginning. At this point, though, there is no evidence to support that. And Kelly and her parents all claim. they are innocent. The reality of it is, I had nothing to do with the death of Malia's father. I did not kill her father.
Starting point is 00:21:47 Where's your nose? Noah? Nose. Aaliyah will not know, but a wonderful person her father was. Where's your daddy? And how devoted he was to her. Come on down, little munchkin. Next to Jared himself, perhaps the most tragic victim of this murder, is Jared's little girl, Malia,
Starting point is 00:22:12 who was just three years old at the time of the shooting. We have relied on psychologists to tell us how to interact with Malia, particularly over this. Malia turned six in 2006. We agreed not to show what she looked like. All right, sweetie, that's good. There's a car coming. She has suffered an overwhelming loss. Her father was murdered. Her mother was arrested.
Starting point is 00:22:40 As were the grandparents with whom she had spent nearly every day of her life. She has said, I don't have a mommy now, and I don't have a daddy, and I'm different. Jared's parents are now raising Malia and trying to help her deal with this tremendous vacuum in her life. I think the wisest thing that the therapist ever said to us was, if you treat her as if she's broken, she will be. And to be honest with her. When Jared was murdered, Kelly had told Malia only that a bad man had shot her daddy. In her therapy session, she drew a picture of a bad man standing over a body with a gun in his hand.
Starting point is 00:23:25 Does she know who that bad man is? We chose through the coaching of the psychologist because she brought that up. She said, well, Papa was the bad man who shot your daddy. What was her reaction? Family don't kill family. What was he thinking? 17 months after Gerard Davidson's murder, authorities finally managed to get Philip Jones to confess to the killing. But he does so only when prosecutors agree that his daughter Kelly will not be tried for the murder.
Starting point is 00:24:00 It was not easy to hear that she was cutting such a deal. I think she helped land it. I'm sure she found joy in it. The Davidson's go to court to see their son's killer sentenced. But it is a stunningly different Philip Jones they see. While in jail, he has been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. I know that I am dying and will meet me. with my maker very soon.
Starting point is 00:24:34 Struggling just to breathe, Phil Jones admits he pulled the trigger. I shot and killed Jared. And Mindy and I believed that we needed to do something. As part of a plea deal, the judge reluctantly allows Kelly's father to offer his explanation for why he did it. Sometimes good people do terrible things.
Starting point is 00:25:03 Philip Jones claims that Jared was molesting Malia and had to be stopped. They did a terrible thing in killing Jared Davidson to protect our granddaughter. Jared Davidson did a terrible thing too. The sickening accusation against Jared first came from Kelly, roughly four months before the murder. the murder. Kelly says she learned of it from Malia. I just thought that's with her going to preschool, that maybe she needs to know where it's okay for people
Starting point is 00:25:39 to touch her and where it's not. And I asked if anybody touched her somewhere they shouldn't have. And when she said yes, I said who, and she said my daddy does. Kelly contacted the authorities, and Detective Sorensen was assigned to help investigate what was a very serious allegation. And at first, it seemed there might be something to the charge. Jared Davidson took a polygraph examination with our department.
Starting point is 00:26:06 A lie detector test that Sorensen says Jared failed over one key question. It was a question about inappropriate touching. He was very nervous, which was understandable. Because stress can sometimes lead to false results, Jarrett's parents paid for him to undergo a second privately administered polygraph test, which he passed. Investigators dug deeper and found no evidence to substantiate the claim. We were not able to find any physical evidence, any corroborating statements,
Starting point is 00:26:42 anything that would show that, yes, he did molest that girl. Prosecutors refused to take the case. It was rejected, and it was their belief that there was no molestation. It was fabricated. That is also the firm belief of the entire Davidson family, who are horrified by the allegations, believing Kelly made them up for her custody fight. Is Kelly lying about the molestation charges? Absolutely. Richard Davidson, wearing his murdered son's hockey jersey, is allowed to address the court.
Starting point is 00:27:19 Thank you, Your Honor. He angrily defends Jared. We have also seen repeated lies told solely for the person. purpose of slandering Jared's good name as a sick attempt to justify the defendants' murderous act. Perhaps equally outraged is the judge in this case. Jared Davidson does not have the ability to respond to those allegations because you kill it, you murdered him.
Starting point is 00:27:44 This is an execution murder lying in wait. Thank you. Court's adjourned. He sentences Bill Jones to life in prison. with no chance of parole. Phil is sent here to a special hospice unit inside a California prison. Since his sentencing, it appears for the moment
Starting point is 00:28:08 that his health has improved dramatically. Come on over and show us what you have here. In an exclusive interview with 48 hours, Phil Jones continues to insist Malia was molested. I know for a fact, because she told me. He also claims he was very sensitive to what Malia said because he had been a victim of molestation as a child. I know how it affects people. Did you or your daughter ever ask your son-in-law if he had done this or if there could be any explanation for it?
Starting point is 00:28:44 No, I did not. I didn't ask him. Philip Jones' decision to commit murder appears to be based solely on the word of a three-year-old. child. What are you doing over there, young lady? A child prosecutors are convinced was coached into making the claim. Maybe Malia might have said something, but three-year-olds say things that aren't necessarily true, and use that as an excuse to go out and murder somebody is outrageous. There was no other choice than to shoot this man. I sure couldn't think of one. I couldn't. I couldn't And I just couldn't come up with anything else. There's Leah in the pool.
Starting point is 00:29:34 I wish there had been some other way, but it was my responsibility to protect my granddaughter. As he now feels he must protect his daughter, Kelly. But what role, if any, did she play in her ex-husband's murder? You didn't pull the trigger, but are you just as guilty for the death? Do you have a dark curiosity? Heart Starts Pounding, Horrors, Hauntings, and Mysteries is a weekly podcast hosted by me, Kailen Moore. Each week, I'll take you on a dark journey through terrifying true urban legends, bizarre true crime cases, chilling tales of backwoods horror and more. So if you're looking to join a passionate community of The Darkly Curious, check out Heart Starts pounding on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts.
Starting point is 00:30:26 And remember, stay curious. I've been through chemotherapy and radiation tree. There's nothing more that medical science can do. Philip Jones may be living on borrowed time as he begins serving a life sentence for murdering his ex-son-son-in-law, Jared Davidson. Did you know at the time that you had terminal cancer? I did not. So that didn't factor in your decision at all to kill this man, knowing that you may not be alive?
Starting point is 00:31:14 No, it didn't. I had no idea. But knowledge of his face. fatal illness probably made his plea deal to be locked away for what life he has left a little easier to accept. I just confessed and pled guilty in exchange for my daughter being taken out of the equation. She was threatened with life imprisonment and as everyone knows there are a lot of innocent people in prison. Was your daughter a part of the plot to kill her ex-husband? her ex-husband? No, she wasn't.
Starting point is 00:31:49 As part of the deal, Kelly is allowed to plead guilty to three lesser charges, but each is still a serious crime. ...accessory to murder and to counsel perjury. Outside of courts, Kelly remains quite defiant. By entering the plea, I was in essence lying in a courtroom. The charges I pled guilty to is that I helped come. cover up after the fact. And did you?
Starting point is 00:32:20 No, I didn't. So why did you agree to the plea? Because in my opinion, our justice system is flawed just enough that I couldn't trust a jury. I would be gambling my entire life, and Lee is. Kelly is sentenced to four years in prison. But with good behavior she could be out, after serving only about a year and a half, an outrage to Jared's father, who told the court so. As for my son's ex-wife, to whom I believe personally responsible for the death of my son
Starting point is 00:32:52 and for the tormenting him throughout the precious time he had with his daughter, she should receive the maximum sentence permitted by law. So with Kelly avoiding a long prison sentence and her father's deal done, that leaves Kelly's mother, Mindy, as the last and perhaps the biggest target of them all. You think Melinda is the mastermind of all of this? Mastermind or not, Mindy refuses a plea deal for herself. She'll take her chances in court. But there's a problem.
Starting point is 00:33:23 It seems Mindy can't remember anything. Six months after her arrest, Mindy woke up one morning in jail, claiming she had lost her memory. Yeah, she claimed that she had amnesia and that she had lost her memory and didn't know who anybody was. Very convenient. Not for Mindy's attorney, Robert Landhere. He says she is completely incapable of assisting in her own defense, like trying to explain
Starting point is 00:33:54 why her DNA was on the plant card holder found at the murder scene. She asserts to this day that she doesn't remember what happened. And do you believe that? It doesn't matter what I believe. That's what she says. I'm not able to look into people's eyes and know whether they're telling the truth or Compounding matters for the defense, the witness with the greatest potential to harm Mindy... Mr. Jones, please step forward to the witness down.
Starting point is 00:34:21 Is her own husband, Phil. He's called to testify by the prosecution. I don't believe I'm going to answer this question. He does his best not to cooperate. Was your wife with you when you shot Jared Davidson? I'm not going to answer that question. I'm not going to answer that. But the judge insists he must testify.
Starting point is 00:34:43 He must testify. You've been sentenced. You're not at jeopardy. I'm ordering you to respond to the question. You knew you had to find a way to get him out of the house or out of his apartment so that you could use the rifle. Isn't that correct? Yes.
Starting point is 00:34:59 And that's why you went over to Vaughn's and your wife went in to buy the plant so that you would be able to get Jared to come out, correct? So says you. I'm asking you, sir. You're the one who committed a murder. The defense had hoped at worst to make a case for voluntary manslaughter.
Starting point is 00:35:21 It's at least an argument for voluntary manslaughter and not murder. Suggesting that in her mind, Mindy had to kill Jared to protect her granddaughter. But the prosecutor maintained that the family made the whole thing up. And the judge this time refused to allow any mention of the alleged molestation.
Starting point is 00:35:41 The defense is not available. I could reflect that I asked the court to reconsider. That's fine. You were left with very little to defend this woman. It was slim pickens. As Lanier sees it, the truth of whether Jared molested Malia is not even the real issue here. Whether or not he did it or not is not the question.
Starting point is 00:36:02 They honestly held that belief that the child was going to suffer some harm at his hands. It was perhaps misguided and true. tragic. But given the tough restrictions from the judge, the defense is left only with the opportunity to hint to the jurors that there is more to the story than they've been told. Crime is sometimes evil, and sometimes crime is not crime, sometimes it is justifiable. You and your wife thought you had outsmarted everybody, didn't you?
Starting point is 00:36:41 No, that's not true. Throughout it all, Mindy has maintained she remembers absolutely nothing of Jared's killing, but that she is innocent of the murder charges against her. The jury takes several hours over two days to reach a verdict. You think Mindy orchestrated all of this? Yes. But what do the jurors think? Verdict. We, the jury, in the above-entitled case,
Starting point is 00:37:08 hereby find the defendant, Melinda Jean-Jones, guilty of the crime of murder. in violation of penal code. Mindy shows no reaction to the verdict, or the sentence, to spend the rest of her days in prison with no chance of parole. There's no remorse, there's no regret, and nothing will bring him back. Do you think that Phil or Mindy
Starting point is 00:37:32 should have been given the death penalty? I do. It kills me that they get to live, and he's gone. There is no close to him. There is no closure or relief for Jared's parents, Richard and Susan, now that Kelly and her parents have all been sent off to prison. Instead, the Davidson's express new fears
Starting point is 00:37:54 for their family's safety. You're afraid of Kelly? Yes. The sense of loss will never go away. He's always missing. He's always missing. Jared Davidson's parents and brother it is very important for Malia to visit her father's grave.
Starting point is 00:38:34 And it says that he was a devoted father, your daddy. He was our son. He was Mikey's brother. That's where his memory is. That's where she can go to be closer to him. Richard feels tremendous guilt. Sorry I wasn't there for you. convinced he could have somehow prevented his son's murder.
Starting point is 00:39:04 I had a concern for Cherit's life. As he describes it, he had secretly feared that the Joneses might murder his son to get him out of Malia's life. And I didn't share that with he or my wife. I will live with that guilt for the rest of my life for not sharing that. I see the tears and the emotion, Phil. Is that regret for what you did? Is that...
Starting point is 00:39:35 No, it's thinking about what has happened to my granddaughter and the way that it has affected my entire family. They acted on what they thought was in the best interest of my daughter, and I can't fault anybody for that. Good girl! It is thoughts of her daughter that help Kelly keep going. How much do you miss her? I don't even think I could describe it.
Starting point is 00:40:07 I miss everything about her. She's the reason I got up every morning. She's the reason I went to work. She's the reason I took the deal so I could get home with her. And it is Kelly's intense feelings for Malia that have the Davidson's worried about their own safety. She's in jail. There are bad people in jail.
Starting point is 00:40:34 Our concern is that she develops a relationship that gets us murdered. You have a fear of this? Yes. Yes. As it is, the Davidson's already face a tough challenge. Somehow, they have to help their granddaughter piece together her life, as she tries to make sense of her father's senseless murder,
Starting point is 00:40:57 by people she had trusted and loved. As she grows up, she'll learn more and she'll understand more. And she'll eventually have the documents to read to draw our own conclusions. Philip Jones died in 2007 while serving his prison sentence. Kelly Davidson was released from prison in 2007.

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