The Torture and Murder of Adrian Jones

The story of Adrian Jones is a hard one to write, so believe me when I say that it'll be hard to read.

I feel I must warn you here and now...do not go further if severe child abuse and the murder of a child will bother and/or trigger you.

Adrian Jones was a seven year-old boy who never stood a chance in life. If there was ever a child that the system failed...I have never read a story of the murder and/or abuse of a child that trumps this in terms of the absolute horrific.

Micheal Jones, Adrian's father, and the boy's step-mother, Heather Jones (she claims she was 'forced' to abuse the boy), both received life sentences for the murder of this little boy, however, in my opinion that falls woefully short of true justice for what they did to this boy.

True justice for them would be nothing less than what they did to this baby in equal measure over an equal amount of time. They both deserve to die slow and very painful deaths. I can think of a few ancient torture methods that would suit them.

He was the fifth of six children to his mother, and the first of three to his father.

In one year there were ten calls placed to CPS for this child between states Kansas and Missouri.

The first call was about the mother. Adrian's older sister said they were neglected at home, that the mother wouldn't take care of them, treated them badly, as well as the possibility that she was on drugs. There was the possibility also that the boy had been sexually assaulted and/or molested, as the sister reported that a man slept in the boy's room and played with him behind closed doors.

Adrian and two siblings were removed from her care due to neglect and Adrian was then placed into his father's care at the age of three. He was at some point placed back into his mother's care before being put back into his father's care.

The evidence...video footage from thirty-two cameras around the house...captured everything.

The last five months of Adrian's life was the worst.

The second call (first to the Jones) to CPS was more for the other kids in the house than Adrian, though he was included in the check when CPS came to the house. One of the children had lost significant weight, which is why the call was placed. CPS reported that he looked malnourished.

The third call to CPS was after Heather Jones took her two-year-old daughter to the E.R. claiming that she had had a seizure. This is not what happened. The doctor examined the child and found that she had internal bleeding, extensive bruising around her head...and when asked, she said Adrian (who was present at the time) pushed her down the stairs, however the doctor said that did not explain what he saw.

Then her story changes and she goes on to say that Adrian beat the girl in the head with a wooden rod because he "gets aggressive when his father isn't around".

He's still three at this point, y'all.

The doctor notices Adrian has a black eye. Naturally the doctor says "What happened to his eye?"

She responded that his father hit him because he wet his pants.

The hospital then calls the Department of Children's Services where a complaint was filed and an officer was sent to the house to follow up. An officer Wall (Whall?) from Topeka P.D.

Adrian reported to the officer that his father Michael hit and pushed him down for doing or saying something. That he got blamed for what happens to the other kids that ranged from ages two to ten. The ten-year-old sibling told the officer she had heard Heather choking Adrian in the bathroom at night and that it "sounded like he was dying".

The one under the ten-year-old sibling said Heather only abuses them because they, Adrian and his two sisters, weren't hers. This officer reported to the social worker that Adrian was hit with a closed fist, everything that he was told, but also that Adrian was SAFE in his location.

The social worker noted all this in a file and they left the kids where they were.

CPS/DCFS conducted more interviews with the father Micheal and the sisters where they went to school without the parents around.

The children told them Michael hits them (with his hand) on their legs, punches them in the stomach and bottom. They also told CPS that Heather only focuses her attention on Adrian: kicking him with and without shoes/boots on, pushed him down and hitting him with anything she could get her hands on without any sort of provocation.

CPS reports what they were told back to Heather...her response was to cry and say she would never hurt the kids.

Adrian was marked at a HIGH RISK OF ABUSE but was deemed to be safe at the home.

How this makes any sense is beyond me. If he is at high risk, he's not fucking safe. Isn't that kind of the point...?

Now CPS had already removed Heather's biological kids for abuse after the visit to the doctor and they went to the grandmother's house.

CPS also called Michael Jones (before the officer was called out) who said he was not home at the time of the alleged punching, that Heather was crazy and on drugs and that he didn't hit Adrian.

Assuming that that lie was truth...in knowing that she was "crazy and on drugs" why did he leave Adrian and the other kids with her?

CPS told him that the kids can stay at the home, but that Heather had to leave and was no longer allowed around the children. (This was in December)

By this point, Adrian had been at his father's house for three months.

CPS also had Michael sign a document promising that he would keep the kids safe (such as no physical punishments and no contact with Heather)

In January, Micheal called CPS and told them that he and Heather were back together and he was allowing her into the home.

CPS did nothing.

The fourth call: Someone knew that Heather was there and reported it as well as the family living in filth and that the girls had been beaten so badly on their bottoms they were bleeding. There was also a report of fire arms being within reach of the children.

The social worker that took the call did not immediately start, though eventually did start an investigation.

CPS called Heather about Michael spanking the kids and she denied them bleeding, though claimed that "if they were bleeding" it was caused by a skin condition.

Kansas CPS took no action to remove Adrian or the others from the home despite there being a documented abuser (Heather) in the house.

Now mind you, this is the same CPS office that took Adrian from his mother for much less that what Michael is being accused of and still does nothing)

There were no calls/reports for one year, so let's fast-forward to December of 2012. Adrian is four.

During the 2012 year, Michael put Adrian in a psyche ward claiming that he abused his sisters, started fires etc. At the hospital he saw many doctors who diagnosed him with PTSD.

Heather claimed that it was from when he was with his bio-mom.

He was assessed (twice) with a Global Functioning Test, which is scored from 0-100. This test assesses how you handle/capable of handling daily life. The first score was a 55. The second a 24.

Christmas of 2012, Adrian went to see his grandmother (Jones). (Adrian's older sister testified that she was afraid of Michael, that she couldn't wait to not be around him, and that she was scared for Adrian and a sister that was still there)

This is the last time that Adrian would see his grandmother or his sister.

Between the months of December '12 and March of '13 Michael, Heather, and the kids moved to Missouri.

March 4th: Call five. It was reported that Adrian was forced to stand in a corner for hours, as they would forget he was there. He was forced to do push-ups, sit-ups, and jumping jacks for extended periods of time. There were locks on the outside of his bedroom door and he was starting fires.

The kids were pulled from school and 'home schooled" in the 'Jones Academy'. Now they had even less outside world contact.

The fifth call to CPS marked a level two response, which means it's a mid-range emergency. (They can call/come out...but nothing happens too quickly)

Social worker Caldwell went to the home and interviewed Michael, Heather, and Adrian. They interviewed the boy IN FRONT of the father and step-mother...and in front of them told the social worker the fucking truth about being locked up in the bedroom and the abuse.

Heather constantly interrupts to make excuses...i.e. he was locked in the bedroom for hurting his sisters...

He told them that they starved him.

Heather said they did that because 'he eats everything'.

CPS also interview the landlord and asked if they had seen the kids. The landlord replied that he never saw Adrian.

Missouri requested the record from the Kansas CPS but the investigation went nowhere despite Heather still not being legally allowed in the home.

Caldwell came back on April 5th for a follow-up. She did not ask the boy about any abuse, but instead asked how he was settling in the new house...even though he had a bruise on his face during the follow-up.

CPS is supposed to take pictures when they visit...they did not.

On April 7th they got the records which all indicated severe child abuse in the home involving Adrian and Heather Jones. With these records in hand, they close his case that day, the supervisor signs off to close it, and left him in the home.

The sixth call came in July. There was a report of emergency child abuse and neglect. Heather "beating the living daylights out of the kids" and using objects inside the house. The reporter of the claim also stated they had witness Heather both using and selling Meth and the kids being locked in a room/out of the house for hours.

This call marked a level 2...it was the same social worker and supervisor, by the way...

July 8th a different social worker came to the house. Micheal and Heather were there. They claimed Adrian was not. The social worker comes back on the 17th, nine days later with two police officers, who confirms there are several firearms in the residence within reach of the kids.

Now, when the social worker and the cops show up, Adrian is with his uncle, who at first, denies them entrance to the house. But once the cops told him there would be trouble if he didn't, the man let them in the house.

Adrian tells them all "Sometimes he kicks me in the back of my head and once a little bone came out. My daddy keeps punching me in the head and stomach and Mom keeps pulling on my ears and it really hurts. Mommy and Daddy can't feed me. I have to sleep without a pillow and blanket." These are Adrian's words. He also goes on to tell them how Heather pushes him to the floor and kicks him and locks him in the bedroom/closet.

During this interview Heather and Michael come home and they are questioned about what's been told to them. They deny it, but do admit to locking him in the bedroom, claiming that he was a problem child. They said that he was aggressive to his siblings, with threats to hurt them. They told them how he was once in the psych ward and claimed the doctor would lock him up there as well.

The social worker suggested other ways to protect all the kids and ordered a physical and x-rays on all the children.

They got the exam done the next day. I don't know if they paid the doctor off or if he wasn't worth the ink his diploma was written on, but he said there was no sign of physical abuse. They did not get the x-rays.

The social worker noted that Adrian's safety was not guaranteed if he was left at the house. She noted concerns that Adrian would be targeted because Heather and her history of child abuse to even her own biological kids.

That same day Michael said it would be best if the State took Adrian.

The social worker also noted that a JV officer called within minuets stating that Adrian should stay in the home because of his mental health concerns and that the parents' were being 'honest' on why they lock him up and wise for him to just stay in the home and the family get provided extra services.

Adrian marked in an assessment as unsafe in four of eleven categories, including danger from a violent parent/care giver. He was not removed.

The Missouri Welfare office in 2013 could not ensure Adrian's safety, yet he was left at the home.

Michael and Heather accepted the extra services, though they didn't accept them for long and they dropped out of sight.

By the time Michael and Heather contacted Social Services again, they told them they had moved back to Kansas...and so without any further investigation...like say...oh...a trip out to the house to look and see if they were gone, just closed the case without verifying a change of address.

The 8th call: Kansas CPS notified by a hotline and reported that on August 21st 2013 that medical/mental health needs were not being met for Adrian.

They then go to the last known address of the Jones' and guess where they were...surprise, surprise...

After this visit social worker Wheeler documented a high level risk factor but still left him in the home.

Now let's move forward to October. Wheeler determined that the case not be reopened despite all evidence...her supervisor signs off on it...

Feb 2014. The 9th call: This caller reported that Adrian was being locked away with no medical treatment, and no interaction with other kids. This again is marked at a level one response.

He was never removed from the house, or was always brought back.

Eventually Micheal and Heather built a small 'cell' out of plywood in the shower in one of the bathrooms and locked the boy in there. They didn't let him out again. He was locked in there for the last week of his life...and then two weeks further.

Michael and Heather bought pigs and starved them...thinking they pigs would then consume him. This plan failed.

They did other atrocities to this boy that I have not mentioned in this article. If you would like to know more, the information is out there.

This is, like I said before, probably the most atrocious case of child abuse that I have ever read about...and when you study the criminal mind, you come across many horrible things. But sadly...this is the worst.

More than the parents should be punished for the death of this boy. It was completely avoidable.

He did everything he was supposed to do. He told his teachers. He told the police. He told CPS. He told anyone who could hear him what was happening...and no one did a fucking thing.

Adults have this bullshit state of mind that kids don't know what they're saying...or they're automatically lying because they're kids and we take the adults side...

Y'all...if a kid is telling you something like that...listen.

Do. Something.

You may be that kid's last hope.