South Carolina dad accused of killing 5 kids, driving bodies around for over a week, is set to stand trial

LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C. (KTLA) -- A father who police said killed his five young children in their South Carolina home and then drove their bodies around for more than a week is about to stand trial for his life.

Jury selection is set to begin Monday in Lexington County in the death penalty case of Timothy Jones Jr.

Jones is charged with five counts of murder for killing his children, ages 8, 7, 6, 2 and 1, in their Lexington home in August 2014. Indictments said he strangled four of them and beat the other.

Jones then wrapped the bodies in plastic bags, put them in the back of his SUV and drove around the Southeast for a week, logging more than 700 miles (1,125 kilometers) through North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and finally Mississippi where he was arrested, authorities said.

Well into the trip, Jones buried his children on a rural hillside near Camden, Alabama, police said.

When he was arrested at a drunken driving checkpoint in Smith County, Mississippi, an officer smelled a terrible odor and found blood, maggots and children's clothes in the SUV, authorities said.

Jones' lawyers have filed court papers saying he plans an insanity defense. Jury selection will likely take most, if not all of this week.

Jones, 37, was a software engineer and was given custody of his children after his marriage started to fall apart.