Father suspected of killing in-laws found shot; children OK

<p>A jealous ex-husband shot three former in-laws to death and strangled his infant daughter, then kidnapped three little girls and fled in a stolen sport utility vehicle, authorities said Thursday.</p><p>The girls were found unharmed hours later in another northwest Georgia county, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said.</p><p>The suspect, Jerry William Jones, reportedly shot himself after a police chase on Interstate 75 near the Tennessee line. Jones brother-in-law said police told him Jones was hospitalized in critical condition.</p><p>The victims were found dead in two homes down the street from each other in this rural Georgia town 55 miles north of Atlanta.</p><p>Authorities said Jones, 31, has a long criminal history, including convictions for burglary and auto theft.</p><p>Jones called his estranged common-law wife, Melissa Peeler, late Wednesday and told her of the killings, adding that he would start killing the kids one by one if she alerted authorities, according to her brother-in-law.</p><p>Peeler was in Oregon, where she had been since the Christmas holidays with her boyfriend, leaving the children with her parents and sisters. She notified police after getting the phone call.</p><p>According to the GBI, Peeler and Jones were never legally married but had a common-law marriage.</p><p>Peelers parents, Tom and Nola Blaylock, were found shot to death in one home. In the other house, authorities found Peelers sister, Georgia Bradley, 32, shot to death, while Jones 10-month-old daughter by Peeler, Harley, was apparently strangled.</p><p>GBI spokesman John Bankhead said the crime scenes indicated that the killer was very methodical.</p><p>This wasnt quick. He clearly took his time, Bankhead said.</p><p>Authorities said the motive appeared to be jealousy over Peeler visiting her new boyfriend.</p><p>Her brother-in-law David ODonnell said that Jones was constantly threatening violence and that Peeler had been trying to get away from him.</p><p>He says all the time, hell kill you, hell kill me or whoever, ODonnell said. Hes an idiot, just a crazy person.</p><p>The missing girls are Peeler and Jones children _ Brandy Jones, 4, and Tammy Jones, 3 _ and Peelers daughter from a previous relationship, Brittany Phelps, 10.</p><p>Peelers sister, Kathy ODonnell, said she would tell Jones: People make mistakes, but the children deserve to be safe. I feel if you would bring the babies back home maybe God would be more lenient on you.</p><p>Jones mother and stepfather were killed in the 1996 ValuJet crash in the Florida Everglades, and ODonnell said Jones got a substantial settlement.</p><p>He blew the money almost as fast as he got it, mostly on drugs, ODonnell said.</p><p>Mrs. ODonnell said that after the ValuJet crash, Jones began to lose control.</p><p>He felt like he couldnt have his family, nobobdy else would, she said.</p><p>Authorities believe Jones, who was in and out of prison in the 1990s on various theft charges, was driving a 1991 red or maroon Ford Explorer with Georgia license plate number 730YFV.</p>

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