District Attorney Keith Higgins announces that Torrance Markale Jones, 39, from Brunswick, pled guilty to two counts of Aggravated Assault, Possession of a Knife during Commission of a Felony, and two counts of Cruelty to Children in the Third Degree, pursuant to a negotiated guilty plea entered in Appling County Superior Court on March 9, 2023.
The charges stem from an incident that occurred on January 27, 2022, when the defendant, Torrance Jones, entered a residence in Appling County where four juveniles, aged 14, 11, 6 and 4 years old, were home alone. Jones was armed with a knife, and attacked the 11 year old male child by striking him, strangling him, and at some point plunging the knife into the boy’s head. The 14 year old female child ran into the room after hearing the younger children screaming and Jones then turned his attention to her, also attacking her with the knife. The two older children were able to get away from Jones, flee the home and run to a neighbor’s home to seek assistance. The two younger children were witnesses to the attack, which traumatized all of the children and resulted in the male child having to receive staples in his head to close the wound and the female needing nine stiches to a finger. Jones fled the scene and BOLOs (Be on the Lookout) were issued by the Appling County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO). Jones was located days later in Jacksonville, FL by U.S. Marshals. Jones gave multiple stories to law enforcement when captured, but the shoes he was wearing at the time of arrest had blood on them that was later matched to the juvenile male.
On March 9, 2022, Jones pled guilty to two counts of Aggravated Assault, Possession of a Knife during Commission of a Felony, and two counts of Cruelty to Children in the Third Degree, before Judge Stephen D. Kelley in Appling County Superior Court. At his hearing, Jones admitted guilt, but argued the sentencing time to be served in prison. The State, represented by Assistant District Attorney (ADA) Hunter Smith, presented evidence at the hearing, which included testimony from the ACSO Investigator Stacy Gruber, the victim’s mother and one of the juvenile victims. In his closing argument, ADA Smith focused on the violent attack on the two children and how the trauma has affected their lives. ADA Smith requested the defendant serve the full term of incarceration as per the negotiated plea agreement. Judge Kelley sentenced Jones to 45 years with the first 25 years to be served in the Georgia Department of Corrections and the remaining 20 years on probation.
Members of the media with further questions may contact the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office at 912-554-7200.
