Jones v. State

Carley, Justice.

A jury found Melvin Jones guilty of the felony murder of his three-month-old daughter while in the commission of the offense of cruelty to children. The trial court entered a judgment of conviction on the jury’s verdict and sentenced Jones to life imprisonment. The trial court denied Jones’ motion for new trial, and he appeals.

1. Construed most favorably for the State, the evidence shows that, before the victim was born, Jones beat her mother, Tonya Andrews, in an effort to cause a miscarriage. He also used a belt or his hands to strike the three other young children in the…