People v. Jones

The defendant, Earl Jones, was convicted at a bench trial of the murders of his wife and two-year-old stepdaughter. He was sentenced to two concurrent terms of 50 to 100 years’ imprisonment.

On appeal, the defendant argues that he was not proved sane beyond a reasonable doubt and that the trial court erred in failing to order fitness hearings at the preliminary hearing and arraignment, on the date of trial and before sentencing.

On July 16, 1976, at approximately 3:30 p.m., Florence Jones, the defendant’s neighbor, saw the defendant carry a sawed-off shotgun into his house. At about 3:45 p.m.,…