Man who helped hide murdered woman's body sentenced

DETROIT - A man learned his punishment for helping a friend hide the body of murdered Detroit mother Alicia Fox.

He faced the dead woman's mother in court Wednesday as she accused him of leaving her now missing grandchildren in the hands of a killer.

And this grandmother can't help but wonder if Timothy Jones had done the right thing, her grandchildren might be with her today. Instead it's been over a year and no one has a clue where those kids are.

In his final moments before sentencing, Timothy Jones tried to tell the judge how he regrets his role in a crime that has left so many heartbroken.

"I am wrong for being afraid of what happened to me," he said. "Instead of coming straight forward and saying what happened."

Alica Fox was killed in June of 2014 and her estranged husband Erin Justice was sentenced for that crime last week.

Jones admitted to helping Justice hide her body in an abandoned house on Penrod in Detroit.

He was also the last person to see Alicia's two children Kayla Hunter and Kristian Justice alive - and their grandmother claims he did nothing to protect them.

"They will reap what they sow," said Travae Fox in court. "I can go on and on and stand here but it all ends in one perfect sentence. He left my grandchildren's safety in the arms of a murderer after he saw my daughter's lifeless body lying there."

Fox is beyond devastated. Not only was her daughter murdered and her body dumped but her grandchildren are still missing.

The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office allowed Justice to reach a plea deal and get a shorter sentence while still refusing to tell investigators what he did to the kids or where they may be.

Jones maintains he has no idea where they are and regrets taking part in the crime - for a watch and a pair of Cartier glasses.

"He traded my grandchildren's safety for social status, for a pair of glasses and a watch," Fox said.

"I feel bad that I didn't come straight forward and no I did not trade her grandkids' life for glasses and a watch," Jones said.

In the end, the judge believed Jones was remorseful for his actions and sentenced him within the plea deal guidelines of two to five years in prison.

Although Justice and Jones are now behind bars for what they did, the family of Alicia and her two children are far from any closure. They try to hold on to the smallest shred of hope that Kayla and Kristian will be found.

"I won't say what he feels in his heart, but I know that should be a troublesome thing for him as well," Fox said.

Erin justice was sentenced to 45-80 years for killing Alicia Fox. The family still very upset with that, why the prosecutors negotiated a plea deal without having Justice reveal the location of the missing children.

In court Wednesday, the prosecution said this case is not over.