Guilty Plea Accepted in 2022 Aggravated Assault against Juveniles State v. Torrance Markale Jones

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(March 14, 2023) 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.