‘The Value of His Life Is Immeasurable’: Father Sentenced to Life Plus 185 Years for Christmas Eve Killing of 4-Year-Old Son

ROSEDALE — Mark Jones shot his family and himself on Christmas Eve 2024.

His 4-year-old son, Jacobi, was shot directly in the center of his forehead. His one-year-old daughter  was shot in the shoulder. The children’s mother was shot in the back of the head.

Everyone but Jacobi survived.

On Friday, a Baltimore County judge sentenced Jones to life in prison plus 185 years.

“It’s hard to imagine anything worse than murdering one of your children, attempting to murder another one of your children and attempting to murder the mother of your children,” Judge Dennis Robinson said before imposing the sentence.

“This was violent. It was senseless and, to make it even worse, it happened at home, where children are supposed to be the safest, and was done by the person who should have been one of their strongest protectors.”

Robinson’s sentence exceeded state sentencing guidelines and the prosecution’s recommendation of life plus 80 years. The defense had asked for a 30-year sentence, arguing that Jones was worthy of mercy.

A jury convicted Jones, 31, in June of second-degree murder in Jacobi’s death and two counts of attempted second-degree murder for shooting the little girl and the children’s mother, Promyss Marcelle. He also was convicted of first-degree child abuse causing death, first-degree child abuse causing serious physical injury, assault and firearms offenses.

The jury acquitted Jones of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder after deliberating for more than 20 hours.

The shootings happened around 6:30 a.m. Dec. 24, 2024, inside the family’s apartment on Breslin Court in Rosedale.

At trial, jurors heard about the deeply troubled relationship between Jones and Marcelle, who had been locked in a power struggle over child support, living arrangements and other issues.

Assistant State’s Attorney Madison Frank said Friday that, despite Jones’ minimal criminal history, police had been called 24 times for domestic incidents involving Jones and Marcelle or members of her family.

In the weeks before the shootings, Marcelle sent Jones vitriolic text messages, some saying she hoped he would die.

But on Christmas Eve morning, she asked for peace.

Marcelle repeatedly texted Jones, begging him to leave so she and the children could have a peaceful holiday. Police had been called to the apartment the night before after the couple argued and Marcelle wanted Jones removed.

Because there had been no physical assault and Jones produced a piece of mail showing the apartment as his address, an officer told the two to remain in separate rooms for the night.

Jones told Marcelle by text that he would leave if she stopped seeking child support.

She told him she never would.

Hours later, Jacobi was dead.

At trial, the defense disputed Marcelle’s account of what happened. Jones told emergency personnel that the two had struggled over the gun and that Marcelle had shot him. Jones suffered gunshot wounds to his jaw; investigators concluded he had shot himself.

Jurors ultimately found that Jones killed Jacobi and tried to kill Marcelle and their daughter.

On Friday, Frank revealed a detail that jurors had not heard: After the shootings, Jones did not call 911. Instead, he called his mother and told her, “I just couldn’t take it anymore.”

Frank said Jones could have left the apartment and avoided the tragedy. Instead, she said, his actions represented a betrayal of his most fundamental responsibility as a father.

“As parents, that is our number one job, to protect our children at all costs,” she said. “We are supposed to do everything in our power to protect our babies, and he destroyed them. His choices destroyed them, and he needs to be punished for that.”

Marcelle told the judge what those choices had left behind.

She spoke of remembering the gunshots, learning that her son was dead and later seeing 4-year-old Jacobi lying in a casket with dinosaur toys tucked beside him.

“Losing my son pushed me deep down in a black hole,” Marcelle said. “I couldn’t believe my life … that I’d actually lost my firstborn at the hands of the one who helped create our amazing son.”

Holidays her family once looked forward to have become some of their saddest days, she said. Jacobi’s birthday, once a day of celebration, is now a day of remembrance.

“Now we let go of balloons and tears on that day,” she said.

Marcelle acknowledged that she had made mistakes in her relationship with Jones.

“But to harm an innocent toddler and baby is no mistake,” she said. “I can never kiss, hug, shower, get my son ready for school, celebrate birthdays, milestones, nothing.”

Now, she said, she is left only with pictures and memories.

Defense attorney Erin Cullinan urged Robinson to consider the complicated and toxic relationship between Jones and Marcelle rather than view the case solely through its outcome.

She described Jones as a loving father who worked long hours to support his children. On the day of the shootings, she said, Jones had planned to take his two older daughters from another relationship and Jacobi to a movie. He had already bought the tickets.

“Your Honor, we are asking that Mark be sentenced for the gray matter, not for the black and white,” Cullinan said.

She pointed to the jury’s more than 20 hours of deliberations as evidence that jurors, too, struggled with a case she said was more complicated than it might first appear.

Jones did not address the judge directly. Instead, Cullinan read a written statement on his behalf.

In it, Jones said he wants to become a better man, father, brother and human being so that he can emerge as a better version of himself “if I am ever to be reunited with my loved ones on this earth in this lifetime.”

Robinson ultimately found little reason for leniency.

“The value of someone’s life is not measured by the number of years someone is sent to jail for ending that life,” he said. “The true value of Jacobi’s life can only be measured by the impact his life had on his family during his short time here.

“By that standard, the value of his life is immeasurable.”