(Photos courtesy of the Joiner family) The children of Billy Jack Joiner Jr stand outside the Webster Parish Courthouse Wednesday after the sentencing of their half-brother Jonconnor Joiner for the slaying of their father. From left: Amie Joiner Sittner, Billy Joiner III and Teresa Joiner Hicks.
By Tiffany Flournoy
MINDEN, La. — A Sibley man convicted in April of beating his father to death with a baseball bat nearly a decade ago was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison at hard labor without benefits of parole, probation or suspension of sentence.
Jonconnor Joiner, 32, was convicted last month after a Webster Parish jury deliberated less than 10 minutes before unanimously finding him guilty of second-degree murder in the May 2016 killing of his father, 57-year-old Billy Jack Joiner Jr.
The case was delayed for several years after a court-appointed sanity commission determined Joiner was not competent to stand trial or assist in his defense. He was committed to the Eastern Louisiana Mental Health System in Jackson until he was later found competent to proceed.
Judge Parker Self imposed the mandatory sentence following a trial marked by graphic testimony, forensic evidence and an audio confession.
Family members of Billy Joiner Jr. said Joiner continually smirked and smiled during Wednesday’s sentencing proceedings.
In a victim impact statement, Teresa Joiner Hicks told the court, “This statement is not really about me. It is about my father… Our family has carried this loss every day.”
Amie Joiner Sittner recalled first fearing for Joiner’s safety before learning what had happened. “I considered you my brother in every way,” she said, later adding she forgave him but said the pain remains.
“JonConner, I hope you live every day with the memory of what you did to our father. I hope it haunts you, that it follows you, that it reminds you of the rage and hatred that led to his death. That is your life sentence- — the burden of knowing the full weight of your actions.
She said forgiveness does not erase the pain, the trauma, or the loss.
“Billy and I should be sitting on the porch in rocking chairs talking about our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren,” said Connie Francis Rummage, sister of Billy Joiner Jr. She said Jonconnor Joiner repeatedly claimed he had no family despite relatives present in the courtroom. Francis added that after visiting him early on, he told her not to return if she could not forgive him, and said she now believes he shows no remorse.
Billy Joiner III also addressed the court directly, speaking through faith and the Lord’s Prayer. “Jonconnor… I stand here today as your brother and as the son of the man you took from us,” he said, telling him that by taking their father’s life he also lost the life he could have had. He said forgiveness was a decision rooted in faith, not an excuse for the crime.
He closed by reciting the Lord’s Prayer, with some in the courtroom gallery heard quietly whispering along.
Officials involved in the case described it as among the most gruesome they had encountered.
At trial, Assistant District Attorney Hugo Holland told jurors that Billy Joiner Jr. was “beaten viciously” inside the family’s Frazier Road home in Sibley.
According to testimony, former Sibley police officer Cody James discovered the scene after noticing the victim’s donkey, JoJo, loose while patrolling the area. He checked the residence, found the front door kicked in, and called for backup. Deputies later discovered the victim’s body inside.
Jurors heard an audio confession in which Joiner admitted arguing with his father after being told he would have to move out of the home.
“We argued… he was trying to kick me out,” Joiner said in the recording.
He told investigators he initially struck his father with his fists before retrieving a baseball bat and continuing the attack, later taking his wallet believing it contained money.
Jurors were shown crime scene photographs and physical evidence, including a blood-stained baseball bat, clothing, shoes, a cap and a gaming controller prosecutors said was used during the attack.
Investigators testified the controller contained visible blood after the assault began.
Both Tucker and forensic pathologist Dr. Frank Perretti testified there were no signs of a struggle. Perretti said the victim suffered more than 10 blunt-force injuries to the head and extensive skull fractures.
“The entire skull was fractured… there was massive hemorrhaging of the brain,” Perretti testified. “I think he died pretty rapidly — a few minutes at most.”
Investigators later found the victim’s white GMC SUV outside Room 131 of a Bossier City motel where Joiner had been staying. Inside, they recovered the victim’s wallet, identification and cellphone.
Defense attorney Mary Ellen Halterman argued the case should be manslaughter, citing escalating conflict after Billy Joiner Jr. told his son he would need to move out. She noted Joiner had lived with his father since childhood and told authorities he had nowhere else to go.
Jonconnor Joiner did not testify at trial. He also did not speak during the sentencing phase.
The Joiner family also thanked those involved throughout the 10-year process.