Timothy Jones Jr, 37, had been given custody of Merah Jones, eight, and her siblings Elias, seven, Nahtahn, six, Gabriel, two, and one-year-old Abigail when he split from his wife Amber.
Amber had had an affair with a 19-year-old neighbor after her husband’s devout religious beliefs saw him expect her to be always subservient.
After the split, Jones, who had a well-paying IT job, was given custody of the children.
He began to beat his children, following the Biblical instruction, 'thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell,' reported AP News.
In August 2014, Jones forced Nahtahn, who had expressed his wish to live with his mum again, to exercise for hours until he collapsed as punishment for breaking a power socket and denying it.
Jones found his son dead in his bed at their home in South Carolina afterwards, and then strangled or choked his other children to death.
Jones put the five bodies into his car and drove around for nine days during which he searched for how to 'disintegrate' bodies. He eventually dumped them in bin bags in Alabama.
He was later arrested after being stopped at a roadside drink driving checkpoint in Mississippi when a police officer noticed a terrible smell coming from his car, reported The Sun.
Inside, officers found blood and maggots as well as notes that read 'melt bodies!' and 'saw bones to dust'.
Jones later told police he had sent his children to 'heaven together.'
During his trial this year in Lexington County, prosecutors described Jones as a 'selfish, evil' man who killed his children as an act of revenge.
Meanwhile, his defence claimed Jones, who had custody of the children, had undiagnosed schizophrenia and was using cannabis and alcohol. The court also heard Jones had had an incredibly difficult upbringing.
During his trial, Associated Press reported Amber broke down as she explained how her marriage ended and her love for her children who she’d hoped to win back.
In June this year Jones was found guilty of five counts of murder.
His ex-wife asked for him to be shown mercy, despite her heartbreak. 'He did not show my children any mercy by any means,' she said. But my kids loved him and if I'm speaking on behalf of my kids and not myself, that's what I have to say.'
A jury sentenced Jones to death after taking two hours to decide whether he should face the death penalty or life imprisonment. His sentence is due to be carried out in November.
