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Mother Of Accused Red Line Murderer Speaks Out: 'I Loved Her Too'

By Evan F. Moore | June 30, 2016 8:59am | Updated on July 1, 2016 11:34am
 The mother of Arthur Jones said her son has struggled with mental illness since the death of his brother.
The mother of Arthur Jones said her son has struggled with mental illness since the death of his brother.
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BACK OF THE YARDS — The man accused of stabbing his ex-girlfriend to death on the CTA Red Line last week has struggled with mental illness throughout his life, but his family never expected something like this to happen. 

Catherine Banks, the mother of Arthur Jones, 29, who is charged with killing his ex-girlfriend Jessica Hampton, said the incident has destroyed two families.

"I could've helped them if I knew what both of them was going through," Banks said. "It's heartbreaking. I'm sad that no one was there to help her or hold her hand in her last moments."

Banks said she grew fond of Hampton even though her son had dated her for only seven months. 

"I would tell her that I was in her corner if she needed me to guide her through anything," Banks said. "We would go grocery shopping together. That's how I got to know her."

Banks told DNAinfo that Hampton had left her fiancé for Jones and the two met while staying at a treatment center. Banks said that her son was at the center due to his struggles with mental illness.

RELATED: Red Line Stabbing Victim's Family Found Out Through Gruesome Facebook Video

Jones was previously diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and "has suffered for a long time with mental illness," Assistant Public Defender Julie Koehler said during his bond hearing Wednesday.

According to Koehler, Jones has been institutionalized 10 times and was living in a nursing home when authorities said he murdered his former girlfriend on a CTA train about 12:30 p.m. June 23.

Family members of Hampton would not say why she was at the center, but the Tribune reported that Hampton struggled with "sobriety."

"We talked a lot about the both of them getting themselves together," Banks said. "It tears my heart up because her family didn't get to know us but we got to know Jessica."

Banks said that her son, who often sold loose cigarettes and pirated movies on the Red Line, and Hampton were on the train that day because they left the treatment center for the weekend. Jones had a lengthy arrest record that includes illegally distributing cigarettes and selling contraband on CTA property among others.

"My son was wrong for what he did, but at the same time my heart is heavy on both sides. My son never had any cases on fighting girls," Banks said. "We liked her. I treated her as if she was my daughter-in-law. I cared for her."

Hampton's family told DNAinfo that Jones had been stalking Hampton on social media and in person after she broke up with him. They also said they'd never heard of Jones before the slaying.

"For them to say that they didn't know each other or he was stalking her isn't true. We were all together on Father's Day," Banks said. "They would come over a lot. They would spend the weekends here. The treatment center would call me to sign them out."

Banks said the couple often said things via social media to hurt each other, but she believes their last fight was over a possible pregnancy, not a breakup.

According to prosecutors, Jones and Hampton, began arguing on a southbound Red Line train. The pair moved through several cars, before eventually sitting down, facing one another.

Jones lit a cigarette and asked, "Are you going to have my baby?” Assistant State's Attorney April Gonzales said in court Wednesday.

Hampton shook her head “no,” according to prosecutors. That's when he began stabbing her multiple times, prosecutors said. 

Banks said her son's mental health deteriorated after the death of his brother, Anthony Banks, who committed suicide 10 years ago. Banks said Jones was the one who found the body.

"My son never really bounced back from that. We all grieved differently," Banks said. "Since then, he's been through a lot."

Due to the nature of the incident, Banks has gotten more than 1,000 Facebook requests, along with threatening inbox messages, which has prompted her to have her others sons leave her home. Banks told DNAinfo that she would like to meet with Hampton's mother one day to offer her condolences. 

"I wish I could tell them how truly sorry I am," Banks said. "I can't make it right, but I want them to know that I loved her, too."

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