Quintin Phillippe Jones was born on July 15, 1979, in Fort Worth, Texas. He grew up in a difficult environment. His childhood was marked by neglect and poverty. Jones faced brutal conditions at home. His parents did not provide the care he needed. At a young age, he became a victim of abuse. He experienced sexual assault by his siblings.

As a child, Jones lived in fear. His mother threatened him with a gun, which added to the trauma he faced. At just seven years old, he was forced by his older siblings to have sexual relations with his stepsister. This early trauma and abuse deeply affected his life.

By the time he reached his early teens, Jones struggled with addiction. He began using drugs to cope with his pain and the harshness of his life. In a desperate attempt to fit in, he shot himself in the hand to appease gang members. Later, he tried to take his own life by shooting himself in the chest.

On September 11, 1999, Quintin Jones killed his great aunt, 83-year-old Berthena Bryant. He used a baseball bat to bludgeon her to death. Afterwards, he took her money to buy cocaine. At the time of the murder, he was under the influence of heroin and cocaine.

Earlier that same year, in June 1999, Jones admitted to being involved in the murders of Clark Peoples, 27, and Marc Sanders, 19. However, he claimed that another man, Riky Roosa, was mainly responsible for those deaths. During the trial for his actions, the prosecution referred to these murders as part of their argument for a death sentence against Jones.

During his trial, Jones admitted to killing Bryant and expressed remorse. The trial revealed that he struggled with mental illness and addiction. As a result of his conviction for the capital murder of Bryant, he was sentenced to death. He spent 20 years on death row, mostly in solitary confinement.

Quintin Jones's attorney later filed a habeas corpus motion, arguing that the testimony given during the trial was not scientifically valid and that his rights were violated. In Texas, a death penalty sentence can only be justified if there is a claim of “future dangerousness.” Jones had no history of violence while in prison.

There were concerns about racial bias in how Jones was sentenced compared to Roosa. Roosa, who is white, received a life sentence for his crimes while Jones, who is Black, received the death penalty for one murder.

The Bryant family, along with others, asked Texas Governor Greg Abbott for clemency for Jones. They gathered over 183,000 signatures for their petition. Members of Bryant's family publicly expressed their forgiveness towards Jones, asking for his life to be spared. In addition, various supporters, including writer Suleika Jaouad, advocated for clemency.

On May 19, 2021, Jones was executed by lethal injection at 6:40 p.m. CDT. There was a communication error, which prevented members of the media from witnessing the execution. This marked the first execution in nearly 30 years without any media presence.

Before his execution, Jones made a final statement thanking those who supported him over the years. He expressed positive sentiments about his life and his desire to leave a lasting impact on others.