Lawyer: Verbal harrassment was cause for murder

Feb. 22, 2023

HARTINGTON – Carrie Jones was allegedly being verbally harassed by Gene Twiford for years. She wanted her husband, Jason, to take action. And if he didn’t, she would.

“She makes it pretty clear that she had specific intent to kill him to get rid of the problem and the problem was Gene Twiford to stop harassing her verbally,” said Prosecutor Corey O’Brien of the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office. “Frankly, the evidence seems to suggest, but for Carrie Jones and her grievance with Gene Twiford, Jason Jones had little reason to want to do anything to Gene Twiford. Does the crime even occur were it not for her encouragement, her provocation?”

This potential motive and many other investigative details were revealed at a preliminary hearing in Cedar County Court Feb. 15, in which Carrie Jones, 43, faces charges related to the murder of Gene Twiford and her role in allegedly aiding and abetting, and tampering with evidence in the murders of Gene, and his wife, Janet, and their daughter, Dana, along with Michele Shankles-Ebeling, in Laurel Aug. 4, 2022.

Jason Jones, 42, is accused of four counts of murder and four counts of arson, along with numerous weapons charges.

O’Brien said the four-hour preliminary hearing was the longest of his career. Preliminary hearings are used to determine if there’s enough probable cause to bound the charges over to district court. While Jason Jones is considered the principal offender, under Nebraska statutes, Carrie Jones can be found guilty as well if she aided and encouraged him to carry out the killing.

“Nebraska law does not require someone to actually be present and commit a physical act in order to be guilty. … Instigating someone and encouraging someone is sufficient,” O’Brien said.

At the conclusion of the hearing, Judge Douglas Luebe ruled the state had met its burden of proof and that there was probable cause to bound the case over to district court. Arraignment was set for Feb. 27.

Much of the testimony came from investigators in the case who detailed their conversations and interviews with Carrie Jones and their work at the crime scene.

First responders were called to Shankles-Ebeling’s home at 209 Elm St., Laurel, around 3 a.m., Aug. 4 to the report of an explosion and house fire.