JACKSON CO. – Jackson County Sheriff’s Department deputies arrested 29-year-old Ashley Jones on Wednesday, October 18 on charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, and burglary after she allegedly poisoned her stepfather.
She is being held in the Jackson County Jail without bond.
The investigation started after Ashley’s mother, 52-year-old Marsha Allen, of Freetown, reported on September 19, 2023, that her home on North State Road 135 had been burglarized.
Officers investigated the burglary and determined two men – Steven White and Nathaniel Kane Napier – burglarized the home at the direction of and were assisted by Ashley Jones.
Jackson County Sheriff’s Department officials found text messages on Jones’ phone between Jones and her mother that discussed the murder of Harold Allen, by poisoning him in December 2022. Harold, 52, of Freetown, died on Dec. 20, 2022.
Officers were also able to find the same text messages on Marsha’s phone between her and her daughter.
After speaking with the mother and obtaining more evidence from her home, officers released her as the investigation continued.
According to the sheriff’s department, the mother’s family then contacted them on Monday, October 16 just before 8 p.m., and said they had not been able to get in contact with Marsha Allen.
Officers arrived at Marsha Allen’s home and found her dead. There with no signs of a violent act. Police have not said if Allen ended her own life or if foul play is suspected.
On Tuesday, October 17, officers spoke with Ashley Jones, who allegedly confessed to ordering ethylene glycol on the internet, but she said her mother was the one who put the ethylene glycol in Harold’s drink.
Ethylene glycol is an organic compound with the formula (CHâ‚‚OH)â‚‚. It is mainly used for two purposes, as a raw material in the manufacture of polyester fibers and for antifreeze formulations. It is an odorless, colorless, flammable, viscous liquid.
Anyone with additional information on the investigation is asked to contact Sheriff Rick Meyer at the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department at 812-358-2141.
