Hearing will decide if Jones must appear in person in November

HARTINGTON— Facing a possible death sentence, Jason Jones wants to skip the hearing that could decide it.

A judge will decide Sept. 22 whether the Laurel man can waive his presence at November’s mitigation and sentencing proceeding in his quadruplemurder case.

District Judge Bryan Meismer set the Sept. 22 hearing at the Cedar County Courthouse, where both sides will argue the request.

Jones, 45, has asked to be absent from the Nov. 20 mitigation and sentencing-determination hearing, citing pain from extensive burns and difficulty sitting for long periods.

Prosecutors object, saying Jones has shown he can attend lengthy proceedings.

They note he sat for a nearly two-hour July 11, 2025, deposition at the Nebraska Reception and Treatment Center without complaint and appeared in person in Madison County to testify at codefendant Carrie Jones’ trial after a two-hour transport each way.

The state also argues Nebraska law doesn’t extend a defendant’s right to waive presence beyond trial, and federal rules indicate a capital defendant generally may not waive appearance at critical stages.

Defense counsel has told the court the mitigation hearing should last less than half a day.

A Dakota County jury convicted Jones last fall of four counts of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree arson and four counts of use of a firearm to commit a felony in the August 2022 killings of Gene and Janet Twiford, their daughter Dana Twiford, and Michele Ebeling. He suffered severe burns after setting fires at the crime scenes, authorities said.

Under Nebraska law, a threejudge panel — Meismer, Patrick Heng and Timothy Burns — will hold the mitigation hearing in Hartington and later decide whether Jones receives the death penalty. The decision must be unanimous; otherwise, he will be sentenced to life without parole.

Carrie Jones is scheduled for Nov. 20 in Cedar County for a hearing on her retrial motion and for sentencing to life without parole. She was convicted of firstdegree murder and related counts that were not eligible for the death penalty.