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MADISON — State prosecutors called eight witnesses Wednesday to set the scene of the Aug. 4, 2022, Laurel quadruple murders during the first day of testimony in the Carrie Jones trial.
The trial began following a two-day jury selection process. The panel includes 12 jurors and four alternates — 13 women and three men — although one male juror was later excused due to a family wedding.
Carrie Jones’ husband, Jason Jones, was convicted in September of murdering Gene Twiford, 86; his wife, Janet Twiford, 85; their daughter, Dana Twiford, 55; and Michele Ebeling, 53. Prosecutors say he then set fire to their homes to cover up the crimes.
Carrie Jones, a former Cedar County Jail dispatcher, is charged with aiding and abetting Gene Twiford’s murder. Prosecutors allege she pressured her husband to kill Twiford in retaliation for his alleged sexual harassment of her. She is also accused of harboring her husband after the murders and disposing of the clothes he wore during the crimes.
The state presented its case in chronological order Wednesday, starting with the 3:11 a.m. 911 call made by Royce Sarley to Cedar County dispatcher Paul Meier.
Sarley testified that he and his roommate had just returned home from their night shift in Norfolk and were preparing supper when they noticed something alarming across the street.
“As soon as I opened the door, I looked across the street and there was a big orange flash and a big boom,” Sarley said.
After calling 911, Sarley said he saw another neighbor.
“As I was going over there, I saw Carrie and saw someone — a black silhouette — running toward Carrie and Jason’s house,” he said. “She was like, ‘Oh my gosh. I just got home from work. What’s going on?’”
Andrew Gothier, one of the first Laurel firemen to arrive at the scene, then testified. He said he and fellow firefighters encountered smoke “rolling out just below the roof” and flames pouring from a back bedroom.
“When I initially tried to open the door, it just opened a little bit and stopped. There was something blocking it,” Gothier said. “I pushed a little harder and put my head in and saw there was a body blocking it.”
After discovering the body of Michele Ebeling, firefighters forced their way inside and checked for signs of life.
“She was not responsive,” Gothier said. “But we knew there was active fire and had to remove the body.”
Once they got Ebeling outside, they returned to the house to battle the blaze. Gothier quickly suspected the fire was intentional.
“In the living room, it looked like an accelerant was used. We saw a gas can sitting in the room, and you could clearly see a trail where the accelerant had been,” he said.
Cedar County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Chad Claussen testified he and Laurel Police Chief Ron Lundahl found blood and a bullet casing on the back steps of the house. Upon examining Ebeling’s body more closely, they discovered what appeared to be a bullet wound in her chest and another in her forehead.
Lundahl said he then began canvassing the neighborhood for witnesses and knocked on the door of the Jason and Carrie Jones home.
He knocked on three different doors at the house before Carrie eventually opened the door, Lundahl said.
“She answered every question I asked her,” he said.
A prosecutor then asked whether Lundahl had any indication Carrie Jones was in distress or being held against her will. He replied that he had no such indication.
The Twiford’s daughter, Gayle Curry, also testified Wednesday, telling prosecutors about her parents’ house and security cameras located on or around the home.
Two Nebraska State Patrol investigators also took the stand Wednesday to explain some of the evidence they discovered at the crime scenes.
The trial resumes at 9 a.m. Thursday at the Madison County Courthouse.
