Guilty

Jury convicts Carrie Jones on murder charge

MADISON — Jurors needed only three and one-half hours Thursday to decide Carrie Jones was guilty of first degree murder and should thus spend the rest of her life in prison.

A Madison County jury found her guilty of all three charges she faced — first-degree murder, evidence tampering and being an accessory in connection to a quadruple homicide in Laurel on Aug. 4, 2022.

Her husband, Jason, was convicted last September for killing Gene Twiford, his wife, Janet, and their daughter, Dana, as well as neighbor, Michelle Ebeling. He was also convicted of arson after burning the Twiford and Ebling houses down.

The state and prosection rested its case at 12:41 p.m., Thursday. The jury of 11 women and one man came back with the verdict against Carrie Jones, 46, shortly before 4:30 p.m.

Jones faces up to 70 years in prison on top of the life sentence. District Judge Bryan Meismer scheduled sentencing for Thursday, Nov. 20, in Cedar County — the same day her husband is to be sentenced in court.

Jones was charged with Gene Twiford’s murder under an aiding and abetting theory, as prosecutors alleged Jones pushed her husband, Jason Jones, to kill Twiford in response to inappropriate comments Twiford had made to Carrie Jones over a three-year span.

After the killings, Carrie Jones misled law enforcement as she harbored her husband inside their Laurel home. Jason Jones was badly burned while lighting the two homes on fire. Carrie Jones cleaned him up after the murders. She then got rid of the burnt clothing and boots he had been wearing, which law enforcement has never located.

In a statement following Thursday’s verdict, the Twiford family expressed relief over the convictions and deeply appreciated the hard work of the state’s legal team and law enforcement throughout the court process.

“We’re also incredibly grateful to the jury for their tireless and exhausting efforts in reaching a guilty trial,” the statement said. “While this marks another step toward justice for our loved ones, we recognize there are still ongoing proceedings in the death penalty case that still need to be respected.

“Our focus remains on honoring and remembering our mother/ grandma, father/grandpa and sister/aunt and carrying their love and memories with us every day.”

— Norfolk Daily News reporter Austin Svehla contributed to this report