Laurel murder case will drag into 2024

HARTINGTON – The murder case against a Laurel woman will continue into the New Year after a brief status hearing Monday morning.

The case against Carrie Jones, 44, was continued until January’s court docket. At that time, Jones and her husband, Jason, are both set to appear before Judge Bryan Meismer on murder charges.

The Joneses are charged with murder in an event that left four people – Gene Twiford, Janet Twiford, Dana Twiford and Michele Shankles-Ebeling – dead on Aug. 4, 2022.

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. About five hours later, local law enforcement on scene noticed smoke coming from the Twiford home just a few blocks away. Although the presence of smoke wasn’t evident for several hours, evidence suggests that the Twiford fire actually started first.

All of the victims were found to have gunshot wounds. Jones was apprehended at his home the morning after the murders with severe burns over his body and was treated at a Lincoln hospital for several weeks before being released to the Nebraska Department of Corrections.

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, according to the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office who is prosecuting both Jones’ cases with assistance from Cedar County Attorney Nick Matney.

At Carrie Jones’ preliminary hearing, investigators testified that she was motivated to murder Twiford after years of his alleged verbal harassment.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against her husband.

In other court news: – Joseph Grant, 30, Concord, requested a bond review and Meismer approved a lower bond from $160,000 to $100,000 after hearing from Cedar County Attorney Nick Matney about the severity of the alleged charges against Grant.

Grant is accused of multiple felonies after he allegedly threatened a Laurel man with a knife and exhibited stalking behavior toward a woman.

Grant’s lawyer, Nikki Brandt, of the Cedar County Public Defender’s Office, had argued for a bond reduction to $60,000.

If bond was posted, Grant indicated he would live in Dixon County until appearing in court next month.

Bond conditions included no contact with the alleged victim in the case.

– Dakota Dawley, 28, Hartington, denied violating his probation while the probation office indicates he allegedly was arrested in Yankton, S.D., for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. The report also indicates failure to appear for chemical testing on three occasions.

Dawley was placed on two years of probation in February 2022 on terroristic threats, criminal mischief and disturbing the peace charges. According to the Cedar County sheriff’s office report, a woman was driving down a Hartington street when she saw a friend’s dog loose and stopped to get it. There was a man on a bike, later identified as Dawley, who started screaming profanitylaced threats about keeping the dog on a leash. Dawley came back a few minutes later, carrying a bat alongside a pit bull and continuing to threaten to kill the woman and the people she was riding with as well as destroy their property.

– The case against Phelan Schwager, 36, Randolph, was continued until January as plea negotiations stalled and discovery is underway.

He stands accused of theft and criminal mischief in taking copper wire from area pivot irrigation systems. During a search of his residence in Randolph, officers located methamphetamine, a stolen firearm and motorcycle.

– Christopher Barta, 29, Irene, S.D., will appear again in Cedar County District Court next month on a charge of criminal mischief related to the taking of copper wire from area pivot irrigation systems.