Murder cases

Discovery ongoing in Phillips murder case

HARTINGTON – Discovery continues in the case of a Louisiana man accused of murder at a Hartington worksite.

The Nebraska Attorney General’s Office, prosecuting the case against David Phillips Jr., 21, certified more discovery in filings in Cedar County District Court last week. The new documents include additional criminal reports and investigative notes as well as photos of both Phillips’ cell phone and the alleged victim’s cell phone.

Phillips is charged with second-degree murder, use of a firearm to commit a felony and possession of a stolen firearm in the death of 31-year-old Israel Matos-Colon, Fowlerville, Mich.

The shooting occurred March 1, 2023, at a U.S. Cellular tower worksite about two miles north of Hartington.

The case is set for trial this spring.

Additional motions filed in Laurel quadruple murder case

HARTINGTON – Lawyers for a Laurel woman accused of murder are seeking to suppress statements she made to law enforcement.

Doug Stratton, lawyer for Carrie Jones, 44, made several motions in the case including a motion to suppress statements, a motion for discovery and a motion for supplemental juror questionnaires.

The motions will be heard March 28 in front of Judge Bryan Meismer in Cedar County District Court.

Stratton claims that statements made by Jones were not freely and voluntarily given and were coerced by threats and promises of leniency. He also claims statements were given without her having been informed of her constitutional rights.

Stratton also filed a motion for discovery which included requesting additional details regarding the potential testimony or statement by a jailhouse informant.

A motion for supplemental juror questionnaires was also submitted in the case.

Carrie Jones is accused of murder, tampering with evidence and accessory to a felony, stemming from the deaths of Gene Twiford, Janet Twiford, Dana Twiford and Michele Shankles-Ebeling, in Laurel on Aug. 4, 2022.

Her husband, Jason Jones, is also charged with the quadruple murder.

First responders were called to Shankles-Ebeling’s home at 209 Elm St., Laurel, around 3 a.m. Aug. 4, 2022, 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 attorney general’s office.

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