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Protection orders remain in place for neighbors

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HARTINGTON — Protection orders will remain in place for Laurel neighbors who said they felt threatened by the wife of an accused murderer.

A hearing was held on Dec. 1 on three protection orders brought against Carrie Jones by her neighbors Brian Welch, and Alan and Sherry Pallas.

Cedar County District Court Judge Bryan Meismer said oftentimes protection orders between neighbors don’t rise to the level of a hearing.

“If this was just a dispute between neighbors, I wouldn’t have signed the protection order in the first place. These things happen all the time; I either dismiss them or set them for hearing and tell everybody to knock it off,” Meismer said. “I appreciate that everyone involved is under some strain. I signed the protection orders not because I think anybody is being harassed or anyone is in danger necessarily. I signed them to try to keep everyone on their side of the street and calm things down a little bit.”

Welch’s fiancee, Michele Shankles-Ebeling, was killed Aug. 4 in Laurel and the home where the couple lived was set on fire. Welch was not at home at the time.

Carrie Jones’ husband, Jason A. Jones, 42, of Laurel, who lived across the street, was arrested on suspicion of murder and arson in the case. He is also accused of the murders of Gene, Janet and Dana Twiford, setting their home on fire three blocks down the street on the same day. All were found with gunshot wounds.

In his application for a protection order, Welch alleges that Carrie Jones made threats against his life when she confronted him Sept. 17 after he removed belongings from his former home at 209 Elm St. in Laurel. No specific details were provided about how threats were made.

In court last week, Carrie Jones provided receipts indicating she wasn’t even in Laurel on the date and time that Welch alleges the threats were made.

“If he felt so threatened, why would he wait almost two months to

file a harassment order? Why wasn't a police report filed?" she asked. "If someone is scared for their life, why

would they take so long?" Welch also said in his protection order application that he was scared

after learning Carrie Jones obtained a firearm. Mrs. Jones went through the proper channels to legally obtain a firearm Oct. 5 that she uses for home protection and doesn't take it with her anywhere, she said. At the Dec. 1 hearing, she said she reported her firearm purchase to Sgt. Brad Higgins of the Nebraska State Patrol and oered to have him photograph the weapon, record the serial number or even keep a bullet - all of which he declined.

"That is paranoid thinking, not based on reality," Jones said. "My house has had firearms since we bought it in 2019. This isn't something that just manifested. Now, being home by myself, I bought one for home defense." She said Welch made the applica- tion for protection out of spite or re taliation in relation to her husband's charges. In the Pallases' application for a protection order, they both listed an Aug. 27 incident in which they claim Carrie Jones threatened to kill them.

After the incident, Laurel Police

Chief Ron Lundahl talked to the Pallases, but did not talk to Carrie Jones so Jones contacted Higgins and he asked her to write a state- ment, which she recounted in court

on Dec. 1. "Someone wanted to fight that day and it wasn't me," Jones said, claiming she was mowing her yard when Mrs. Pallas drove by and made a gesture to her. Words were exchanged first with Mrs. Pallas and then Mr. Pallas. Jones said she owns up to her role in the verbal argument and making "immature, cheap shots." Jones said all three adults acted like children that day. "I am not a weak female and I won't show weakness because they think I'm an easy target. I go to work, to the post o$ce and inside my house - normal things people do with rights," she said. "I don't mess with anybody. I also do not start things, but I do finish it. In the three years I have lived here, these people have never said anything to me." The Pallases have dierent routes they can take so they avoid driving past Jones' home, she said, but continued to drive by even during the time they claim in the protection order that they felt

scared of her. Mrs. Jones took issue with Sherry Pallas' protection order, which states, “I truly feel she will

kill again." "I haven't killed once, nor less, again," Jones said, adding that she has no criminal record.

She said many people are un - aware of how much she has assist ed investigators in the aftermath of the Aug. 4 murders in Laurel. Since then, many people drive by slowly and look over her property. She thinks people have been on her property, but she can't prove it so she has posted "No Trespassing" signs. "If anyone is being harassed, it's myself," Jones said. Carrie Jones said the Pallases and Welch may be the only people in town with animosity towards her. In fact, many people in town have made it a point to show her that they care about her. "I am human. These people forget that not only did others suer that Aug. 4, so did I," she said.

“I appreciate all the people who

stopped by and letting me know they were there for me." Jones said she respected Meismer's decision in the protection order case. "I'm going to keep the protection order in place, to keep the peace," he said. "Not because I think anyone is necessarily in danger. If things start to go sideways, we start to wonder, why didn't we do anything? This is my opportunity to say, 'Well, at least I tried to do something.'" After the hearing was completed, Mr. Pallas wanted to explain why he filed the protection order months after the alleged incident, but Meismer cut him o, saying it wasn't relevant and that he had made his decision. "If she has posted 'No Trespassing' signs, the least of your problems is getting arrested for trespassing," Meismer told him. "I also think at this point, the best thing everyone can do is mind their own business. If everybody tries to do that, we'll get through this."