Woman sentenced to life in prison for aiding in 1 of 4 Nebraska killings

HARTINGTON, Neb. (AP) — A woman in Nebraska was sentenced Thursday to life in prison in connection with the death of one of four people who were killed in a small town that went more than a century without seeing such violence.

A jury in August found Carrie Jones, 46, guilty of aiding and abetting in the first-degree murder of Gene Twiford, who was 86 when he was shot and killed in Laurel in August 2022. Jones’ husband, Jason Jones, was convicted last year in the shooting deaths of Twiford, his wife Janet Twiford, 85; their 55-year-old daughter, Dana Twiford; and another Laurel woman, Michele Ebeling, 53.

Jason Jones, 45, may face a death sentence, which three judges held a separate hearing Thursday to discuss. Jones was found guilty of 10 charges, including four counts of first-degree murder, four weapons counts and two for arson.

Prosecutors said Carrie Jones encouraged her husband to confront Twiford, who she said had been making sexual comments to her for years. Authorities said Carrie Jones then helped hide her husband when he was being sought by police. She was also convicted of tampering with physical evidence and being an accessory to a felony.

Prosecutors said Jason Jones set fire to the victims’ homes and was found by police in his wife’s house, suffering from severe burns that left him hospitalized for two months before being moved to prison.

Laurel is a community of less than 1,000 people, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) northwest of Omaha.