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The Austin-based jewelry store owner, Ted Shaughnessy, was shot to death in a murder-for-hire plot laid down by his son, Nicolas Shaughnessy, and his ex-wife, Jaclyn Edison. Nicolas is currently serving 35 years in prison, while Jaclyn pleaded guilty to conspiracy to attempt capital murder, resulting in a 10-year probation.
On March 2nd, 2018, 19-year-old Jaclyn and Nicolas hired two men, Arieon Smith and Johnny Leon, to have Ted and Corey Shaughnessy killed. The couple were arrested on May 29, 2018. Edison had served 120 days in prison. She is presently under probation and is required to stay in the Travis County Jail for two days every year on the anniversary of Ted's death.
The Dateline NBC episode's synopsis reads,
"When deadly gunfire erupts in an Austin, Texas, home in the middle of the night, detectives wonder if the homeowners' jewellery business is a possible motive; an investigation uncovers a suspect that no one saw coming."
The Dateline NBC episode Ghosts Can’t Talk aired on January 12, 2024, at 9 p.m. EST and will be available for streaming on Peacock and NBC.
Who is Jaclyn Edison? Details explored
Jaclyn Alexa Edison was a resident of New Jersey before she moved to Austin, Texas. She studied at the Holmdel High School in New Jersey where she was a cheerleader and played field hockey. After her move to Austin, she completed her education at Stephen F. Austin High School in 2017.
Jaclyn Edison was pursuing a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University in College Station. She had settled down with her alleged high school sweetheart and fellow Texas A&M University student, Nicolas Shaughnessy in July 2017 when they secretly got married.
In 2016, Nick introduced Jaclyn to his parents. She started spending more time at the Shaughnessys' home and eventually moved in with the family. Later, she and Nicolas relocated 116 miles away to College Station.
Jaclyn was allegedly living in an abusive household before her marriage as Corey Shaughnessy mentioned in her statement during her sentence. Corey said,
“Ted and I took you when you said you had nowhere to go, that your father beat you and you were afraid to go home. I guess after you and Nick shared all those Sunday dinners with me, Ted, Nick’s grandparents, uncle [and] are family friends, you’d go and plot some more to kill us.”
Per KYTX-TV, Jaclyn Edison and Nicolas Shaughnessy had visited Ted and Corey's Austin home on the morning of the murder. Edison allegedly appeared calm initially but broke down when she was informed of a gunshot residue test.
Shortly after Ted's passing, Nicolas and Jaclyn moved in with Corey. Upon discovering that Nicolas Shaughnessy and Jaclyn Edison had secretly tied the knot, officiated by Nicolas's friend Spencer Patterson, Corey promised to assist in organizing their wedding.
Corey shared her feeling of betrayal in her statement saying,
"They lived with me in our home — mine and Ted's. They ate the food that I brought and cooked for them. They wore the clothes and the shoes that I bought for them. They planned their future of profiting from the business that Ted and I had built for over 20 years. They took everything that I had to give, after failing to take my life."
While the investigators found Nicolas to be a person of interest in their case, they found evidence of correspondence between Nicolas and Jaclyn which related to payments for the murder-for-hire plot. She had withdrawn $1000 from the bank a few days before the murder.
Where is Jaclyn Edison now?
Jaclyn Edison was arrested with Nicolas on May 29, 2018, and was held at the Travis County Jail at a $1,000,000 bail amount. Jaclyn cooperated with the police after her arrest and confirmed Nick's plan to kill his parents. She pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to attempt to commit capital on June 20, 2023, and was let off with 120 days of sentence, and 10 years of probation apart from spending two days at the Travis County Jail on the occasion of Ted's death anniversary every year.
Jaclyn "Jackie" Edison had to give up her passport, take up anger management classes and has been prohibited from contacting Ted's family again. Per court documents, Jaclyn will not be able to reduce her duration of probation.
Jaclyn Edison has since completed her degree and was working in Richardson, Texas till May 2023.
