'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The murders of Cheryl Feeney and her two children, Tyler and Jennifer Feeney, are the subject of an episode of the podcast Crime Junkie. This Springfield, Missouri, case first made headlines nationally in 1995 when the three were discovered murdered inside their home. Cheryl and Tyler had blunt force trauma, and baby Jennifer Feeney had a cord wrapped around her neck.
The sole surviving member of the family was Jon Feeney—the father of the children and the husband of Cheryl—who happened to be away at that time at a teacher's conference. The massacre became more prominent in discussions following the indictment, over a year later, of Jon Feeney for murder.
There were several pieces of circumstantial evidence considered by the investigators, namely a newly bumped-up life policy and the supposed interest of Jon in morbid role-playing video games. But after months of trial hearings and a widely publicized case, Jon Feeney was found not guilty on all counts.
Trending
The case remains closed, yet numerous questions remain as to what transpired on that weekend in February 1995. The Crime Junkie podcast episode, MURDERED: The Feeney Family, revisits these facts and looks at how the case transpired. It aired on April 14, 2025, and is available on their website.
The murder of Cheryl, Tyler, and Jennifer Feeney
Cheryl, Tyler, and Jennifer Feeney were found dead in their southwest Springfield, Missouri, home on February 27, 1995, reports Ozarks First. Ola, Jon's mother, and Cheryl's co-worker made the discovery when no one had seen or heard from the family. Cheryl and 6-year-old Tyler were found to have been killed by a series of blows to the neck and face, believed to be by a metal pipe.
Jennifer Feeney, who was a baby, had a curtain rod cord wrapped around her neck. The setting caught investigators off guard, in part because it was located in a residential neighborhood. Local journalist Robert Keyes explained,
"It was a nice neighborhood… so that immediately struck me as odd."
As per Ozarks First, police initially had trouble identifying a suspect, and no one was arrested for almost a week. The South-Central Missouri Major Case Squad sent investigators to join local police to collect additional evidence and interview friends and colleagues of the Feeney family.
During this time, Jon Feeney remained with relatives. As reported at the time, he was told of Cheryl, Tyler, and Jennifer Feeney's deaths by a Missouri State Highway Patrolman while at a teacher's conference at Lake of the Ozarks.
The case against Jon Feeney
As per Ozarks First, following a 14-month investigation, Jon Feeney was charged with three counts of first-degree murder on April 22, 1996. Prosecutors claimed that he departed from the conference and drove back to Springfield to murder his family. They offered several pieces of circumstantial evidence to make their case.
One was a $250,000 life insurance policy that Cheryl had purchased just five months before the murders. Another was Feeney's hobby of playing role-playing games, such as one named Vampire: The Masquerade. Prosecutors indicated that he played the game too intensely and used it to fantasize about a career as a murderer.
But others disputed these assertions. As per Ozarks First, a friend of Jon Feeney's named Matt Fairleigh testified that he'd been gaming with Jon for years and never once witnessed him assume violent characters. Feeney's defense team also called more than a dozen witnesses to testify to his demeanor at the conference. They characterized him as relaxed, friendly, and not suspicious.
Another piece of evidence that was shown in court was the answering machine of the family. As reported by KOLR10 News trial coverage, there were three messages left by Jon Feeney on the machine—two on Sunday and one on Monday.
Prosecutors contended this indicated that Jon already knew his family had died. However, the defense said it indicated concern. Jon cried when those messages were read in court.
Trial outcome and aftermath
As per Ozarks First, the trial took place in September 1996 and continued for weeks. On October 5, 1996, an eight-man, four-woman jury acquitted Jon Feeney of all counts. Despite the prosecution's offering a theory and providing numerous circumstantial facts, the jury remained unconvinced beyond a reasonable doubt. Reporter Robert Keyes explained,
"The prosecution case… wasn't overwhelming. It was a very strong circumstantial case against so many layers."
Even after his acquittal, Jon Feeney had to endure legal action. In November of the same year, the parents of Cheryl Feeney filed a lawsuit for wrongful death. They aimed to deny Jon any monetary gain from his family's demise, primarily via life insurance.
As per Ozarks First, as of now, no other suspect has been charged or arrested for the murders of Cheryl, Tyler, and Jennifer Feeney. The case is officially still closed, but it still leaves questions on the minds of those who have closely followed the case. For more details about the deaths of Cheryl, Tyler, and Jennifer Feeney, listen to the Crime Junkie podcast.
