BROWNSTOWN, Ind. — New details were revealed Thursday several days after the chilling arrest of an Indiana woman who authorities believe helped kill her stepfather.
On Oct. 18, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department arrested 29-year-old Ashley Jones. On Thursday, she was officially charged with murder, felony murder, conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy results in death and consumer product tampering resulting in serious bodily injury.
The investigation began after Jones' mother, Marsha Allen, reported her home on North State Road 135 had been burglarized on Sept. 19. Steven White and Nathaniel Kane Napier were arrested for the burglary.
According to court documents, White told Lt. Adam Nicholson about a conversation he and Jones shared. In the conversation, Jones told White that Marsha had murdered her husband, 52-year-old Harold Allen Jr., by poisoning him. White also said Jones recruited him to burglarize Marsha's house.
Officers obtained text messages on White's phone between him and Jones where they discussed their plan to burglarize Marsha. Some of the texts Jones wrote to him are as follows:
"Ahahah yeah she ain't gonna be able to do [expletive] she wouldn't even have succeeded with this last thing without me I planned it all."
"She was gonna use insulin like 1983 oh it's not traced"
"She couldn't get into a dead man's phone without me to get all his retirements and savings he had hidden hell she got 4500 from his PayPal cc cause I showed her how to scam it as him before they find he's gone she's fake af"
"She didn't gimme [expletive] out of that"
The following day, documents show a detective spoke with Marsha where she denied killing her husband and agreed to a download of her phone. In Marsha's cell phone, officials said there were "many text messages" starting in Nov. 2022 between Marsha and Jones in which they discussed killing Harold.
Documents say that in one of the text messages, Marsha tells Jones that she needs foxglove seeds, which is a poisonous plant and death can occur if ingested. Jones then texted Marsha that foxglove seeds are traceable. Officials noted that these text messages happened on Nov. 27.
According to medical records cited in the affidavit, Harold was seen at Schneck Medical Center on Nov. 27 with numbness of the left side of his face, also known as Paresthesia. He visited the hospital again three days later with vomiting, diarrhea, fever, chills, and a gastrointestinal issue.
Officials said symptoms of foxglove poisoning include stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Police reviewed Marsha's Google account where they said they found searches for "what happens if you eat foxglove seeds," "How much foxglove is fatal," and "How long does foxglove take to kill you." Documents show that these searches were made around the same time Marsha sent the text to Jones saying she needed foxglove seeds.
On Dec. 2, officials say Jones texted Marsha that she couldn't "touch the plant." Then, they texted each other that they will need gloves to handle the plant, and Jones texted Marsha that she needs to have some "time alone to prepare the root."
According to court documents, Marsha and Jones ended up deciding to use ethylene glycol to poison and kill Harold. Officials said ethylene glycol is a "colorless, odorless, sweet-tasting compound" used in products like antifreeze and ingesting it can result in death.
Court documents show that a detective found an order for ethylene glycol on Dec. 13. The order was billed to Lynn Allen and shipped to a home in the 3000 block of SR-135 in Freeman -- the same address as Marsha's.
Marsha's middle name is Lynn. Documents say the order had a phone number listed, and it was the same number that Jones used to text Marsha. Jones sent the tracking number of the package to Marsha the day after it was ordered.
Jones lived with Marsha until sometime after Harold died.
Documents say that Jones and Marsha texted each other regarding the order with Jones sending a message saying "The mail is here : )" and Marsha responding to her text with a heart emoji.
On Dec. 19, the affidavit shows Marsha sent Jones a text saying "Hes (sic) all in for root beer floats." In another message, Marsha then sent a text to Jones telling her to "come here."
The following day, documents say that the Jackson County Sheriff's Department received a report of an unconscious person on the 3000 block of SR-135. Authorities believe that Harold was dead before the emergency call was placed.
When police questioned Jones about the text where Marsha asked Jones to "come here," she said Marsha told her Harold was acting "drunk and loopy." Officials said five hours passed before Marsha called an ambulance, by which time Harold was already dead.
After reviewing the text messages and the order for the poison, officers searched Marsha's home and interviewed her. She denied killing Harold.
On Oct. 13, 2023, court documents show Marsha's parents came to the Jackson County Sheriff's Department and said they weren't able to contact Marsha. Deputies went to Marsha's home and found her dead. Police said the investigation into her death is ongoing, but "suicide is suspected."
Officers said they arrested Jones for burglary at her home in Missouri on Oct. 3., 2023, and she stayed in custody until she was taken to Indiana and booked at the Jackson County Jail on Oct. 16, 2023.
The next day, authorities said they interviewed Jones where she told them that Marsha put the root of the foxglove into chili and a brownie. Jones said the foxglove was ordered by either her or Marsha, but she couldn't remember who ordered it.
She told authorities she also ordered ethylene glycol but alleged that Marsha was the one who put it in the root beer float. She said Marsha told her that Harold drank the beverage.
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