Daughter-In-Law's Sentencing Sparks Outrage

In a relatively quiet part of Travis County, Texas, Ted and Corey Shaughnessy were asleep in their sprawling Austin home. Just after 4:00 a.m., one of their two pet rottweilers barked, waking the couple. Ted grabbed his gun and went to see what was happening. Before she could lay back down, Corey heard gunfire.

What initially seemed like a botched robbery quickly revealed a sinister plot devised by two people closest to the Shaughnessy's... their own son and daughter-in-law.

From Highschool Sweethearts to Secret Marriage

Jaclyn Edison moved to Austin, TX, from New Jersey in 2015 to live with her father and finish high school. She was a cheerleader and played field hockey. During her junior year, she met her future husband, Nicolas Shaughnessy.

Nicolas graduated with the class of 2017. According to an article in the school newspaper, his classmates say he was interested in money and finance and planned to work in day trading. His parents, Ted and Corey Shaughnessy, adopted Nicolas from Russia when he was around 18 months old. The couple owned a successful jewelry store, Gallerie Jewelry, in central Texas. Nicolas introduced his parents to Jaclyn in 2016, during which time she began regularly spending time at their home, until she eventually moved in with the family.

Nicolas and Jaclyn secretly married one month after graduating in 2017. They then moved to College Station, where they attended Texas A&M University. Jaclyn pursued a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering.

The Crime That Shocked a Local Community

On March 2, 2018, Ted Shaughnessy, a well-known jeweler, met a violent end in his own home. CBS News reports that Corey Shaughnessy woke up when she heard their two pet Rottweilers barking.

"Ted sits up in bed ... and he grabbed his gun ... to go see what it was," she said. "I hadn't even gotten my head back on the pillow ... before I heard the first gunshot ... there was a barrage of gunfire," Corey said.

Corey sprang to her feet with a .357 revolver from above her headboard and returned fire. "I ran out of ammo ... I just bailed into the closet."

She called 911, and when she eventually exited the closet, she could see her husband lying on the ground, shot to death.

She reported to law enforcement that she couldn't recognize the faces of the attackers. However, she speculated about their motive. Although she and Ted rarely kept valuable items from their jewelry business at home, she recognized the potential danger in their line of work, stating: "Being a jeweler ... you might someday be a target."

Nicolas and Jaclyn arrived at the scene around 8:00 a.m. from their apartment in College Station. At first, the crime seemed like a robbery gone wrong. However, the investigation quickly shifted focused to those closest to the deceased, initially even including Corey Shaughnessy. However, it quickly became clear to investigators that they needed to look into Nicolas and Jaclyn.

Nicolas Shaughnessy, courtesy of Travis County Sheriff's Office. Public domain.

Jaclyn Edison, courtesy of Travis County Sheriff's Office. Public domain.

The Unraveling of a Murder Plot

Under suspicion that Nicolas Shaughnessy had planned the murder with his high school sweetheart Jaclyn Edison to obtain his 2-million-dollar inheritance, investigators searched the couple's College Station apartment.

"Once we get into the apartment we're going through it, we're finding ammunition," Sgt. James Moore, a detective for the Travis County Sheriff's Office, said in an interview with CBS News. The ammunition found matched the brand and caliber found at the crime scene. Investigators also uncovered a marriage certificate for Nicolas and Jaclyn; interestingly enough, Corey Shaughnessy said her son had never told her or Ted about the marriage.

The couple, who had moved in with Corey Shaughnessy following the murder, were arrested on charges of conspiracy to commit murder.

Contrary to Nicolas and Edison's seemingly innocent demeanor, ongoing investigations revealed more incriminating evidence, including dubious text messages and critical bank withdrawals hinting at the couple's well-thought-out plot to hire hitmen.

Detectives found text messages between the couple on February 23 and 24, 2018. According to the Austin American-Statesman, Nicolas said he was working hard and "they won't budge; I am not their only client love." Edison responded to him, "Do they want $50k or not?" Nicolas replied, "We will see." Edison wrote, "I'm sure their casual jobs are around 10." Nicolas Shaughnessy said he was "working on it." She replied, "OK. Please be careful."

On the morning of the murder, Nicolas Shaughnessy told a detective that he owed his mother $30,000. The money was a loan from Corey to Nicolas to help him start his day trading business.

According to the warrant, Nicolas Shaughnessy told the detective he had had an argument earlier that week with his mother about the $30,000 she lent him. Detectives also confirmed that Nicolas Shaughnessy would receive $2 million if his parents died. He'd also gain an additional $6 million for inheriting the couple's business and personal property.

The surveillance footage from the Shaughnessy residence was vital in identifying one assailant, 21-year-old Johnny Leon. During this time, Leon's communications heavily featured interactions with Aerion Smith, a 20-year-old who confessed to his part in the fatal shooting, clarifying that he had entered the Shaughnessys' home through Nicolas' bedroom window after Nicolas had deactivated the alarms remotely via his phone.

Johnny Leon, courtesy of Travis County Sheriff's Office. Public domain.

Aerion Smith, courtesy of Tarrant County. Public domain.

A Controversial Sentence

While all three men were sentenced to 35 years in prison for their roles in the murder of Ted Shaughnessy, Jaclyn Edison's cooperation with investigators led to a plea deal that saw her serving 120 days in jail and 10 years on probation for attempted solicitation of capital murder.

Edison is required to spend 2 days per year in jail on the anniversary of Ted's death. She had to give up her passport and cannot leave Texas without first informing her probation officers. However, the most interesting part of her sentence is that she was given deferred adjudication, which is a form of probation that allows a defendant to accept responsibility for a crime without the conviction being placed on their record.

Both Corey and Nicolas Shaughnessy have criticized her sentence for its leniency. Nicolas says she "got the deal of the century," according to the Austin American-Statesman.

Corey Shaughnessy has publicly expressed her dismay, feeling that the sentence trivializes the trauma she endured and the value of her husband's life. In a video message played at Edison's plea hearing, Corey Shaughnessy shares, "I'm alive because your plan to have me murdered ... didn't succeed. You are a monster. You are evil, and everyone needs to know it."

Where is Jaclyn Edison today?

Today, Jaclyn is still living in Texas and serving her probation. According to her LinkedIn profile, she graduated from UT Dallas with her bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. Her last recorded job, with Dallas Formula Racing, ended in May 2023.

References: Texas jeweler and dog killed in targeted hit involving son, daughter-in-law | Jaclyn Edison Linkedin | Jaclyn Edison tells "48 Hours" 120 days in jail was appropriate for her role in Austin murder plot | Woman who helped orchestrate killing of her in-laws in murder-for-hire plot in which one of the victims died is sentenced to 10 years PROBATION - as victims slam Soros-backed DA for giving her a plea deal to avoid prison | What we know about the Ted Shaughnessy murder and plan by his son, daughter-in-law | Suspects in murder-for-hire plot had unusual relationship