Burglary leads to woman's arrest after she allegedly poisoned stepfather at mother's request

An Indiana woman has found herself behind bars after allegedly murdering her stepfather with antifreeze as part of a plot she devised with her mother. The authorities discovered the scheme while investigating a burglary.

Ashley Nicole Jones, 29, was arrested on Wednesday and is currently sitting in Jackson County Jail without bail. She faces charges of burglary and conspiracy, attempted murder, and murder, per Fox News Digital.

The police did not initially investigate the man's death in December 2022. The initial report on Harold "Peanut" Allen's death was that he had "passed away suddenly," according to his obituary. The authorities did not start an investigation into the man's cause of death until September 19 when his wife — Marsha Allen — called the police to report a burglary.

The investigation revealed that two men, Steven White and Nathaniel Kane Napier, had apparently committed a burglary at the behest of Jones. The two men, both 29 years old, were charged with burglary of a dwelling, theft with a firearm, and conspiracy to commit burglary, according to the Daily Caller.

During the break-in, jewelry and firearms were stolen, according to an affidavit of probable cause. Marsha insisted that Jones was the one who orchestrated the burglary, as she was the only other person who knew the combination to her gun safe.

When the police questioned White about the incident, he claimed that Marsha had "murdered her husband by poisoning him somehow," but the report did not provide details on who told White about the alleged murder.

Fox News Digital reported that when the police took up Allen's cell phone, they discovered a series of text messages "between Marsha and Ashley in which they discussed murdering Marsha's husband, Harold Allen, by poisoning [him]."

On Tuesday, Jones reportedly confessed to "ordering ethylene glycol off the internet" but said that it was Marsha who put the substance in her late husband's drink. Ethylene glycol, when broken down in the body, becomes toxic. It is generally found in brake fluids, solvents, plastics, paints, and antifreeze, per the report.

The same day Jones was booked into the Jackson County Jail, relatives apparently reached out to police and asked for a welfare check for Marsha, noting that they were unable to reach her. The authorities ultimately discovered "Marsha deceased with no signs of violence" at her home.

The cause of death was not immediately revealed.

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