Austin jeweler's daughter-in-law pleads guilty for role in 2018 murder-for-hire plot

AUSTIN, Texas - A woman connected to the 2018 murder-for-hire plot of an Austin jeweler has been sentenced.

Jaclyn Alexa Edison, who was 19 at the time, pled guilty this week to conspiracy to attempt to commit capital murder and was sentenced to 10 years probation. Edison will also have to complete 300 hours of community service and surrender her passport.

Edison will also have to serve two days in jail on the anniversary of the murder for those 10 years, have no contact with the victim's family or her co-conspirators, or travel outside the state without court permission, according to court paperwork.

Edison was accused of conspiring with her husband Nicolas Shaughnessy, also 19 at the time, to hire a hitman to kill his parents, Ted and Corey Shaughnessy, who owned Gallerie Jewelers in Central Austin.

MORE: Austin man explains why and how he hired a hitman to kill his parents

Nicolas Shaughnessy hired two men, Arieon Smith and Johnny Leon, to kill his parents in order to get a life insurance payout because he and Jaclyn were struggling financially.

Nicholas Shaughnessy pled guilty in 2021 for his role in the plot and was sentenced to 35 years in prison. Officials at the time stated he would not be eligible for parole for almost 20 years. Smith and Leon also received 35 years in prison.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THEODORE "TED" SHAUGHNESSY?

On March 2, 2018, detectives say they responded to a 9-1-1 call in the 9000 block of Oliver Drive just north of East Highway 290 in southwest Travis County. They found Theodore Shaughnessy, also known as Ted, shot to death in what was initially believed to be a home invasion. 

Ted was well-known in the community as the owner of Gallerie Jewelers. 

A search warrant showed that detectives said they noticed an open window in the home with no signs of forced entry and all other windows were locked.

Ted's wife, Corey, survived the attack. She told detectives that the room with the open window belonged to their son Nicholas.

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Nicolas arrived on the scene with his wife, Jaclyn Edison, after receiving a call from Travis County deputies about the incident. At the time, Nicholas and Jaclyn were living in College Station.

Detectives interviewed Nicolas where he revealed he was in debt about $30,000 to his mom, Corey. The money was supposedly a loan to help him start a day trading business. The search warrant goes on to say Nicolas had an argument early in the week with his mom over the loan.

Jaclyn was also interviewed by detectives and her phone was searched. Detectives found a conversation addressed to both Nicolas and Jaclyn from a neighbor who wanted $2,600, which they had loaned to Nicolas the year before.

A friend to Nicolas reportedly said Nicolas talked about faking his own death and getting life insurance money. Detectives were able to learn Nicolas was the sole beneficiary of his parents’ life insurance of $2 million in the event both his parents were deceased.

The affidavit reveals officers came to the conclusion Nicolas and Jaclyn were struggling financially for a considerable amount of time including the day of the murder. A search of Nicolas Shaughnessy’s phone also revealed he was accessing his parents’ surveillance system after the murder using a different IP address, all this before officers called to tell him about the murder.

Nicholas, a recent Austin High School graduate was charged in connection to the plot. Johnny Ramon Leon was also arrested in connection to the case.