Nebraska man convicted in quadruple homicide

A Nebraska man accused of quadruple homicide in Laurel two years ago has been found guilty of 10 felony charges.

A Dakota County jury convicted Jason Jones of four counts of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree arson, and four counts of the use of a firearm to commit a felony after more than five hours of deliberation on Thursday.

Evidence from the trial showed that Jones shot and killed Gene, Janet and Dana Twiford, as well as Michele Ebeling the night of Aug. 4, 2022. He also burned their homes using Molotov cocktails and gasoline.

Jones’ wife Carrie has also been arrested on murder charges for her involvement in the incident. Her trial will be at a later date.

The convictions come after two weeks of testimony, including DNA and video evidence showing Jones purchasing supplies found at the crime scene.

After the jury’s decision, the Twiford family released a statement thanking the jury and calling the conviction a step toward justice for their loved ones.

Their letter read in part, “We are relieved by today’s conviction and appreciate the hard work of the legal team and law enforcement throughout this process."

On Thursday afternoon the court held an aggravation hearing to determine whether Jones is eligible for the death penalty.

After 45 minutes of deliberation, the jury found that all six aggravating circumstances were proven, justifying the use of the death penalty.

At a later date, a panel of three judges will determine whether Jones joins 11 other inmates on Nebraska’s death row.