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An Indiana mother-daughter duo has been accused of attempting to kill the mother's husband with poisoned root beer floats to obtain his money. The daughter, Ashley Jones, 30, and her mother, Marsha Allen, 52, allegedly poisoned Marsha's husband, Herb "Peanut" Allen Jr., 52, in December 2022.
According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE, Police arrested Jones in October 2023 and charged her with two counts of murder and one count of conspiracy to commit murder, among other counts. In August 2024, prosecutors added two more attempted murder charges.
The scheme unraveled when police investigated a break-in at Marsha's home last September. One of the arrested burglars allegedly told police that Jones had recruited him for the break-in and revealed that her mother had poisoned her late husband.
Investigators found numerous texts between Jones and her mother discussing how to poison Harold. Starting late November 2022, the texts show the pair attempting to acquire toxic plants like foxglove and water hemlock.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Marsha Allen expressed frustration with the slow progress of their plan. On November 28, 2022, she allegedly texted Jones, "I am irritated and can't sleep peacefully. I need this to be over ... I wish it would reach its climax and be done lol."
The affidavit states that Harold Allen visited the hospital on November 27, 2022, complaining of numbness on one side of his face. He returned on November 30 with symptoms of vomiting, fever, and chills, which authorities note are consistent with foxglove poisoning.
The mother-daughter duo allegedly turned to ethylene glycol, a compound used in antifreeze, as their next method of poisoning. On December 13, 2022, Marsha Allen reportedly ordered a gallon of the substance for $31.99. Later that day, she texted Jones, "He's all in for root beer floats," the affidavit claims.
Harold Allen died the following day "before the emergency call was placed," according to the affidavit.
The inheritance crime came to light when Jones allegedly sent text messages to an individual named White on July 27, 2023, stating, "I planned it all." She reportedly added, "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..."
Marsha Allen died by suicide on October 16, 2023, the same day authorities questioned her about her husband's death. During the investigation, she had denied killing her husband but consented to a search of her phone, which revealed the incriminating text messages.
The antifreeze poisoning scheme appears to have been the final act in a series of attempts to end Harold Allen's life. The affidavit alleges that Jones and her mother purchased foxglove seeds and water hemlock on Etsy. In mid-December, they reportedly added the hemlock to Harold's chili and a margarita.
When the police interrogated her, Jones allegedly confessed to buying the antifreeze but claimed she wasn't involved in the rest. Jones's lawyer has not yet commented on the case. Her trial is scheduled to begin in January 2025.
