HARTINGTON, Neb. — The three judges who will determine whether Jason Jones receives a death sentence for killing four Laurel residents have been appointed.
Nebraska Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael Heavican on Wednesday appointed District Judge Bryan Meismer and fellow District Judges Patrick Hen, of McCook and Timothy Burns of Omaha.
Heng and Burns were selected randomly from a statewide list of judges, and Meismer, who presided over Jones' trial last month, will be the presiding judge over the upcoming mitigation and sentencing hearing in which lawyers will present evidence and arguments for and against a death sentence for Jones.
The hearing has yet to be scheduled, but is likely to take place in Dakota County District Court, where Jones' trial was moved after Meismer determined Jones was unlikely to receive a fair trial in Cedar County, where the slayings took place and the case was filed.
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A Dakota County jury on Sept. 26 found Jones, 44, of Laurel, guilty of four counts each of first-degree murder and use of a firearm to commit a felony and two counts of second-degree arson for the Aug. 4, 2022, shooting deaths of Michele Ebeling, 53, in her home and Gene Twiford, 86, his wife, Janet Twiford, 85, and their daughter Dana Twiford, 55, in their home. Jones set fires inside both homes.
Jurors also determined Jones' crimes contained six aggravating circumstances: that Jones in four instances committed another murder at the same time he killed Ebeling and the three Twiford family members and in two other instances killed Janet and Dana Twiford after he killed Gene Twiford in order to conceal his identity as the shooter or to conceal the commission of another crime — murder or his break-in at their home.
The jury's aggravating circumstances decision made the case eligible for the death penalty, and Jones' trial will proceed to a third phase in which the defense will present evidence of mitigating circumstances such as Jones' mental health or other circumstances that might offset the aggravating circumstances. Once evidence is heard, the panel will weigh the mitigating and aggravating circumstances and determine if Jones should receive a death sentence. The decision must be unanimous for a death sentence. If the judges cannot reach a unanimous decision, Jones would be sentenced to life in prison without parole.
At trial, the defense did not deny Jones killed the Twifords, but said he'd had a mental breakdown and was not capable of premeditation, an element necessary for a first-degree murder conviction. The defense alleged Jones' wife, Carrie Jones, killed Ebeling.
Firefighters were dispatched to Ebeling's house at 209 Elm St. at 3:11 a.m., and found Ebeling's body, with two gunshots, inside. Firefighters were called at 9:30 a.m. to the Twiford home three blocks from Ebeling's house at 503 Elm St. Responders found the bodies of the three family members, all with gunshot wounds.
Jones emerged as a suspect after receipts for the purchase of gas and gas cans were found in Ebeling's kitchen. Investigators traced credit card numbers on the receipts to Jones, and surveillance video showed him buying the gas cans and later filling them at a gas pump.
Jones, who lived across the street from Ebeling at 206 Elm St., was arrested approximately 24 hours after the shootings, lying in his bed and barely able to move because of burns on his legs, arms and hands.
Other evidence found at both crime scenes contained Jones' DNA and fingerprints. Ballistics evidence also traced shell casings and spent bullets to two handguns Jones owned.
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