Suvechha Sarkar
On March 2, 2018, the quiet morning in Austin, Texas, was shattered completely when 55-year-old Theodore Shaughnessy, affectionately known as Ted, was brutally shot at his residence. The act of violence left his loved ones grieving and an entire community searching for answers. NBC’s ‘Dateline: Ghosts Can’t Talk’ sheds light on the intensive investigation, which revealed his son, Nicolas Shaughnessy, AKA Nick, and Nick’s wife, Jaclyn Edison, AKA Jackie, had hired Johnny Roman Leon III and Arieon Smith for the murder. It also features interviews with Ted’s family, friends, and Nick himself, showcasing how justice caught up with most of them.
CCTV Footage Uncovered Johnny Leon and Arieon Smith’s Involvement in the Crime
In 2018, Johnny Roman Leon III was 21 years old, while Arieon Smith was about 20 years old. Their names came into focus when detectives were investigating the murder of Theodore Shaughnessy, also known as Ted. According to reports, he was shot multiple times with two different guns, which was deduced when officials discovered two types of bullet casings at the scene. While one of them was .40 caliber, the other was .380 caliber. As officials combed through the security system data at Ted’s home, it revealed that the window in Nicolas Shaughnessy, AKA Nick’s, previous room, was opened shortly before the murder. Police records indicate that experts also discovered that Nick had accessed the security system through his mobile device around that time. Further inspection of the mobile phones of Nick and his then-wife, Jaclyn Edison, AKA Jackie, revealed suspicious messages.
According to investigative reports, the messages showed them speaking about withdrawing cash and arranging money, which the detectives believed was to hire hitmen. What further tied Nick and Jackie to the crime scene was the fact that .380 caliber ammunition was discovered during a search at their apartment in College Station, Texas. The court affidavit suggests that the six missing bullets from that ammunition further raised questions. The investigators soon learned that Ted had a life insurance policy, and its payout was approximately $1 million. Ultimately, both Jackie and Nick were arrested on May 29, 2018, and were charged with criminal solicitation to commit capital murder. Officials then focused on catching the two hitmen, and they soon discovered CCTV footage from Nick and Jackie’s apartment, which connected the case to two hitmen, Johnny Leon and Arieon Smith.
Confessions and Digital Evidence Linked the Hitmen to the Murder
The surveillance footage captured two men, Cameron and Johnny, entering Nick’s apartment on February 28, 2018. According to investigative reports, detectives first tracked down Cameron, who admitted that Nick had called him and Johnny for a job. In his statements, he confessed that Nick then offered him and Johnny money to kill Ted and his wife, Corey Shaughnessy. Cameron reportedly insisted during his interrogation that he had left soon after. As per official records, during Johnny’s questioning, he admitted that when Nick offered around $100,000, he began considering it. Shortly after, Johnny admitted to being present at the crime scene on the night of the murder. During his questioning, he reportedly said, “I’m not gonna lie to you, when someone offers you 100K, you’re gonna think about it.”
When digital forensic experts inspected Johnny’s cell phone, they discovered that around that time, he had contacted Arieon multiple times. According to police records, authorities also learned that Johnny and Arieon were arrested together on drug-related charges sometime in 2017. Johnny was finally arrested in July 2018 and charged with capital murder. During Arieon’s interrogation, he reportedly broke down and confessed to being involved in the crime. Detectives reportedly connected him to the crime scene through the location of his mobile at the time of the murder. Furthermore, reports state that the .40 caliber gun that was missing from Ted’s home was finally recovered from Arieon’s vehicle. He was ultimately taken into custody and indicted on the charge of capital murder.
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Johnny, Arieon, and Nick Are Incarcerated at Different State Prison Facilities Today
Instead of going to trial, Nick pleaded guilty to a reduced murder charge on April 7, 2021. He received a 35-year prison term with the possibility of parole after less than 20 years. In that very same month, Johnny and Arieon accepted a plea deal for a reduced charge of murder. They were sentenced immediately, with 35 years of imprisonment, and their parole eligibility was set for almost 20 years later. Johnny’s parole eligibility date is on January 8, 2036, with a projected release date of July 9, 2053. On the other hand, Arieon is set to become eligible for parole on June 4, 2036, with a release date scheduled for December 4, 2053. In June 2023, Jackie avoided a trial by entering into a guilty plea agreement to conspiracy to attempt capital murder.
Jackie was ultimately sentenced to just 120 days in prison, along with 10 years of probation. The court also imposed additional conditions like she had to attend anger management classes, do community service for 300 hours, and serve two days in prison during the death anniversary of Ted every year until her probation is completed. The judge reportedly also ordered her to refrain from making any contact with Ted’s loved ones and even the other three perpetrators involved in the crime. As of writing, Jackie has served 120 days in county jail and appears to be maintaining a low profile. While Johnny is currently serving his time at the Michael Unit in Tennessee Colony, Texas, Arieon is incarcerated at the LeBlanc Unit in Beaumont, Texas. Lastly, Nick is serving his sentence at the Clemens Unit in Brazoria, Texas.
