Suvechha Sarkar
Theodore Shaughnessy, lovingly known as Ted, was a 55-year-old devoted father, loving husband, and incredible friend. However, his life came to an abrupt halt on the early morning of March 2, 2018, when he was brutally shot at his home in Austin, Texas. Although his loved ones initially suspected that it was a robbery gone bad, the investigation revealed a chilling murder-for-hire plot. It comes into focus in the episode titled ‘Ghosts Can’t Talk’ of NBC’s ‘Dateline.’ Besides police interviews surrounding the crime, it features interviews with Ted’s wife, friends, and the officials who worked on the case.
Ted Shaughnessy Was a Jewelry Store Co-Owner and a Family Man
Theodore “Ted” Shaughnessy, affectionately known as Ted, arrived as a blessing in the lives of his mother, Teresa Shaughnessy, and his father. He was born in Los Angeles, California, and was always surrounded by the love of his parents and brothers, Thomas and Timothy. Ted’s loved ones described him as someone patient and kind, with an outgoing personality. In his adulthood, he met his soulmate, Corey, and it didn’t take long for them to grow closer. In January 1988, they finally tied the knot in a beautiful venue. According to Corey Shaughnessy, they wanted a child of their own, but due to facing some problems, she was unable to have one. Ultimately, Ted and Corey flew to Ukraine to welcome their 16-month-old adopted son, Nicolas, AKA Nick, into their lives.
Ted and Corey followed their dream and opened their own jewelry store, Gallerie Jewelers, in Austin, Texas. Reports suggest that Ted was the face of the business, who maintained a good relationship with his clients. He reportedly made several friends while selling jewelry to his customers. In his free time, he enjoyed playing the game of show-and-tell with gemstones and going racing. Ted loved cars quite dearly and also possessed culinary skills. Whenever he got the chance, he would take Nick to the karting track. Ted’s life was further brightened in the presence of his two beloved pups, including Bart. In January 2018, Ted and Corey celebrated 30 years of their marriage. By then, 19-year-old Nick was living with his girlfriend, Jaclyn Edison, AKA Jackie, at College Station, Texas.
Ted Shaughnessy Died From Multiple Gunshot Wounds in His Home
According to official records, around 4:30 am on March 2, 2018, Ted and Corey had heard one of their dogs bark, and Ted went to check. Shortly after, Corey reportedly heard gunshots and saw Bart getting shot. Reports indicate that Corey took her .357 caliber gun and started firing before her ammo ran out, and she hid in Ted’s closet. From there, she reportedly called 911 immediately. When the officials finally arrived, they found Ted dead on the kitchen floor. Additionally, they discovered that Bart had also passed away from a gunshot wound. While the first responders attended to Corey, detectives found broken glasses, bullets in the walls, and two types of shell casings in the kitchen, including .40 caliber and .380 caliber.
It reportedly indicated that there were possibly two people involved. The court affidavit reports that Ted’s home security system was remotely deactivated shortly before the shooting. The authorities reportedly discovered that a .40 caliber gun owned by Ted was missing from its box that was kept in a dresser in Nick’s old bedroom. They also found a fingerprint on an open window in that room. According to reports, investigators noted that no valuable items were missing from Ted’s home, and there were no signs of forced entry. The autopsy revealed that Ted’s cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds to the thigh, back, buttocks, and head.
Early Findings Pointed Investigators Toward Someone Close to Ted
After the officials arrived at Ted’s home, Nick and Jackie rushed over as well. When Nick was questioned, he informed them that Ted and Corey had no marital problems. According to investigative reports, he also told them about an armed robbery that reportedly occurred in the 1990s at their store. However, when authorities reportedly followed up on information about the culprit, it led to a dead end. Meanwhile, investigators checked Ted’s home security system, which revealed that the window in Nick’s room opened around 4:27 am. There was reportedly a 17-minute gap following which the firing took place. Upon questioning, Ted told them that he had given the missing .40 caliber weapon from his room to his friend, Spencer Patterson.
It also came to light that Spencer had officiated at Nick and Jackie’s wedding back in 2017 and knew the entry point to Ted’s home through the window in Nick’s room. During Spencer’s interrogation, he insisted that he had given the gun back to Nick. After a thorough investigation, Spencer was ruled out as a suspect. Reports indicate that officials soon discovered Ted’s life insurance policy was worth approximately $1 million, with Corey named as the beneficiary. During her questioning, she reportedly believed that it was a robbery. According to reports, when questioned again, Nick confessed that he had borrowed $30,000 from Ted and Corey for his day-trading activities. In his statements, he admitted to having a dispute with his mother, which was resolved after he repaid his parents.
Although Corey was eliminated as a suspect, red flags reportedly turned up surrounding Nick. According to court records, when law enforcement officials checked his finances, they discovered that his trading accounts had a zero balance, indicating financial difficulties. When his and Jackie’s house was searched, they reportedly found a .380 ammo collection in their possession, but six rounds were missing. It was similar to the ones that were found at the scene. Investigative reports indicate that digital forensic experts recovered a similar data gap from Nick and Jackie’s mobile, which revealed texts about them trying to get money before the murder, indicating a murder-for-hire plot. Moreover, officials reportedly discovered that Jackie had withdrawn $1,000 a few days before March 2, 2018.
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A String of Evidence Revealed Two Hitmen and Two Conspirators
According to official reports, when investigators found that Nick had contacted Spencer before the murder, Spencer was again interrogated. Police records indicate that Spencer claimed that Nick had asked him to kill his parents and had allegedly told him that Nick would come into possession of $8 million in the case of his parents’ death. In his statements, Spencer claimed that he refused to commit the murder. On May 29, 2018, Nick and Jackie were arrested and charged with criminal solicitation to commit capital murder. Detectives then reportedly discovered CCTV footage from Nick’s apartment dated February 28, 2018.
As per reports, it captured an unknown man and a former employee of a window company, named Cameron. During questioning, Cameron confessed that Nick had asked him and the other guy, Johnny Leon, to kill Nick and Corey in exchange for money. According to court records, Johnny admitted to the crime. He also led officials to another of the hitmen, Arieon Smith. Although he initially denied any involvement, the .40 caliber murder weapon was reportedly recovered from his car. Furthermore, the court affidavit reports that his cell phone records placed him at the crime scene around the time of the murder. While Johnny was arrested in July 2018, Arieon was taken into custody on December 7, 2018.
Johnny and Arieon were indicted on the charge of capital murder. On April 7, 2021, Nick pleaded guilty to a reduced murder charge and was sentenced to 35 years in prison with the possibility of parole in around 20 years. Both Johnny and Arieon entered a plea agreement to a reduced murder charge and received the same sentence as Nick. In June 2023, Jackie pled guilty to conspiracy to attempt capital murder. She was sentenced to 120 days in prison and 10 years of probation, along with 300 hours of community service. Jackie was reportedly also ordered by the court to spend two days in jail each year on the anniversary of Ted’s death during the probationary period.
