Jaclyn Edison entered the Shaughnessy family story as a teenager who began dating Nicolas while both were still in high school. After her parents divorced, she moved to Austin and settled into a new routine. Friends saw a young woman who adapted to a different city and formed close ties with Nick’s circle.
The relationship moved fast. Jaclyn became a constant presence in the Shaughnessy home and grew close with Corey and Ted. Over time, she moved in and became almost part of the family. In 2017, she and Nick secretly married. They did not tell Ted and Corey. The secrecy created tension later, but at the time, it signaled a commitment that seemed permanent.
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- Who Was Ted Shaughnessy & What Happened to Him? 2026 Update & Background
- Who Is Corey Shaughnessy & What Happened to Her? 2026 Update & Background
- Who Is Nick Shaughnessy & Where Is He Now? 2026 Update & Background
- Who Is Johnny Leon & Where Is He Now? 2026 Update & Background
- Who Is Arieon Smith & Where Is He Now? 2026 Update & Background
Contents
Life in College Station
After graduating, Jaclyn and Nick moved to College Station. Nick focused on day trading. Jaclyn supported the plan and joined him in building a life that depended on financial success. The reality was different. Money ran short. Banks accounts hit low balances. Loans piled up. Text messages later recovered by investigators showed concerns about withdrawals, payments, and pressure to stay afloat.
During this period, Jaclyn became aware of conversations that crossed a line. Investigators say she knew about the plan to target Ted and Corey. Messages on her phone showed discussion about money for outside help and cash withdrawals just before the attack. Her later statements suggested that she feared the situation yet stayed in it. Detectives found no record of her warning anyone or calling police.
After the Murder
When Ted was killed and Corey survived, Jaclyn and Nick returned to Austin and moved into the house. They stayed for nearly three months. Jaclyn took part in planning an engagement celebration as if nothing had happened. For Corey, this detail later became one of the most painful parts of the story. The woman she welcomed into her home had knowledge of the conspiracy and continued with daily life under the same roof.
Police gathered evidence over time. Phone data, text records, bank withdrawals, and interviews pointed toward a murder-for-hire arrangement that grew from financial pressure and poor judgment. When investigators arrested Jaclyn, she began to cooperate. She confirmed that Nick had pursued killers and that plans had been in motion before the shooting. Her cooperation shaped the prosecution strategy.
Legal Outcome and Public Backlash
Prosecutors charged Jaclyn with criminal solicitation of capital murder. A conviction at trial could have brought a long prison sentence. When leadership at the district attorney’s office changed, plea negotiations reopened. The final agreement reduced the charge to conspiracy to commit capital murder by terror threat or other felony.
The sentence sparked intense debate. Jaclyn received 120 days in jail and 10 years of probation. As a condition, she must return to jail each year on the anniversary of Ted’s death. Corey called the deal unfair and refused to appear in person for the plea hearing, submitting a recorded statement instead. Detectives and prosecutors acknowledged the anger but noted that the agreement reflected Jaclyn’s cooperation and her role as they assessed it.
Where Jaclyn Is Now
Jaclyn has completed her short jail sentence and lives under supervised probation. She must follow strict terms for the next decade. Any violation could trigger a sentence of up to 20 years. She has separated from Nick. In brief public comments after her release, she has denied being an equal partner in the plot and has claimed she tried to stop him. Investigators dispute that claim, stating that no evidence supports any attempt to intervene.
Her life today sits at the intersection of accountability and controversy. She carries a criminal record and a role in a case that devastated an entire family. Public opinion remains divided. Some see a participant who deserved a harsher outcome. Others view her as someone who became entangled in a crime shaped by control, money, and poor choices.
A Complicated Legacy
Jaclyn’s profile differs from the others involved. She did not pull a trigger. She did not serve the same length of prison term. Yet her actions helped set the stage for a violent event that claimed a husband and shattered a mother’s world.
Her story closes one part of the Shaughnessy case while leaving lingering questions about influence, responsibility, and fairness. In the end, the record shows a young woman who stood close to a deadly plan, stayed silent when one call might have saved a life, and walked away with a sentence that still unsettles those who lost the most.