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Who Is Jeff Spence & Where Is He Now? 2026 Update & Profile

Ryan Gill

Jeffrey Spence is a Mississippi man convicted of murdering his daughter’s boyfriend, wealthy businessman Kirby Carpenter, in a case that exposed divisions within his family and resulted in two criminal trials. Spence, 67 at the time of his conviction, was found guilty of first-degree murder on March 27, 2026, and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Carpenter, a 36-year-old entrepreneur who operated a precious metals and coin business, was shot to death outside his home in Tippah County, Mississippi, on November 30, 2022. Prosecutors argued that Spence had targeted Carpenter for financial gain, pointing to the victim’s wealth and his habit of carrying substantial amounts of cash, gold and silver.

The murder and its aftermath are examined in Dateline NBC’s “The Betrayal of Kirby Carpenter,” airing Friday, October 16, 2026, at 9/8c on NBC. Correspondent Andrea Canning interviews Spence, his daughter Caitlin, Carpenter’s relatives and members of the legal teams involved in the case.

Spence’s conviction followed a first trial that ended with a hung jury, testimony from two of his daughters and a plea agreement that required Caitlin to testify against him. His wife, Karen Spence, also faced criminal proceedings connected to the case.

Who Is Jeffrey Spence?

Jeffrey Spence, also known as Jeff Spence, is the father of Caitlin Spence, who was in a relationship with Kirby Carpenter when Carpenter was murdered in November 2022.

Spence was 67 when a Tippah County jury convicted him of first-degree murder in March 2026. He was married to Karen Spence and had another daughter, Carolyn Aguayo, who would testify during his criminal proceedings.

The family’s connection to Carpenter came through Caitlin, who shared a young daughter with the businessman. Spence was therefore the grandfather of Carpenter’s child.

Public reporting about Spence has concentrated on the murder investigation and his family’s involvement in the case. Verified information about his earlier employment, education and personal history is limited.

His relationship with his daughters became a significant part of the criminal proceedings. Caitlin testified that he had confessed to killing Carpenter, while Carolyn described years of conflict with her father and estrangement from her parents.

The testimony placed the family’s relationships before jurors and raised questions about the credibility of witnesses, their personal histories and the events surrounding Carpenter’s death.

Jeffrey Spence’s Relationship With Kirby Carpenter

Kirby Carpenter was a Mississippi businessman who had established financial success through Mississippi Gold, Silver, and Coin Exchange.

His business involved buying and selling precious metals, collectible coins and other valuables. Prosecutors said he was known to carry a bag containing between $200,000 and $300,000 in cash, gold or silver.

Carpenter was dating Spence’s daughter Caitlin, and the couple had a daughter together. Their relationship connected Carpenter to Jeffrey and Karen Spence.

The nature of Jeffrey’s relationship with Carpenter before the murder became part of the wider examination of the family’s circumstances.

Prosecutors alleged that Spence killed Carpenter because of his money. Their case presented financial gain as the motive behind the shotgun killing.

The defence contested the prosecution’s account and attempted to challenge Carpenter’s character, portraying him as an abusive man involved in drug dealing.

Those allegations were arguments advanced by the defence rather than established findings about Carpenter.

The murder prosecution required jurors to consider whether Jeffrey Spence was responsible for Carpenter’s death, regardless of the competing descriptions of the victim’s personal life.

What Happened to Kirby Carpenter?

Carpenter was killed on November 30, 2022, outside his home in Tippah County, Mississippi. He was 36 years old.

Investigators established that he had been shot with a shotgun. His body was discovered on December 2, two days after the killing.

The circumstances prompted authorities to examine whether Carpenter had been targeted because of his business activities and the valuable merchandise he handled.

As a precious metals dealer, Carpenter was known to possess substantial amounts of cash and items that could be converted into money.

Investigators considered robbery as a possible explanation before the case developed into a murder investigation focused on people connected to Carpenter through his personal relationships.

Jeffrey Spence became a suspect, and prosecutors would argue that the killing was motivated by greed.

The prosecution’s theory was that Spence had targeted Carpenter because of his financial resources. Caitlin’s account of her father’s alleged confession became an important part of the evidence.

The available reporting does not establish every detail of the shooting, including the complete sequence of events or a full inventory of any property taken.

What the criminal proceedings established was that Jeffrey Spence was responsible for Carpenter’s murder, following the jury’s first-degree murder verdict in March 2026.

Why Was Jeffrey Spence Accused of Murder?

Prosecutors alleged that Spence murdered Carpenter for financial gain.

They pointed to Carpenter’s wealth and his access to substantial amounts of cash, gold and silver as evidence supporting a financial motive.

Court TV reported that Carpenter was known to carry a bag containing between $200,000 and $300,000 in cash or precious metals.

That information became significant because it offered a possible explanation for why someone familiar with Carpenter might target him.

The prosecution argued that money and greed motivated Spence to commit the killing.

The defence challenged the state’s interpretation of the evidence and sought to cast doubt on the allegations against him.

Spence’s attorneys attempted to portray Carpenter as an abusive drug dealer, presenting an alternative account of the victim’s circumstances.

The jury was required to assess the evidence rather than accept either side’s characterisation without proof.

The financial motive remained central to the prosecution’s case through the two murder trials.

Jeffrey Spence’s Daughter Said He Confessed to the Killing

One of the most significant pieces of testimony against Jeffrey Spence came from his daughter Caitlin.

Caitlin testified that her father had confessed his involvement in Carpenter’s murder after she discovered her boyfriend’s body.

Her account placed an alleged admission before the jury and connected Spence to the killing through statements attributed to him by a family member.

She also described her father’s behaviour after Carpenter’s death.

According to Court TV, Caitlin characterised Jeffrey as aggressive and curt with her following the murder.

She testified that he told her it was not her responsibility to find Carpenter’s killer.

Caitlin did not report her knowledge of her father’s alleged involvement when she learned about it.

Her failure to disclose the information became the basis for her later guilty plea to accessory after the fact to murder.

During the criminal proceedings, Caitlin’s credibility became an important issue because she had negotiated a plea agreement with prosecutors.

She had originally faced a capital murder charge herself and agreed to testify against her father as part of an arrangement that would affect her sentencing.

Her testimony was presented at both of Jeffrey Spence’s murder trials.

Jeffrey, Karen and Caitlin Spence Arrested in 2023

In November 2023, approximately one year after Carpenter’s death, authorities arrested Jeffrey Spence, his wife Karen and their daughter Caitlin.

All three faced capital murder charges in connection with Carpenter’s killing.

The arrests followed an investigation that had begun with questions about a possible robbery and developed into a case involving members of Carpenter’s girlfriend’s family.

Caitlin and Carpenter’s daughter was 16 months old when the arrests took place. The child was sent to Pennsylvania to live with relatives while her mother remained incarcerated.

The criminal proceedings against the three defendants developed along different paths.

Jeffrey faced trial for Carpenter’s murder. Caitlin entered a plea agreement and became a prosecution witness, while Karen resolved her case through a separate guilty plea.

The charges also created divisions within the Spence family, with Jeffrey’s daughters becoming important witnesses during the proceedings.

The arrests marked the beginning of a prolonged legal process that would not produce a murder conviction until March 2026.

Carolyn Aguayo’s Testimony About Her Father

Jeffrey Spence’s other daughter, Carolyn Aguayo, also testified during his murder proceedings.

Her testimony described years of conflict within the family and her estrangement from her parents.

According to Court TV, Aguayo told jurors that she came from what she characterised as a criminal family.

She said she had referred to Jeffrey and Karen as “Bonnie and Clyde,” invoking the American criminal couple associated with robberies and killings during the 1930s.

Aguayo also testified that she no longer maintained a relationship with her parents.

Her statements gave jurors another perspective on the Spence family’s relationships and the tensions that existed before the murder prosecution.

The testimony also highlighted the extent to which the case involved members of the same family giving evidence against one another.

Caitlin had agreed to testify about her father’s alleged confession, while Carolyn described her own experiences and conflict with him.

The defence had the opportunity to challenge witness testimony and ask jurors to consider the reliability and motivations of those making allegations against Spence.

Jeffrey Spence’s First Murder Trial Ends Without a Verdict

Jeffrey Spence’s first murder trial took place in September 2025.

Prosecutors presented evidence that included Caitlin’s testimony about her father’s alleged confession and their theory that Carpenter had been killed for financial gain.

The state argued that Carpenter’s wealth and his access to cash and precious metals provided the motive for the killing.

The defence contested the allegations and sought to undermine the prosecution’s account of the crime.

The jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict.

The proceedings ended in a mistrial, leaving the murder charge unresolved.

A hung jury does not amount to an acquittal or a conviction. It means that the jurors could not agree on a verdict under the applicable legal requirements.

Prosecutors retained the option of pursuing another trial and chose to proceed.

The decision meant that Spence would face a second jury in March 2026, more than three years after Carpenter’s death.

The Second Murder Trial in March 2026

Jeffrey Spence returned to Tippah County Circuit Court in March 2026 for a second trial.

The proceedings lasted four days and included testimony from Caitlin, who repeated her account that her father had confessed involvement in Carpenter’s murder.

Prosecutors again presented their theory that the killing was motivated by money.

They argued that Carpenter’s financial resources and his possession of substantial amounts of cash and precious metals explained why Spence had targeted him.

The defence challenged the state’s evidence and continued to dispute its account of the killing.

The jury heard testimony about the family relationships surrounding the case, including accounts from Jeffrey’s daughters.

On March 27, 2026, the jury returned its verdict.

Spence was found guilty of first-degree murder in Carpenter’s death.

Court TV reported that the jury acquitted him of capital murder and manslaughter charges while convicting him of first-degree murder.

The verdict resolved the murder prosecution after the first trial had ended without a unanimous decision.

Jeffrey Spence Sentenced to Life in Prison

Following the guilty verdict on March 27, 2026, Circuit Judge John Kelly Luther imposed the mandatory life sentence for first-degree murder.

Spence was 67 at the time of his conviction.

Court TV reported that he was placed in handcuffs following sentencing.

The sentence marked the conclusion of the second trial and established the punishment for the murder of Kirby Carpenter.

The first-degree murder conviction meant that Spence had been found criminally responsible for Carpenter’s death.

The jury’s decision came more than three years after the November 2022 killing and approximately six months after the first trial ended in a mistrial.

For Carpenter’s family, the verdict provided a conviction against the person the jury found responsible for the murder.

The case also resulted in separate criminal outcomes for Spence’s wife and daughter.

What Happened to Jeffrey Spence’s Wife, Karen?

Karen Spence was arrested alongside her husband and daughter in November 2023.

She faced criminal proceedings arising from Carpenter’s death but did not receive a murder conviction.

Karen pleaded guilty to grand larceny after the fact in connection with the case.

Court TV reported that she entered the plea one day before jury selection was scheduled to begin in her trial.

She received a 10-year sentence. Reporting about the case has described the sentence as suspended, with probation rather than immediate imprisonment.

Her legal outcome differed from Jeffrey’s life sentence for first-degree murder.

Karen’s guilty plea established responsibility for the separate larceny offence, not for personally carrying out Carpenter’s killing.

The proceedings nevertheless meant that both parents faced criminal consequences connected to the murder investigation.

Why Caitlin Spence Testified Against Her Father

Caitlin Spence was arrested with her parents in November 2023 and originally faced a capital murder charge.

She remained incarcerated while the criminal proceedings developed.

In April 2025, Caitlin pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to murder and agreed to testify against Jeffrey.

Her sentencing was deferred until after she completed her testimony.

Following her father’s conviction, Caitlin told the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal that she had expected him to accept responsibility for Carpenter’s death.

She said she had waited for him to come forward but came to believe that he would not do so.

Caitlin also described the effect of being separated from the daughter she shared with Carpenter.

The child was 16 months old when Caitlin was arrested, and Caitlin spent approximately 17 months in jail.

She said that rebuilding her relationship with her daughter had become her priority.

Caitlin testified at both of Jeffrey’s trials and provided evidence about his alleged confession.

On March 30, 2026, she received a 20-year sentence, with credit for time served and the remaining prison term suspended. She was also placed on five years of probation.

Her decision to testify placed her in direct opposition to her father and became a defining part of the murder prosecution.

Where Is Jeffrey Spence Now?

Jeffrey Spence was sentenced to life imprisonment on March 27, 2026, after being convicted of first-degree murder in Kirby Carpenter’s death.

The sentence was imposed by Circuit Judge John Kelly Luther in Tippah County Circuit Court.

As of the last confirmed court outcome, Spence remained subject to that life sentence.

The available reporting does not establish his current correctional facility or prisoner identification number. His precise place of incarceration would need to be confirmed through current Mississippi Department of Corrections records.

There is also no verified information in the supplied reporting establishing that his conviction has been overturned, that he has been released or that a later court decision has changed his sentence.

His confirmed legal status is that of a convicted murderer sentenced to life imprisonment.

The case has attracted renewed attention because of the Dateline NBC investigation, which includes an interview with Spence.

Has Jeffrey Spence Spoken to His Daughter Since the Murder?

Caitlin Spence told the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal in March 2026 that she had not had contact with her father since his arrest.

Her decision to cooperate with prosecutors created a direct conflict between them.

She testified at both murder trials that Jeffrey had confessed involvement in Carpenter’s killing.

Jeffrey contested the murder charge and faced two juries before being convicted.

The available reporting does not establish whether he and Caitlin have communicated since the conclusion of the criminal proceedings.

Their relationship remains one of the central themes of the case because Caitlin’s testimony became important evidence against her father.

The case also affected Jeffrey’s relationship with his other daughter, Carolyn Aguayo, who testified that she had become estranged from her parents.

The criminal proceedings exposed divisions within the family that extended beyond the murder charge itself.

Dateline NBC Interviews Jeffrey Spence About the Murder Case

Jeffrey Spence is among the people interviewed in Dateline NBC’s “The Betrayal of Kirby Carpenter,” reported by Andrea Canning.

The two-hour investigation examines Carpenter’s death, the evidence against Spence and the family relationships that became central to the prosecution.

The programme also features interviews with Caitlin Spence and Carpenter’s relatives, including his mother, Mattie Jane Jones, sister Kaysie Barnes and brother Robbie Carpenter.

Investigators Chris McCallister and Josh Jarvis discuss the investigation, while District Attorney Ben Creekmore and defence attorney John McNeil provide perspectives on the criminal proceedings.

The episode revisits the initial robbery theory, the prosecution’s financial motive argument, the testimony of Spence’s daughters and the two murder trials.

“Dateline NBC: The Betrayal of Kirby Carpenter” airs Friday, October 16, 2026, at 9/8c on NBC.

The investigation examines how the murder of a Mississippi businessman led to the conviction of his girlfriend’s father and exposed divisions within a family whose members faced separate criminal proceedings.

More “The Betrayal of Kirby Carpenter”

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