Who Is Johnny Leon & Where Is He Now? 2026 Update & Background

Johnny Roman Leon III was no stranger to law enforcement by the time his name surfaced in the Shaughnessy case. Known to police in the College Station area, Leon had a prior arrest record that included drug-related offenses and brushes with the law. He moved in circles that overlapped with others familiar to Nicolas Shaughnessy and Jaclyn Edison, including co-defendant Arieon Smith.

According to investigators, Leon was someone who floated on the edge of criminal opportunity — not necessarily a career criminal, but open to offers when the price was right. That trait made him vulnerable to Nicolas Shaughnessy’s approach. The proposition came with the lure of six figures and the implicit promise of easy money. What followed would make him a central player in a deadly conspiracy.

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• Who Is Corey Shaughnessy & What Happened to Her? 2026 Update & Background
• Who Is Nick Shaughnessy & Where Is He Now? 2026 Update & Background
• Who Is Jaclyn Edison & Where Is She Now? 2026 Update & Background
• Who Is Arieon Smith & Where Is He Now? 2026 Update & Background

The Role in the Plot

Leon told authorities that he was approached by Nicolas to carry out a murder-for-hire plot against Ted and Corey Shaughnessy. He admitted the offer was clear: $100,000 to execute both of Nicolas’s parents. Leon was not alone in the plan — he later brought in Arieon Smith, another associate with a criminal history.

Surveillance footage showed Leon visiting Nick and Jackie’s home just two days before the murder. Investigators used a freeze frame from that visit to eventually identify him through a window company T-shirt he had worn. Once tracked down and confronted, Leon acknowledged that he had entertained the idea of committing murder for money. He claimed to have initially been hesitant, but agreed to the job.

On March 2, 2018, Leon and Smith entered the Shaughnessy home through a window left unsecured in Nick’s former bedroom. Ted was killed in the ensuing gunfire. Corey returned fire, survived, and called 911. Though both men fled, the aftermath of their actions left a trail that eventually led straight to them.

Arrest and Confession

Johnny Leon was arrested in July 2018 after months of investigation, interviews, and analysis of digital evidence. While being questioned, Leon tried to deflect full responsibility, stating he had been lured by money but did not admit to pulling the trigger. Detectives, however, were confident that Leon had been an active participant, if not the shooter himself.

Authorities discovered extensive communication between Leon and both Nick and Smith. He had coordinated with Nick about the timing of the attack and had been in frequent contact with Smith around the time of the murder. On Leon’s phone, police found evidence of planning and coordination, including messages related to the payout and logistics.

Faced with mounting evidence, Leon ultimately accepted a plea agreement to avoid a capital murder trial. He pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of murder and was sentenced to 35 years in prison. Like his co-defendants, he must serve at least half of his sentence before being eligible for parole.

Where He Is Now

Johnny Leon is currently incarcerated in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice system. He is serving a 35-year sentence for his role in the killing of Ted Shaughnessy. According to court records and parole eligibility guidelines, Leon will not be eligible for release until at least his early fifties, depending on behavior, credit for time served, and parole board review.

He has not spoken publicly about the case since his conviction and did not grant interviews to the media. There has been no indication that he expressed remorse or cooperated beyond the minimal requirements of his plea agreement.

Final Impact and Legacy

Leon’s involvement in the Shaughnessy case illustrates how quickly a life-altering crime can be orchestrated when desperation meets opportunity. While he did not know the Shaughnessys personally, he became the instrument through which a family was torn apart — a man who entered a stranger’s home in the dead of night, carried out a murder, and vanished before dawn.

His actions, alongside those of Smith and Shaughnessy, left Corey Shaughnessy widowed and shattered a family built on years of love and trust. Though he will one day walk free, Johnny Leon’s name will always be tied to a violent betrayal fueled by greed and disregard for human life.