The widow of a husband who was murdered in a hit arranged by their own son spent nights following the killing rehearsing how she would shoot the gunmen if they came back to finish her off.
The nightmare began when Corey Shaughnessy, 58, was awoken by gunfire in the middle of the night at her Texas home.
She called 911 on the morning of March 2, 2018, to report an intruder inside her house in Austin.
When police arrived, they found Ted dead of multiple gunshot wounds in a hallway. One of the family’s Rottweilers, Bart, had also been shot dead.
The nightmare began when Corey Shaughnessy, 58, was awoken by gunfire in the middle of the night at her Texas home
Jaclyn Alexa Edison along with Nicolas Patrick Shaughnessy, right, conspired to hire a gunman to kill Shaughnessy’s father, a jeweler slain in his home in March 2018. Edison was sentenced to 10 years of probation after conspiring to murder her then-husband’s parents. Shaughnessy got 35 years
Ted Shaughnessy was shot and killed with detectives finding his own adopted son and daughter-in-law were behind the killings to secure millions in insurance money
Incredibly, Corey had managed to defend herself by firing back at the intruder, but her husband of 30 years, Ted, was mortally wounded. But that did not stop her preparing for what might happen should the killers return.
‘It was crazy. It was crazy. You don’t go to sleep until the sun comes up. And then you set up zones in your house. You set up lines of fire so that if someone comes for you, you’ll know where you’re supposed to be shooting. And it’s not good,’ Corey told NBC Dateline.
‘I do not remember the sound of my gun,’ Corey said, speaking of the moment she fought back. ‘I remember seeing the muzzle from the opposite gun. He’s shooting at me and I’m shooting at him.’
At first, detectives believed the couple’s role as the owners of a local jewelry shop owners might have been a potential motive, but the investigation took a dramatic turn when it became apparent her own son and daughter-in-law had come up with the twisted murder-for-hire plot.
Jaclyn Alexa Edison and her then-husband Nicolas Shaughnessy were both 19 years old when they hired two hit men to kill his adoptive parents in the violent home invasion.
Corey Shaughnessy is seen alongside her husband Ted. Both were targeted in the murder-for-hire shooting but only Corey survived. Ted died in the hallway of his own Austin home
An obituary photo posted on Legacy.com of Ted Shaughnessy, right, owner of Gallerie Jewelers in Austin, Texas, and his wife, Corey Shaughnessy. Ted was murdered in a plot by his son Nicolas in 2018
Incredibly, Corey had managed to defend herself by firing back at the intruder after breaking into the home
The home where the home invasions occurred sat in Travis County, Austin, Texas
Nicolas Shaughnessy and then-wife Jaclyn Edison were both 19 years old when they hired two hit men to kill his adoptive parents in a violent home invasion
The murder-for-hire plot saw prominent Austin jeweler Ted Shaughnessy shot dead in 2018
Nicolas had estimated that he’d receive some $8 million from the life insurance policies for his parents, from the sale of their home and sale of the jewelry store
Authorities say the plot called for Corey Shaughnessy to be killed as well, but she was physically unharmed.
During their investigation, detectives did not find signs of forced entry into the home, except for one that had been opened in Nicolas Shaughnessy’s bedroom.
Last year, Edison was sentenced to 10 years of probation – with crime victims outraged at the district attorney who helped her avoid prison.
Edison managed to cut a deal with District Attorney Jose Garza, whose election was backed by billionaire liberal George Soros.
She pled guilty to conspiracy to attempt to commit capital murder years after her ex-husband, Nicolas Shaughnessy, and two hit men, Arieon Smith, 23, and Johnny Leon, took up plea deals of 35 years in prison.
Steve Brittain, the attorney for Corey Shaughnessy, told KXAN-TV had never seen a similar outcome in such a crime.
‘I can’t put it together in my mind, and I just don’t understand it,’ he said. ‘She is evil. And in my view, very dangerous.’
The company posted on Facebook in April 2018: ‘We are happy to announce that Nicolas, Ted’s son, will be carrying on his legacy here at Gallerie.’ He was later jailed with his murder
Nicolas had estimated that he’d receive some $8 million from the life insurance policies for his parents, from the sale of their home and sale of the jewelry store
Nicolas Shaughnessy was quickly on the scene following the murders. During their investigation, detectives did not find signs of forced entry into the home, except for one that had been opened in Nicolas’s bedroom
Nicolas Shaughnessy is seen speaking to law enforcement after his father, Ted Shaughnessy was found shot and killed inside his home
One of the family’s Rottweilers Bart had also been shot dead
Police say it was Nicolas Shaughnessy who had approached multiple people in the months before the shootings asking if they were willing to kill his parents for payment.
Police said the murder-for-hire plot also called for Corey to be killed but she emerged unscathed after shooting back.
Prosecutors said the young couple was motivated by money, particularly the couple’s $2 million life insurance policy.
Nicolas had estimated that he’d receive some $8 million from the life insurance policies for his parents, from the sale of their home and sale of the jewelry store.
Ted was the owner of Gallerie Jewelers in Austin.
The company had posted on its Facebook page the month following the shooting: ‘We are happy to announce that Nicolas, Ted’s son, will be carrying on his legacy here at Gallerie.’
An obituary for the elder Shaughnessy published in the Austin American-Statesman said he was ‘a proud father to his son, Nicolas.’
The couple, Jaclyn Edison and Nicolas Shaughnessy, were arrested after police found ammunition in Shaughnessy’s home in College Station that matched casings found at the crime scene.
The Shaughnessys adopted their killer son from Ukraine when he was 18 months old.
Nicolas Shaughnessy, 22, entered a guilty plea to a murder charge. His attorneys in a statement said he accepts full responsibility for his role in his father’s death.
As part of her plea deal, Edison will have to report to jail for two days each year on the anniversary of the murder as part of her probation.
Edison was given deferred adjudication, which allowed her to accept responsibility for the crime without the conviction being put on her record.
Many have criticized Attorney Jose Garza, whose election was backed by billionaire liberal George Soros, for Edison’s plea deal
Theodore dead of multiple gunshot wounds in his Austin home. One of the family’s Rottweilers Bart was also shot dead
Nicolas Shaughnessy, and two hit men, Arieon Smith (left) and Johnny Leon (right), also took up plea deals of 35 years in prison
DA Garza has been slammed by numerous families for not doing enough to punish violent offenders – including Edison’s light probationary sentence.
He is one of numerous district attorneys across the country whose campaigns received millions in funding from Soros, leading directly to wave of liberally-minded judicial policies and decisions.
He received about $600,000 from the Soros-backed Texas Justice and Safety PAC during his campaign, leading to his appointment in 2021.
Garza vowed to end ‘over-prosecution’ of minorities and impoverished residents.
He has also drawn ire from the Austin Police Department for arresting officers for incidents which had been handled through department’s internal process.
Austin Police Retired Officers Association President Dennis Farris said Edison should have faced the same sentence her co-conspirators.
‘They literally are just as guilty, she’s just as guilty as the person who pulled the trigger,’ he told Fox News.