Son of Austin Jeweler Charged in Murder-for-Hire Plot

Austin, Texas--Authorities in Texas have arrested the son and daughter-in-law of the longtime Austin jeweler murdered in a home invasion back in March, alleging they hired a hitman to kill his parents for financial gain.

The Travis County Sheriff’s Office said May 29 that 19-year-old Nicolas Patrick Shaughnessy and his wife, Jaclyn Alexa Edison, also 19, have been charged with criminal solicitation to commit capital murder, a first-degree felony.

The couple is alleged to have hired someone to murder Theodore (Ted) and Corey Shaughnessy so they could collect the $2 million in insurance that would come to Nicolas in the event of his parents’ deaths, the arrest affidavit shows, citing text messages exchanged between Nicolas and Jaclyn as part of the evidence.

The suspect, or suspects, hired to do the killings entered the Shaughnessy’s home in Austin in the early morning hours of March 2.

According to the affidavit, Corey Shaughnessy told investigators that she and her husband were awoken around 4 a.m. by the sound of their dogs barking.

Ted grabbed his handgun and got up to investigate. Less than a minute later, Corey heard gunfire so she grabbed her handgun and got up too.

She and the intruder exchanged gunfire until she ran out of ammunition; it is believed the suspect was injured in the exchange, authorities said. Corey then hid in the closet and called 911, remaining there until police came.

When deputies arrived on the scene, they discovered the body of 55-year-old Ted Shaughnessy with multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead on the scene at 5:14 a.m., the affidavit states.

Kristen Dark, a public information officer for the Travis County Sheriff’s Office, confirmed Tuesday that the suspect, or suspects, involved in the shooting are still at large.

Following Shaughnessy’s death, the family’s store, Gallerie Jewelers, was closed for a period of time but announced on Facebook April 27 it would be reopening May 1 and that Nicolas would be carrying on his father’s legacy at the store.

Gallerie Jewelers is an American Gem Society member store that has been in business since December 1995, according to its website, and was headed by Ted, who was an AGS Registered Jeweler (RJ), and Corey, who is a Certified Gemologist Appraiser (CGA).

No one answered the phone at the store on Tuesday.