Austin, TX

Wife of slain Austin jeweler says daughter-in-law Jaclyn Edison got away with murder

Published

2 years ago

January 13, 2024

Wife of slain Austin jeweler says daughter-in-law Jaclyn Edison got away with murder

When “48 Hours” found Jaclyn Edison sitting on a bench with a book in her hand, we might have mistaken her for a young professional on her lunch break. But Edison wasn’t on the job. She was on probation.

She was sitting in front of an Austin, Texas, jail, where she’d just finished serving time after pleading guilty in a 2018 murder plot that sent three others to prison for up to 35 years. So why did Edison get a sentence of 120 days behind bars?

“48 Hours” contributor Jim Axelrod reports on the crime – and the punishments – in “Shootout at the Shaughnessys,’” an all-new “48 Hours” airing Saturday, Jan. 13 at 10/9c on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.

“48 Hours” investigates the murder of a wealthy Texas jeweler

03:43

The March 2, 2018 shooting murder of affluent jeweler Ted Shaughnessy, and the near-murder of his wife Corey shocked people in Austin, where many knew the couple and assumed they’d been targeted as part of some sort of botched robbery. With no relevant prints from any outsiders at the scene, authorities had to consider the victim’s widow herself as a suspect.

But in the following weeks, they cleared Corey Shaughnessey and concluded her son Nicolas Shaughnessy had planned the murder with his high school sweetheart Jaclyn Edison so they could live large on the Shaughnessys’ money, hiring two hit men to do the dirty work.

It was just after 4 a.m., when police say two intruders entered the Shaughnessys’ sprawling suburban home. Corey said she woke up when she heard one of their two pet Rottweilers bark.

“Ted sits up in bed … and he grabbed his gun … to go see what it was,” she said. “I hadn’t even gotten my head back on the pillow … before I heard the first gunshot … And then there was a barrage of gunfire.”

Corey said she was still in bed when the shooting suddenly turned in her direction. She grabbed a .357 revolver from above her headboard and returned fire. “I ran out of ammo … I just bailed into the closet.”

Trapped in the closet with bullets flying, she said she called 911.

“Travis County 911 … do you need police, fire, or paramedic?” asked the dispatch operator. “I don’t know,” Corey responded. “I’m in the closet!” “There were shots fired … Help me!” “OK, we’re helping you ma’am,” the operator said. “Help me!” Corey sobbed again.

Even in her hiding place, Corey couldn’t escape the horror unfolding in the house. “I heard this horrible, horrible moaning,” she said. “When I came out of the closet … I saw Ted’s legs and I could tell he was dead.”

When police arrived at the scene minutes later, it looked like a battlefield. Broken glass and bullet casings were scattered on the floor. Ted’s lifeless body lay in a pool of blood near the kitchen table. One of the dogs had been shot dead in the master bedroom.

Corey told authorities she hadn’t seen the attackers’ faces. But she did have an idea why they’d come. Though she said she and Ted rarely kept valuables from their business in the house, “being a jeweler … you might someday be a target.”

Sitting in the back of a police cruiser before dawn that morning, Corey spoke by phone with Nicolas, then 19, who lived with Edison, then 18, in the city of College Station more than 100 miles away.

The couple made the two-hour drive to the scene, arriving around 8 a.m. They had met in high school when Edison moved to Austin from New Jersey after her parents divorced. Nicolas brought her home in 2016.

“It was an awkward dinner,” said Corey.

She said Edison struck her as socially awkward, but before long, she was spending so much time at their house, Corey and Ted actually let her move in. Edison lived with the Shaughnessy family until she and Nicolas moved 116 miles away to College Station.

About two hours after Corey notified Nicolas about the murder, he arrived with Edison at the scene. According to investigators they began acting strangely. When Edison learned they planned to test her hands for gunshot residue, she broke down sobbing.

“That was a major red flag for me,” said Sgt. James Moore, who was then a detective for the Travis County Sheriff’s Office. “We knew there was something more to this at that point.”

Investigators began to suspect even more strongly that they were involved in the murder when they searched the couple’s College Station home.

“Once we get into the apartment we’re going through it, we’re finding ammunition,” Moore said.

Though common among gun owners, the ammunition was the same brand and caliber found at the crime scene. And investigators were about to find proof that Nicolas and Edison weren’t telling the whole truth about themselves.

“We find a marriage certificate for Nick and Jaclyn,” Moore said.

“In all of the conversation you were having … they never said that they were married?” asked Axelrod. “No,” Moore said.

Corey said they’d never told her or Ted either. In fact, they didn’t tell her the news of their marriage until after the murder.

“I thought it was incredibly stupid,” said Corey. “You’re too young. This was really dumb.”

Trying to be a supportive mother to Nicolas, Corey said she accepted the marriage, but demanded the couple plan and host a proper wedding. She had ample opportunity to supervise that process, because just days after the murder, Nicolas and Edison moved back in with her.

As investigators continued looking into the couple, they discovered suspicious text exchanges on their phones, written just days before the murder. To authorities, it sounded like they were in cahoots and arranging a hit.

“Nick is saying he’s ‘working on it,’” said Axelrod, paraphrasing one of the texts. “Yeah,” said Moore. “And Jackie’s response to the text message was, ‘do they want 50K or not?’” added lead detective Paul Salo. “And she said, “‘we can’t afford to pay half before.’”

In another exchange, Nicolas asks Edison to withdraw money from her account: “So if it happens … cash in hand.” Bank receipts show Edison withdrew $1,000 from the bank just days before the murder.

Nicolas Shaughnessy and Jaclyn Edison

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Travis County DA’s Office

Over the next three months, police would come to believe Nicolas and Edison had masterminded the attack and on May 29, 2018, authorities arrested them for criminal solicitation in the murder of Ted Shaughnessy. When Corey read the arrest affidavits, she said her long-standing belief in her son’s innocence started to crumble. And she remembered a particularly awkward conversation she’d had with Jaclyn back in 2017.

“She even asked me … one evening when we were getting ready to go out, what would happen to all my jewelry when I was dead,” said Corey. “I just chalked it up to bad manners.”

Just two weeks after her arrest, Edison began cooperating with investigators – and pointing the finger at Nicolas. She acknowledged he had hired someone to kill his parents, but claimed she didn’t know who.

After her cooperation, authorities released Edison on a reduced bond.

Using video from Edison and Nicolas’ home security cameras, they then tracked down one of the attackers, 21-year-old Johnny Leon, who eventually acknowledged having been in the Shaughnessys’ home the night of the murder. Leon’s phone records around that time showed intensive communications with a man named Aerion Smith, age 20, who later confessed to firing the fatal shot. Both were arrested for capital murder.

But Nicolas Shaughnessy and the two men never went to trial. There was a new district attorney in town, Jose Garza, whose office offered them a deal: plead guilty to a reduced charge of murder, avoid a possible death sentence and serve just 35 years. Jaclyn Edison got a deal too. Plead guilty to attempted solicitation of capital murder and serve just 120 days in prison plus 10 years’ probation.

Corey thinks Edison’s sentence is outrageous.

“It is an outright dismissal of everything that I went through as a victim, she said. “And it’s a dismissal of Ted’s life.”

“Do you understand Corey’s frustration?” Axelrod asked Salo. “Absolutely,” he replied.

“Is she innocent?” Moore asked rhetorically. “Absolutely not.”

“She knew, Amy Meredith added. “She knew what he was trying to do.”

In a prison interview during the summer of 2023, Nicolas told “48 Hours” that Edison was a full partner in crime.

“Was this a fifty-fifty thing?” asked Axelrod. “Most definitely,” Nicolas replied.

And though Edison denies it, Nicolas told us killing his parents was largely her idea.

Edison declined our multiple interview requests, but when she walked out of jail on Oct. 17, 2023, “48 Hours” producer Jenna Jackson was waiting.

Jaclyn Edison tells “48 Hours” 120 days in jail was appropriate for her role in Austin murder plot by
48 Hours on
YouTube

“Nick got 35 years, the hit men got the same,” Jackson said to her. “You got 120 days … are you getting away with murder? “No … I think that it’s fair, Edison responded. “I think it accurately reflects the level of involvement.”

Edison insisted the Shaughnessys are overstating her role.

“Corey and Nick have both told us is that … you are a partner in this murder plot,” Jackson told her. “Yeah … I think Nick is, is saying whatever he has to say to kind of clear his name,” Edison responded. “Corey is very much in denial about what really happened.”

“48 Hours” asked the district attorney for an interview to discuss why his office gave Edison 120 days behind bars, but Garza would not agree to speak with us on camera. A district attorney’s spokesperson sent us a statement saying, “Our office takes acts of violence seriously and is committed to holding people who commit violent crimes accountable.” The statement also said Edison is on probation for 10 years and if she violates the terms, she faces 20 years in prison.

Corey says a full explanation from authorities would have helped her make sense of something that has always struck her as impossibly wrong.

“So no one’s ever explained to you why this enormous disparity … in sentence?” asked Axelrod. “No, absolutely not,” Corey replied.

Now, more than five years after the murder and living out of state and under a different name, Corey seems finally to have made her peace with what happened. She hasn’t spoken directly to Nicolas since the day of his arrest, but made sure Edison got the message in a video for authorities, played at Edison’s plea hearing.

“I’m alive because your plan to have me murdered … didn’t succeed,” said Corey. “You are a monster. You are evil and everyone needs to know it.”

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Austin, TX

Where can I see holiday lights in Central Texas?

Published

9 hours ago

December 6, 2025

Press Room

Where can I see holiday lights in Central Texas?

AUSTIN, Texas – The 2025 holiday season is here and with it comes lighting displays, parades and events.

FOX 7 Austin has gathered a list of where you can go to enjoy holiday lights and celebrate with your friends and family.

The list is arranged by county, then city.

Travis County

Austin

Austin Trail of Lights

When: Dec. 10-23 from 6-10 p.m. each night
Where: Zilker Park
What: Annual event hosted by the Trail of Lights Foundation, trail features more than 2 million lights, 90 lighted holiday trees and more than 70 other displays and lighted tunnels; event also features live music, local food trucks, holiday vendors, and an opportunity to meet Santa and Mrs Claus
Cost: General admission ranges from $0–$8 depending on the night. ZIP passes range from $20-$35 and include early access, an exclusive entrance and a special lounge area. Platinum passes range from $85-$480 and include valet parking, early access, a shuttle, a special lounge area and drink and ride tickets.
Website: https://austintrailoflights.org/

Zilker Holiday Tree

When: Nov. 30–Jan. 1 from 6-10 p.m. (Drive up visitation nights: Dec. 2-6, Dec. 8-9, Dec. 24-Jan. 1)
Where: Zilker Park
What: The Zilker Holiday Tree stands 155 feet tall and is composed of 39 streamers, each with 81 multi-colored lights, totaling about 3,309 lights. The lights are hung from the Zilker Moontower, one of 17 original Austin moontowers. It has been lit almost every year since 1967 (excluding 1973)
Website: Zilker Holiday Tree | AustinTexas.gov

Luminations

When: Dec. 5-Jan. 3, closed Dec. 24-25, Dec. 31 and Jan. 1
Where: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
What: Guests can enjoy a canopy of twinkling lights, glowing garden paths, nightly live music, festive photo moments, and hot chocolate and churros.
Cost: $30 for adults ($23 for members), $20 for kids age 3-12 ($13 for members), free for kids 2 and under
Website: www.wildflower.org/luminations

Del Valle

Peppermint Parkway at COTA

When: Now until Jan. 4, open Monday-Friday 5:30-10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 3-10 p.m.
Where: Circuit of the Americas, 9201 Circuit of the Americas Blvd
What: Walk-thru trail with millions of twinkling lights, whimsical characters, and more, leading to a plaza filled with delicious seasonal treats, joyful rides, lively activities and more
Cost: Admission starts at $8 per person, kids 2 and under get in free; additional costs for other events, rides and amusements
Website: Peppermint Parkway

Lake Austin

Mozart’s 2025 Lake Austin Festival of Lights

When: Nov. 11-Dec. 11 with showtimes at 7, 8, 9, and 10 p.m.; Dec. 21-Jan. 3 with showtimes at 7, 8, 9, and 10 p.m. (closed Christmas Day); Triple feature experience from Dec. 12-20
Where: 3825 Lake Austin Blvd, Austin
What: This year’s festival is themed “Heaven and Nature Sing,” and includes new and spectacular additions like a fire dancer waterfront battle from “The Nutcracker” and a limited-run Broadway-style Christmas concert. The Christmas village is also returning with hot chocolate and sweet treats. Millions of lights will also glow in the ever-expanding Lake Austin Nautical Light Show.
Cost: General admission to the Holiday Village is $3; additional fees could apply for other parts of the event
Website: www.mozartscoffee.com/pages/festival-of-lights

Pflugerville

Pfestival of Lights & Parade

When: Saturday, Dec. 6 from 4-7:30 p.m.
Where: Downtown Pflugerville
What: Family friendly activities, hot cocoa, and festive performances behind City Hall; parade from Railroad Avenue to downtown starting at 5 p.m.; Santa arrives for tree lighting and photos at 6:30 p.m.

Menorah Lighting

When: Sunday, Dec. 14 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Where: Downtown Pflugerville
What: Third annual Menorah Lighting with Chabad of Round Rock/Pflugerville

Hays County

San Marcos

Lone Star Light Show

When: Now until Dec. 31, open Sunday-Thursday 6-10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 6-11 p.m.
Where: 6218 I-35 South frontage road, northeast of Old Bastrop Road
What: Interactive drive-thru light show with seven immersive tunnels, an entirely LED nativity, thousands of light strands, a 50-foot-high Christmas tree and more.
Cost: $25 general vehicle admission for weekdays; $30 general vehicle admission for weekends
Website: www.lonestarlightshow.com

Wimberley

EmilyAnn Theatre’s Trail of Lights

When: Now until Dec. 26, open Sunday-Thursday 6-9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 6-10 p.m. (except Dec 21-23, open from 6-10 p.m.)
Where: EmilyAnn Theatre, 1101 FM 2325, Wimberley
What: A walking trail through about 8 acres of lighted exhibits; live entertainment onstage near the yule log where guests can enjoy complimentary marshmallows and hot chocolate; several special event nights throughout the run of the trail; a concession stand and an entrance store
Cost: Free, but donations accepted as this is a fundraiser for the theatre
Website: www.emilyann.org/trailoflights.html

Bastrop County

Bastrop

Bastrop River of Lights

When: Now until Jan. 5, from dusk to 10 p.m. every night
Where: 601 Chestnut Street, Bastrop
What: Attendees can stroll the half-mile June Hill Pape Riverwalk and enjoy hundreds of sparkling displays in festive holiday themes

Lost Pines Lighted Christmas Parade

When: Saturday, Dec. 13 starting at 6 p.m.
Where: Downtown Bastrop
What: More than 150 dazzling entries of floats, fire trucks, unicycles, vintage cars and even Santa himself. Event will travel south down Main Street

Bexar County

San Antonio

Zoo Lights at the San Antonio Zoo

When: Now until Jan. 4
Where: 3903 N. St. Mary’s St., San Antonio
What: Multiple realms of twinkling lights, festive music and whimsical displays; daily activities like Pick-A-Present, S’mores Pits and photos with Santa; weekend activities and meet-and-greets with the zoo’s mascots;
Cost: Free for San Antonio Zoo members or with a standard admission ticket; day memberships start at $44.99; daily admissions start at $21.91; children under 3 get in free
Website: Zoo Lights at the San Antonio Zoo

Holiday Lights on the San Antonio River Walk

When: Now until Jan. 11, from sundown to sunrise
Where: San Antonio River Walk in Downtown San Antonio
What: About 200,000 lights draped across the bald cypress trees lining the downtown portion of the River Walk
Cost: Free
Website: Holiday Lights on the San Antonio River Walk

Blanco County

Johnson City

Lights Spectacular 2025

When: Now until Jan. 4, from dusk (about 5:45 p.m.) to midnight
Where: Located at various locations throughout downtown Johnson City; Memorial Park; Pedernales Electric Coop HQ
What: Laser show and fun lighted ornaments at courthouse; over 1 million lights on oak trees and colorful themed displays at Memorial Park and PEC HQ; interactive displays, carriage rides
Cost: Free
Website: www.lightsspectacular.com

Burnet County

Marble Falls

Walkway of Lights

When: Now until Jan. 3, from 6-10 p.m. (weather permitting)
Where: Lakeside Park & Beach, 205 Buena Vista Drive
What: Attendees can stroll past Christmas sculptures on Marble Falls Lake and enjoy many different events, like pictures with Santa, a boat parade, movies in the park and more. Concessions will also be available such as cookies, hot chocolate and coffee
Cost: $2 per person
Website: Walkway of Lights

Comal County

New Braunfels

Santa’s Ranch

When: Now through Jan. 4, open Sundays through Thursdays 6-10 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays 6-11 p.m.
Where: 9561 I-35 North in New Braunfels, just southwest of San Marcos
What: A drive-thru mile-long light display with over 3 million lights, a concession stand with hot chocolate, kettle corn, snacks, souvenirs and more
Cost: $37 plus tax for a single pass per vehicle; $74 plus tax for a season pass per vehicle
Website: www.santasranch.com

Gillespie County

Fredericksburg

Fredericksburg Christmas Nights of Lights

When: Now until Jan. 6, nightly beginning at 5 p.m. (closed on Dec. 5 and Dec. 31)
Where: Marktplatz in Fredericksburg
What: Each evening will feature holiday music starting at 5 p.m., followed by a 10-minute audio presentation on the history of Fredericksburg’s German heritage at 6 p.m., then a countdown to the lighting of Marktplatz. The music will end at 6:30 p.m. following the countdown.
Cost: Free
Website: Visit Fredericksburg

The Source: Information in this report comes from a variety of sources, including city and county websites and event pages for individual displays.

HolidaysTravis CountyWilliamson CountyLifestyleHays CountyBastrop CountyBexar CountyBell CountyBlanco CountyBurnet CountyCaldwell CountyComal CountyFayette CountyGillespie CountyLee CountyLlano CountyMilam County

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Austin, TX

Austin area to soon see driverless semi-trucks

Published

21 hours ago

December 5, 2025

Press Room

Austin area to soon see driverless semi-trucks

TEXAS — Driving along State Highway 130 — the fastest highway in Texas — in the Austin area now means seeing driverless semi-trucks operate along the way.

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has partnered with Cavnue, a smart road technology company, to pilot the “Smart Freight Corridor.” It’s a 21-mile highway stretch designed to “advance the future of freight mobility,” according to Cavnue’s description of the project. TxDOT and Cavnue announced this project in late 2023.

The corridor’s technology is designed to prioritize highway safety, and it’ll include sensors, cameras, radar and wireless communication systems that constantly update experts on the state of the highway: traffic, road conditions and hazards. It’s the first of its kind in the country.

“Safety is priority number one at TxDOT. The largest opportunity to reduce crashes is by improving the driver experience by broadcasting digital roadway information to on-board automated systems to help advanced and automated trucks navigate the roadway environment safely and more efficiently,” said Mike Arellano, who is the deputy district engineer at TxDOT.

The expansion comes just months after the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 2807, which set a standard statewide system to permit operation of autonomous vehicles.

Running from Georgetown, through Hutto and Pflugerville down to Del Valle, an average of 57,000 vehicles daily will travel through the corridor. Those trucks will also cut carbon emissions using Cavnue’s technology by alerting the trucks to potential debris and traffic.

The project first launched in late 2024 with only a 4-mile stretch. This expansion isn’t the end, Cavnue representatives wrote online.

“This corridor has the potential to expand across key interstate routes, including I-10, I-35 and I-45, strengthening freight movement within the Texas Triangle,” they wrote.

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Austin, TX

San Antonio father shares story of son’s death after similarities with Brianna Aguilera case emerge

Published

1 day ago

December 5, 2025

Press Room

San Antonio father shares story of son’s death after similarities with Brianna Aguilera case emerge

SAN ANTONIO – One San Antonio father said a high-profile investigation feels all too familiar.

Texas A&M student Brianna Aguilera, 19, died last weekend in Austin after falling from a 17-story apartment complex balcony.

When Ezechiel Hernandez heard Aguilera‘s story, he said the parallels of his own son’s death were shocking.

“It’s just so similar to my son,” he said. “How does this happen?”

Ezechiel Hernandez’s son, Grant, 19, died in January 2019. He was also a Texas A&M student visiting a friend at the University of Texas at Austin.

The Travis County Medical Examiner ruled his death a suicide, per documents provided to KSAT by Hernandez.

Hernandez said drugs were also found in Grant’s system.

“He fell 250 feet from the 18th floor,” Hernandez said. “He apparently just hallucinated, and it affected him in a very bad way.”

When news broke about Aguilera this week, Hernandez said he saw the similarities and felt compelled to share his son’s story.

>> What we know about Texas A&M student Brianna Aguilera’s death in Austin

“I just want her parents to know that something similar, same place, happened,” he said.

Hernandez’s son and Aguilera went to the same school, were the same age and both fell from an apartment complex balcony. A spokesperson with the Austin Police Department confirmed with KSAT on Thursday they both died at the same complex, 21 Rio.

“We were in search of answers too, and we never quite got the answers I felt like we wanted,” Hernandez said. “There’s got to be some accountability somewhere.”

Hernandez said his son’s case is closed.

Aguilera’s parents have retained attorneys and are set to have a news conference Friday in Houston.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or thoughts of suicide, call 988 or text TALK to 741-741.

You can also reach out to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) or the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) at 210-223-7233 (SAFE) or 800-316-9241. You can also text NAMI to 741-741.

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