When Harold “Peanut” Allen, 52, died suddenly at his home in Freetown, Indiana, on Dec. 20, 2022, investigators at first accepted the autopsy’s conclusion of cardiac problems, including pericarditis. Family members had watched Harold’s health decline for months—diabetes, painful gastrointestinal issues and visits to the emergency room—and he had recently complained of numbness on one side of his face. He was buried, and his widow, Marsha Allen, publicly mourned and later self-published a book about grief.
Nine months later, a routine response to a burglary at Marsha’s home upended that tidy narrative. Home security footage captured two men rifling through the house and opening a safe. Marsha recognized one of them as Steven White, a longtime friend of her daughter, Ashley Jones. Police arrested White, and during questioning he made a startling allegation: Marsha had poisoned Harold by slipping a chemical into a root beer float. He said he’d been told details by Ashley and claimed Ashley had mailed him a key and given him the safe combination.
White’s cooperation led investigators to search for corroborating evidence. Video and other leads led them to recover stolen items and identify the other burglar. But more damning was what followed: when detectives asked to download Marsha’s phone, she stepped out of the room and deleted messages. Those deleted texts could be recovered, and they revealed an extensive, months-long conspiracy between Marsha and Ashley to poison Harold.
Investigators found nearly 7,000 texts between mother and daughter in the three months before Harold’s death. The messages ranged from disparaging comments about Harold—calls for him to “let go” and references to wanting him dead—to detailed chatter about sourcing and testing poisons. The pair discussed exotic toxic plants, including Pong Pong seeds (from the so-called “suicide tree”) and water hemlock, and joked about using poisoned brownies, chili and drinks. When those plant-based attempts appeared to fail, the texts show they turned to ethylene glycol, a chemical found in antifreeze that is tasteless, colorless and slightly sweet.
Because ethylene glycol can be concealed in sweet beverages, detectives believe Marsha and Ashley conceived a plan to serve Harold a root beer float. Texts recovered from the phones include planning messages: Marsha shopping for soda and ice cream, and both women referencing root beer floats as a vehicle for poisoning. On Dec. 19, 2022, prosecutors say ethylene glycol arrived at Marsha’s house. The next day Harold was found unresponsive; an ambulance summoned to the home could not save him.
Harold’s initial autopsy did not include toxicology screening for these poisons because his death had not been considered suspicious; however, blood samples are routinely stored. After the burglary and the recovered text messages, detectives placed a hold on Harold’s blood and ordered expanded testing. Lab results later confirmed ethylene glycol in his system and supported the investigators’ conclusion that he had been poisoned.
Marsha was interviewed about the burglary and, later, about the poisoning allegations. She denied wrongdoing and claimed Harold’s death was due to undetected cardiac illness, insisting that “it would show up in the toxicology report.” Detectives say she deleted messages from her phone during the interview, a move captured on camera. That evidence, combined with the detailed texts and White’s statements, led investigators to pursue homicide charges.
While police were preparing charges, Marsha disappeared from public view. The day after detectives served a search warrant on her house and interviewed her, officers responded to a welfare check at her home. Marsha was found dead from an apparent suicide. She left a note that read, in part, “I did not kill my husband. You win Ashley!” Prosecutors and detectives later said they believed she took her own life after learning authorities had retained Harold’s blood for testing and after exposure of the text messages.
With Marsha deceased, prosecutors focused on Ashley Jones. She had been arrested on the burglary charge after the security footage surfaced, and in interviews she initially claimed ignorance. Within minutes, she changed course and told detectives that her mother had wanted Harold dead and that she had helped procure chemicals and other items. Ashley said she had followed her mother’s instructions and admitted to ordering ethylene glycol and other substances, though she claimed she had not asked many questions.
Prosecutors say Ashley received payments from Marsha—about $1,000 a month—from Harold’s death until mid-2023, which they argue could be viewed as compensation agreed upon for participating in the crime. Prosecutor Lynsey Fleetwood described greed as a prime motive, pointing to Harold’s $120,000 life insurance policy through his employer and his guitars, guns and other valuables taken during the burglary.
In October 2023, investigators executed warrants and continued to gather digital and physical evidence linking Ashley to the purchase and delivery of ethylene glycol and to the text conversations detailing multiple poisoning attempts. The recovered texts, along with the toxicology confirmation of ethylene glycol in Harold’s blood, formed the core of the prosecution’s case.
In August 2025, Ashley Jones accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder; prosecutors dismissed other charges. She was sentenced to 50 years in prison. Steven White, who had implicated the mother and daughter during his burglary arrest, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years for his role in the burglary.
Beyond Harold’s death, investigators and family members raised concerns about Ashley’s late husband, Ty Jones, who died suddenly in 2019 at age 33. His autopsy listed heart complications and his body was cremated at Ashley’s request; no toxicology tests consistent with poisoning were performed at the time. Ty’s family members have long suspected foul play and, after the revelations about Harold, urged authorities to reopen or expand inquiries. Indiana State Police opened an investigation into Ty’s death amid similarities to Harold’s case, though officials stress that those probes are ongoing and no charges have been filed in relation to Ty’s passing.
For Harold’s family, the case has been devastating. Relatives recalled a man known for his big personality, love of motorcycles, music, fishing and community. They say he welcomed Ashley and her child into his home and embraced a role as stepfather and grandfather. His brother Matthew described the betrayal and agony of learning Harold had been slowly poisoned by people close to him.
Investigators characterized the conspiracy as methodical and callous: repeated efforts to find a lethal agent, testing and refining methods, and discussions that mixed practical planning with flippant remarks. Prosecutors said the text messages’ tone—using “lol” and smiley faces while describing poisoning—underscored what they called a chilling lack of remorse.
The legal outcomes closed one chapter: Ashley’s plea and sentencing ensured she will spend decades behind bars. Marsha’s suicide meant she never faced trial or a criminal verdict. The burglary suspect’s sentence was modest in comparison to the allegations he helped reveal. And questions remain about other deaths connected to people in Ashley’s past.
For Harold’s surviving family, the conviction provided a measure of closure but not solace. They continue to mourn the man they called Peanut and to grapple with the betrayal of trusted relatives who prosecutors say plotted repeatedly to kill him for money. The case stands as a stark example of how a routine burglary and a recovered bunch of deleted texts can unravel a secret, lethal scheme.