Who Is Ashley Jones & Where Is She Now? 2026 Update & Profile

“48 Hours” turns to one of the most disturbing poisoning cases to emerge from rural Indiana in “The Root Beer Float Murder,” airing Saturday, April 4 at 10:00 PM ET/PT on CBS and streaming on Paramount+. Reported by Peter Van Sant, the episode revisits the death of Harold “Herb” Allen and the investigation that followed in Freetown, Indiana, where a burglary complaint led detectives toward a hidden homicide case. What first looked like a property crime opened the door to a much larger inquiry, one built on text messages, poison evidence, witness statements, and a plea agreement that brought one part of the case to a close.

• “The Root Beer Float Murder”: 48 Hours Reports on Harold Allen Homicide April 4 2026
• Who Was Harold Allen & What Happened to Him? 2026 Update & Profile
• Who Was Marsha Allen & What Happened to Her? 2026 Update & Profile
• Who Is Steven White & Where Is He Now? 2026 Update & Profile
• Who Is Nathaniel Kane Napier & Where Is He Now? 2026 Update & Profile

A Death That Did Not Raise Alarm at First

When Harold Allen died in December 2022, his death did not immediately appear to be a homicide. He had been ill, and the initial belief was that his death stemmed from natural causes tied to cardiac problems. In many cases, a sudden death inside a family home can bring suspicion, but this one did not set off that level of concern at the time. The case remained closed, and Harold’s death was treated as a tragic loss rather than the starting point of a criminal investigation.

That early conclusion gave the people responsible, according to investigators, a layer of protection. Harold’s physical decline had stretched over time rather than occurring in a single dramatic event, which helped mask what prosecutors later described as a pattern of poisoning attempts. By the time law enforcement returned to look at the case, Harold had been dead for months. The question was no longer only how he died, but how such a serious crime could have passed without immediate detection.

The Burglary That Changed the Investigation

The turning point came in September 2023, when Marsha Allen reported a break-in at her home. Security footage helped identify one of the intruders as Steven White, a person known to the family and connected to Marsha’s daughter, Ashley Jones. Investigators located White within hours. He admitted involvement in the burglary, but his statement went far beyond that offense. He told detectives that Marsha Allen had killed her husband and that Ashley Jones had played a role in the plot.

That claim transformed the case at once. A burglary investigation became a murder investigation because of information that officers had not been seeking when they first arrived. White also pointed investigators toward digital evidence, telling them that messages between Marsha and Ashley would reveal the poisoning plan. In a case built on secrecy inside a home, the first major break came from a suspect in an unrelated crime who decided to speak. Without that confession, Harold Allen’s death might have remained classified as natural.

A Long Pattern of Poisoning Attempts

Once police examined phones and electronic records, they found what prosecutors later described as a detailed record of planning and frustration. Thousands of text messages between Marsha Allen and Ashley Jones outlined efforts to poison Harold over a period of weeks and months. Investigators said the pair discussed toxic substances including foxglove, water hemlock, pong pong seeds, and ethylene glycol. They also examined claims that poison had been placed in food and drinks, including chili, brownies, a margarita, and other items Harold consumed while he was alive.

The messages were central because they did more than place the two women in contact. According to investigators, they showed method, timing, failed attempts, and a clear desire to continue when earlier efforts did not kill Harold. Hospital visits during late 2022 took on new meaning once detectives reviewed the text history. Symptoms that once looked like illness now appeared consistent with poisoning. Prosecutors later argued that Harold’s death was not the result of one spontaneous act, but the final step in an extended campaign that caused him repeated suffering before the fatal dose.

The Root Beer Float and Harold Allen’s Death

Authorities believe the final act came on December 19, 2022, when Marsha Allen served Harold a root beer float containing ethylene glycol, a toxic chemical often linked to antifreeze products. Investigators said the substance became the chosen method after other attempts failed. Ethylene glycol carries a grim advantage in poisoning cases because it is difficult to detect by taste in sweet drinks. In this case, law enforcement concluded that the familiar dessert-like drink became the vehicle for the fatal poisoning.

That detail gave the case its name and became one of its most haunting facts. A root beer float is tied in most minds to comfort and routine, not violence. In court filings and media accounts, that contrast helped define the case. Harold died shortly after the poisoned drink was served, and his death was still treated at first as natural. Only later, after the burglary case exposed the text trail and led investigators back through the timeline, did the root beer float become one of the strongest symbols of what prosecutors said had taken place inside the home.

The Roles of Marsha Allen and Ashley Jones

Investigators said the case centered on a mother and daughter acting together. Marsha Allen, Harold’s wife, was accused of carrying out the poisoning inside the home, while Ashley Jones was accused of helping plan the murder, obtain poison, and direct the broader scheme. Authorities also alleged that money was part of the motive, pointing to retirement funds, savings, and access to Harold’s finances after his death. The prosecution’s picture of the case was one of shared intent and joint effort rather than one person acting alone.

Marsha Allen never faced trial. After police questioned her in October 2023 about Harold’s death, she denied involvement. Hours later, she died by suicide before charges could be filed. Her death closed off a full courtroom accounting of her role and left part of the case unresolved in the formal legal sense. Ashley Jones, by contrast, remained at the center of the prosecution. She was arrested and held as the evidence continued to build, and her case moved forward through the Indiana court system while investigators developed the full scope of the allegations.

The Hit List and the Pressure on Witnesses

The case grew even darker while Ashley Jones was in custody. Investigators said that, as she awaited trial, she created a “kill list” that contained the names of people believed to have knowledge of Harold Allen’s death. According to law enforcement, the list included potential witnesses, with Steven White at the top. Detectives and prosecutors viewed the list as a sign that the danger had not ended with Harold’s death and that Jones still wanted to silence people who could damage her defense.

No separate charges were filed in connection with that list, but it became part of the public understanding of the case and helped shape how authorities described Jones’ mindset. Investigators said the document suggested a continued effort to obstruct justice and remove anyone who could testify about the poisoning plot. Even without a trial on those facts, the list added to the view that this was not a crime contained to one day in December 2022. It was a case marked by planning, secrecy, and a willingness, in the view of investigators, to keep using violence to control the outcome.

The Plea Deal, Sentences, and Final Outcome

The case reached its legal conclusion in August 2025, when Ashley Jones accepted a plea agreement. She pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and attempted murder. Under the terms of that agreement, she received a 50-year prison sentence, which was described as the maximum allowed within the plea arrangement. The plea meant there would be no full jury trial laying out every piece of evidence in open court, but it still produced a conviction and a substantial sentence tied to Harold Allen’s death.

Steven White, whose burglary confession exposed the murder case, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for his role in the break-in. His cooperation proved critical to the homicide investigation even as he faced punishment for the burglary itself. Harold Allen’s death, once treated as a natural loss, was ultimately redefined through digital evidence, police work, and a guilty plea that established criminal responsibility in court. “The Root Beer Float Murder” revisits that path from hidden poisoning to legal resolution, showing how one unexpected lead uncovered a death that had been missed the first time around.