Indiana Mother-Daughter Duo Allegedly Tried Multiple Poisonous Substances in Fatal Plot, Court Docs Reveal

In a chilling case out of Indiana, court documents reveal that a mother-daughter duo meticulously plotted a fatal poisoning scheme that took five attempts and three different substances to succeed. Harold "Peanut" Allen, 52, succumbed to ethylene glycol poisoning after months of torment at the hands of his wife, Marsha Allen, 52, and her daughter, Ashley Jones, 30. The two are suspected of  trying to gain access to his retirement money and savings What initially appeared as a sudden death on Dec. 20, 2022, was anything but, as law enforcement now alleges the plot began months earlier with failed attempts using ancient, natural poisons such as cerberin from pong pong seeds and water hemlock. The pair allegedly ground up toxic pong pong seeds and laced brownies with the poison, sending Allen to the emergency room in late November. Court documents stated, “It should be noted that Marsha (Allen) sends (Jones) a photo message of what appears to be Harold (Allen) on November 26th. In the photo, there is a half-eaten brownie on a paper plate sitting on Harold’s stomach. Harold became sick after eating the brownie and ended up in the emergency room the next day.” In a text message to her daughter, Marsha Allen said, “I am irritated and can’t sleep peacefully. I need this to be over … I wish it would reach its climax and be done lol.” Jones allegedly replied: “Agreed.” Undeterred by his survival, they then tried to poison him with water hemlock in various foods, again failing to end his life. However, Harold Allen did not succumb to hemlock poisoning. According to law enforcement, the women received the second toxin on Dec. 8, 2022, and proceeded to administer it over four days. Hemlock was allegedly mixed into a bowl of chili on Dec. 9, a glass of soda on Dec. 10, and a margarita on Dec. 12. Yet, Allen survived each attempt. On Dec. 13, 2022, Jones allegedly turned to ethylene glycol, the primary component in antifreeze, which has a sweet taste but is lethal in sufficient doses. Seven days later, Harold Allen was dead. Prosecutors claim Jones effectively tortured him with every failed poisoning. The month prior, Marsha Allen’s home in Freetown—a small community about 40 miles southeast of Bloomington—was targeted in a break-in and burglary. Two men, Steven Andrew White, 29, and Nathaniel Kane Napier, 28, were arrested for the crime. However, authorities allege that the men neither planned nor acted alone; according to Jackson County Sheriff Rick Meyer, the burglary was carried out “under the direction and with the assistance of Marsha’s daughter, Ashley Jones." Marsha told police she suspected her daughter from the start, as the burglars had the combination to her gun safe—a code only Jones was believed to know. White had his own story to share with police: he told investigators that not only did Jones orchestrate the burglary, but she also revealed that her mother had poisoned Harold Allen to death. Marsha Allen denied the accusation and voluntarily handed over her cellphone to law enforcement. However, the device contained crucial evidence—text messages between Marsha and Ashley detailing their plans to murder Harold Allen through poisoning in December 2022, according to Sheriff Meyer. A few weeks after Ashley Jones was arrested in early October 2023, police executed a search warrant at Marsha Allen's home. Later that same day, authorities believe Marsha took her own life. Jones is now facing multiple charges, including murder and conspiracy to commit murder, and is scheduled for trial in January 2025. Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on The Downfall of Diddy, The Trial of Karen Read, The Murder Of Maddie Soto, Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK’s Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com