Husband’s Poisoned Dessert Exposes Chilling Murder Plot

Nestled among rolling hills and farmland, Freetown, Indiana isn't usually a hotbed for crime, but on this early fall morning there's a robbery in progress. As the burglars help themselves to guns, cash and jewelry, the owner of the house, 52-year-old medical assistant Marsha Allen, is hundreds of miles away in Tennessee on vacation. But thanks to the home security system app on her phone, she sees exactly what's going on, and she recognizes one of the robbers. It's her daughter's best friend, 29-year-old Stephen White. Marsha alerts the Jackson County Sheriff's Office and shares the video. But afternoon, they confront Stephen at his residence. And they're a third line and a fourth line, it's going to make it look a hell of a lot of work. And it'll save embarrassment whenever I show the video or show the pictures, and you're like, "Well, what can I say to that?" Because there it is. I'm going to see the video. Okay, I do too. Because I'm not three. I've got a picture here. Can I see it? Alrighty. There's the picture. And they got video too. With proof of his guilt staring him straight in the face, Stephen changes his tune. Stephen reveals that Ashley confided in him that Marsha's been hiding an evil secret, and it has to do with her husband, 52-year-old Harold Allen. Her husband died of unknown causes, but I think it might have been a heart attack that I know it wasn't that because he was just fine. Everyone was drinking on Christmas Eve with the treatment of the presents were set out for the kids, and Marsha went into the kitchen. I made a root beer float with whipped cream and sprinkles on top of it. It poured some out of a bottle into there, and she told Ashley that that was his little extra suck because he like spiked through beer floats, so she told her daughter. Stephen says the day after Harold drank that root beer float, he was dead. And that's not the only eyebrow-raising accusation Stephen makes, as he's taken into custody. Next Stephen claims the burglary wasn't his idea. Stephen White and his alleged accomplice, 28-year-old Nathaniel Napier, are arrested on burglary and theft of firearms charges. Eventually, they each take plea deals and serve time in prison. But there arrests are just the tip of the iceberg. Now detectives need to figure out if what Stephen alleges is true. Did Ashley set up this burglary? More importantly, did Marsha really kill her husband Harold with a poisoned root beer float? As they wait for Marsha to arrive back in town, detectives dig up all the information they can on Harold Allen and his death. What they learn is that by all accounts Harold was a well-loved and devoted family man. In 2019, the divorced engineer attended his high school reunion, where he reconnected with Marsha. Sparks flew, and they married in the summer of 2021. But they're happily ever after was short-lived. On December 20, 2022, Marsha called 9-1-1. "Marsha's and our bedding floor is non-responsive and I need your name in time, at least." "Did you find him like that?" "Yeah, I went home and I went back there to check on an engagement stick and then I went there, he was just playing the floor like he was trying to get the bed to rest up and he's not breathing." Harold was rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The medical examiner attributed his death to heart disease. But with Stephen's allegations echoing in their minds, detectives decide to keep digging. A few days later, detective Clint Birchham meets with Marsha. He leads with the burglary, and asks her if she thinks Stephen's accusation about Ashley could be true. Marsha seems to think so, because Stephen and his accomplice knew the code to Harold's gun safe. "She's only other than me when you knew the combination, I would never give it up to you back. And ever." "You said you talked to your daughter and what was she saying?" "She's denied. She was. He's trying to drag me down online initially as I had proof." If Birchham reveals, that's not the only bomb Stephen dropped. "He accused you of murdering your husband." "I did not murder my husband." "What was in it?" "Your ink?" "I don't show him a task called, you put it that happened." "Okay." "He died because he had a paranoid ass that was undetected." "I'm just telling you what he said." "He's lying." "Okay." During his arrest, Stephen indicated Ashley told him there was "digital evidence" that implicated her mother in Harold's death. "The woman's murdered her husband and if you go into her computer file, I love you mom." "You have those last drives you were talking about?" "I did not." With that in mind, Detective Birchham makes a request. "Would you be willing to consent to download your cell phone?" "Yeah." But when he leaves the room for a moment, Marsha is caught on camera deleting messages on her cell phone. Other actions imply there's something on her phone she doesn't want detectives to find. And over the next couple of weeks as detectives comb through thousands of text messages between Marsha and Ashley, they realize there's way more to this story than they or anyone could have ever imagined. A month before Harold's death in November of 2022, Marsha and Ashley begin making several cryptic references to brownies and a plan. Then on November 26, Marsha texted Ashley a picture of Harold with a half-eaten brownie on his lap. Less than an hour later, Marsha texted Ashley that Harold wasn't feeling well. The next day, on November 27, police discovered that Harold sought medical attention for numbness to the left side of his face. As wonder if this could have been Marsha's first attempt at poisoning Harold, only it didn't work. Based on her text messages, it appears she quickly devised a new plan. To detectives, it's another massive red flag. Foxcliffe seeds are highly poisonous to humans. And when Ashley points out Foxcliffe seeds are traceable, Marsha's response is telling. Three days later, medical records show Harold was back at the doctor's office, complaining of severe stomach pain and vomiting. For detectives, it's looking more and more likely that Marsha and Ashley were up to something sinister, but it's the text messages they exchanged in the days leading up to Harold's death that remove all doubt. On December 13, Ashley texted her mother a copy of a receipt for an online order of ethylene glycol. ethylene glycol is a clear, odorless and sweet-tasting chemical found in antifreeze. If ingested, it can lead to organ damage and death. Then on December 19, Marsha referenced root beer floats, followed by a photo of mini-cans of root beer. In her response, Ashley advised her mother the mini-cans weren't sufficient. Several hours later, Ashley texted Marsha and signaled that the ethylene glycol had arrived. The very next day, Harold Allen was dead. In the days that followed, Marsha and Ashley expressed amusement that Harold's family suspected his untimely death could have been caused by the COVID vaccine. Detectives also discover that prior to Harold's death, Marsha's internet search history shows she had looked up how much ethylene glycol it would take to kill someone. In detective's eyes, the totality of this evidence points to a clear and chilling conclusion. Marsha and Ashley murdered Harold, and a poisonous root beer float was their weapon of choice. Less than a month after the burglary, detectives pay Marsha a surprise visit. Hi, Marsha how's it going Marsha? Hi, I'm lieutenant Nicholson with the Sheriff's Department we're here today because we got a search warrant for your house okay to go through some stuff and so that's what they're here to do the detectives and you can hang out with me and one of the detectives while they do that or and you know maybe I'm sure you got some questions on what's going on so we'd like to explain some of that um but just letting you know what's going on okay um yeah we can go to the living room first while officers search the house detectives brief Marsha the Jackson County Sheriff's Department is authorized and ordered in the name of the state of Indiana with the necessary and proper assistance to enter the residence Indiana 47235 a single level brown wooded side home with a front door facing west and they're in search for and seize evidence of the crime of murder including not limited to any electronic device including not limited to any drives that are installed as installed in or attached to any electronic device well you remember talking to these guys about was about Stephen right and Stephen was here and we had the video and all that so then whenever we arrested Stephen he accused you of it okay so then all this other stuff that Stephen says to us or whatever you know pans out okay just to say it that way he tells us who else was in the house we figured that out he told us Ashley gave him the coat that pans out so everything paned out so we wanted to look look into that that's one detective Bertram brought it up and then he starts asking about your you know phone and stuff like that you aligned to to do the download and you know that was another thing I wanted to bring out this some of the stuff that you deleted okay well we got everything back I don't know about everything but we got all the text messages back between you and Ashley yeah there was more than just pictures on there though there was also all the text messages between you and Ashley there's text messages about ordering ethylene glycol I did not kill my husband and like I said I want to I want to hear your story because right now all we have is I only have one story and that's why you're not under arrest because I haven't heard your story you know I haven't heard your story and to find out what but maybe you can help us make sense of some of the stuff that that's on there so you know there's well we we are being told is that you guys murdered him or you murdered him by poison no but even though some of those messages are do you want to go back to the sheriff's apartment we can show you some of these messages and you can explain to him I don't have a choice Marsha is transported to the sheriff's office and detectives confront her with all the incriminating evidence they have focusing on the week leading up to Harold's death. When glycol was released from it says it was for $31.99 and it's December 13th 2022 at $12.19 and then here it shows paid on December 13th 2022 at $609 you can look at it too I'm just trying to read it as I'm I still don't know what that is once I have a point there okay yeah I know I have no idea okay yeah but you see what I'm talking about where it says it's billing the Lynn Allen that's your address right says shipping Lynn Allen the near address again the phone number is associated with it what is that actually it's number I don't know okay I mean it's not your number though no okay the name it's addressed to is Lynn Allen which your middle name is Lynn and it's your address so we're up to the December I think this is December 19th so basically this package comes on December 19th and then there's talk about root loads you send picture of the root bigger um yeah because she's made them four and I have it and said you send a picture of a 7.5 ounces per can you say these are 7.5 she asks if they have bigger or she says they don't have bigger LLL and she says we'll get a couple two of these leaders so it's more like 12 to 14 ounce grain talked with ice cream so you talk about that so so the root but you see what I'm saying the root bear that's why we're concerned because there's the root bear floats it's confirmed in your text messages and then there's an excellent glycol that was ordered and sent to your house and you say you don't know anything about that we really just need to be able to show her these messages and let her read them and that's fine you understand it here also okay we'll take you in the his office because there's so much if we say we're have i just detectives point out some of the most damning messages well i'm talking about with the ethylene glycol you see where it kind of looks like you're asking about the ethylene glycol though yes i see that badly okay well it shows on the picture like the older steps and the last step if you look at the very top it shows like it's waiting for a card number like yeah okay the card number was yeah there's so it's showing the steps that she's went through and then it shows the the total right and then she sends you that picture then the next thing you say is how much do you need yeah it makes it look like i did that but no i did not even though the evidence is undeniable marsha still maintains her innocence you know should there's a really reason we find ethylene glycol and help spot it because if there is you see how this looks yes you see what i'm saying i mean and they didn't they didn't test for that so so that's something that would have gotten by that they didn't test for but you know luckily for us they keep that blood for a year so we you know i put a hole on that blood and it's going to be retested for all kinds of other stuff so we're we're going to find out what's in the blood but i mean we didn't even go into the to the google history you know the search history on that and like the things that actually and you have searched on google like how long does it take to or would it how much of this is it take to hurt kill somebody how much of this you know so i mean that there's a i mean like i said that i would almost call it you know evidence of this happening and i feel very strongly marsha honestly and i'm just being honest with you okay i felt very strongly that when we get these results back that he's going to have that in his system what it does it was surprising at this point detectives inform marsha they have dispatched officers to mizuri where ashley relocated after her heralds death and ashley is being extradited back to indiana for questioning well i don't want to happen as for her to get here tonight or tomorrow whenever it is and you know her you're coming here and talk to us and you know start confirming everything that you know she's stealing and and then that goes right along with with this i mean she's already thrown you out of the under the bus once apparently she's that advised to it so i mean what am i going to do they sit there and they collaborate on all this which i had no idea about so we want to talk about the burger yeah i mean i don't well they discuss I don't know, I don't know anything anymore. I mean she told him that you killed her. I did not. And how you killed him? And that you used, you know, whatever this stuff is to put it in his place. And it was like a liquid. It was a room for flow. And then we get the content, you know, of which we, I think he asked you about it first. You know, the content on the phone and sure enough there's this is the word and the same day that this is delivered, there's room for folks. And then the very next day Harold's dead. And that's why I feel like, I mean I feel very strongly that with everything I've seen and like I said, we haven't showed you everything and we haven't told you everything. But I mean we've told you quite a bit and we've showed you quite a bit, but you had the Google search history, the things that you guys were searching and looking for and looking up during all this time and then all this stuff, I mean I feel, of course, I feel strongly that. If there is something that you know, it's best if you just have to say, I mean, that would be good. And in my opinion, I mean, because right now the way this is going, I have a bad feeling that when we get these results back, that it's going to show it going black hole in this system. And you know, none of this would have ever become the light if I asked, I wouldn't have become greedy. So you went and stole your money and then I was like, this is not a lot of everything else. After over four hours of repeated denials, investigators decide to let Marsha leave for now. The next morning, they confront Ashley with the same evidence. We're not going to talk to you about the work that's not what we're here to talk about. Actually, we talked to him yesterday for four or five hours. We had to talk to her about some things, he answered some questions for us, so we were going to talk to you about some of that, okay? So you know, and part of this stems from also from, you know, talking to somebody who gave us some information and saying that Harold, the information we got was, Harold did not die in natural causes, basically that he was poisoned. Really? Yes. So when we follow up on that and we get these, your mom consents to a fun download and we get all these text messages and we start going through these text messages and it's between you and your mom, right? And like I said, one of the things, just one, there's a lot of them. One of them is on December 13th, December 14th around that time frame. At one glycol was ordered, I mean, it's addressed to Lynn, Alan. And when is your mom's little name correct? Yeah. Okay. And so, you know, another detective, done a lot of work, tracked on this stuff down, there's a tracking number that you text, I think you text it to your mom if I remember correctly. And that tracking number matches the same tracking number that he was at, our other detective was able to get the headline glycol that arrived at the house on December 19th. And we received was that there was rigor floats that were made and that he, the poison, which turned out to be a fling glycol, it is put into the rigor float and that Harold drinks it and obviously the end result was that he died. In an attempt to save herself, Ashley turns on her mother. I know she mentioned of wanting to take that way out and I told her that that's not the way to go and that is, that should be damned for it. Can you, you said, I know, I think I know what you mean, but when you say your mom mentioned taking that way out, can you be more specific to, get rid of him. She didn't want to divorce and I said to her, she wanted to be free of him completely, she wanted him dead. And I said, you're going to go to hell for that, no matter what happens you're going to hell. So she asked you about this, her, she tells you that she, she wants him to head. And I said for what? And that was going to be my next question, why? She said he cheats, he puts hands on it, he spins all of our money, I have to be the man, I was like, you can wait. So then she started asking, crazy, and crazy questions and now it is making sense. So we use the word ethylene glycol of a bunch today and he says he's never mentioned that. When she said she wanted him dead and she basically asked for your help, you're saying right? Yeah, she tried you. So like when you say, she would ask you all these questions and you're like, why would I know? If I explain like what she asked, like what was she asking you for your help? I guess because I used to be a pharmacy tech, she wanted to, she was asking me like, well what is the adverse effects to insulin, what's the adverse effects to this, you know, things like that. And you knew then that she was, that's what she was on the note, right? Like you're like, hey, you said, you're going to go to hell for this, I mean, but you knew that that's why she is asking, like you, I mean, assume that she's playing. I didn't think she had, I thought it was more like, you know, you danger about something to let it go and not ever do it, you know what I mean, I thought it was one of the weird sick things. But then she starts kind of taking them certain steps then when she is asking you about this stuff that you may have knowledge in saying, and I didn't put too much of it together because it's my mother. And so we know what the tech message is that what's happened to him, she's asked you for his help or asked you for the help. So we need to know like what you did to help. And if that is like what the final stage wasn't, who did the final thing because, well, we can all sit here and act like we don't really know what happened, but we all three in this room know that what happened. Somebody burped with that thing like on the root, burped with it. My mother did. Oh, I'm seeing. Put that thing like all in there. She had you help her out. She would just have me get her information on things. Okay. That's it. But detectives know Ashley did more than just that. A lot more. So there's a text message. Okay. And this is why I need to clear it up for you. There's a text message where she asked you if this is the right stuff, and you respond, I don't know which that's good, but it is from Texas because what she sent you was from this company in Texas and it was.5 gallons of ethylene glycol. So then the next thing has a message, I believe, I don't want to tell you wrong, but somewhere around this facility is the timeframe. There's another message that shows $31.99 as how much it costs. Mom asked you, do I need to send you $32. So she asked you to buy ethylene glycol. Yeah. She asked me to order something with it, but you didn't have the money. No. Okay. So that's $32.00 and she sent you as that and what that was for. Yes. So how did that conversation go when she asked you to do that for her? I really didn't ask many questions, which I guess I should. For that woman, I just do what she asks and always have since I was a child. Okay. Okay. I'm kind of a tough question, okay. So in the messages after all that happens, there's a few days that pass on the 19th, this arise, her message says there's a delivery, we have a delivery or you have a delivery. Was it in a, was it, was it by itself, was it in a box? It was in a box within the unit, okay. And you knew what it was, because it's the same thing, I'm pretty sure I knew what it was, yeah. Okay. Because she goes directly right after you told her, you know, your package is here, that he's in for your flight's time, talking about heroin. Yeah. Okay. So you do know, and that's okay. I mean, it's human nature to live or to try to, you didn't know what was going on and what were you asking. So that's fine. So, so you didn't know about her wanting these rear floats, did she have your research that, like what was the best thing to, to use, or does he really like rear floats a lot? Well, that's his favorite. Okay. [BLANK_AUDIO] but that's when black hole on the drink. - I knew that she would be intended to. - Ashley swears she went to bed that night and never actually saw her mother serve Harold the deadly root beer float. - The morning after she said she'd done what she'd done, she said he was acting delirious like he was drunk. - When your mom told you of things like Mary, she's done the acting delirious the morning after it. Did she ever consider calling an ambulance? Or she was too afraid to. - I don't know. - Did you ever mention anything to her, maybe you should call an ambulance? - I did, I said, are you sure you wanted to? - No. - Yeah, I'm sure she was sure she wanted to do this. - Because his is awful. - Okay. - And that's what I want you to tell me is like, what was awful, what the-- - I mean, just doing that to anybody, regardless of any which way you're full, we're not even able to agree. But the boy else, he didn't bother to handle the pain. - During their investigation, detectives also learned that after Harold died, Marsha inherited his entire estate. They believe money was the motive behind his murder. - So how much money did your mom end up with from the insurance? - 60,000. - 60,000. So that was money that they come from, his work was also a pension or anything that she got in the-- - That was the accumulation of the pension and the retirement that he had built up. - Okay, excuse me. - Did she, at some point, offer you any money? For helping her do anything. She never said, hey, I'll pay you this much money if you help me do this. So she never offered you any kind of payment, any kind of anything, proper healing. - She would hint about things that I know that it's all fluff. - What kind of hints, like, just-- - Well, I'll be able to set us all up, but if I don't meet them, I've got my own, I just need a way from you. - Everything you've told us today and the best of your knowledge is the absolute truth, right? - Yes, sir. - Okay. And everything that, well, I'll just leave it in there. - Yeah. - Appreciate your cooperation. Thank you very much, okay? - As her interview concludes, another officer requests to speak with Ashley. - I know she's Jesse. I have my sergeant here in the detective's office, okay? So I'm here to talk to you about something completely different. - Okay. - Okay. It's not going to be an easy conversation, okay? After your mama's here yesterday and spoke with us, we got a call to go check on her welfare at her home and she's passed away. - What? - She passed away. - What happened? - Without going into a lot of detail. - Well, she peed into healing. - She did appear to get there with something and justed possibly and passed away. Margaret had it. - You're serious? - I'm 100% serious, yes. - She killed her, is that what? - That is what we-- - Do you think-- - Either way, this way? - That's what we believe happened, yes. (upbeat music) - Okay. - In the wake of Marsha Allen's suicide, Ashley is left to face the consequences of their dirty work alone. - Hey Ashley. So we wanted to tell you in person that you are under the arrest for the murder of Harold, okay? And conspiracy to commit murder and attempted murder. - That's what you're going to be trying to do. (upbeat music) - That's something that you can ask the court or you can fund your own attorney as well. - Okay. All right. - So I can order that, okay? - All right. - While Ashley remains in jail, detectives continue building their case. They discover that after Harold died, Marsha began sending Ashley monthly payments of $1,000. But in July of 2023, those payments suddenly stopped. Detectives theorize that Ashley retaliated by setting up the home burglary. Months later, Harold Allen's toxicology report comes in and it becomes the linchpin in the prosecution's case against Ashley. As the truth about Harold Allen's death comes to light rumors swirl about another mysterious death in Ashley's past. In 2019, Ashley's first husband, 33-year-old tires and tie Jones unexpectedly passed away right after he came into some inheritance money. At the time, Ashley told family and friends he died of alcohol poisoning. But in hindsight, her rush to have tie cremated leaves his loved ones questioning what really happened. With the evidence stacked against her and Harold's death Ashley decides not to roll the dice. In August of 2025, she pleads guilty to attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder, a judge sentences her to 50 years in prison. Afterwards, Harold Allen's sister-in-law issues a statement on behalf of the family, saying, "Nothing can give us back the time we lost with Harold, but with the conclusion of sentencing, we choose to move forward focusing on his life and our memories, and not on the cruelty and greed that led to his death."