The Root Beer Float Murder: A Burglary That Exposed a Deadly Plot

A Routine Burglary Investigation Takes a Dark Turn

When Marsha Allen returned to her Freetown, Indiana home on September 19, 2023, to find it had been burglarized, she did what any responsible citizen would do—she called the police and reviewed her security camera footage. What seemed like a straightforward break-in case quickly transformed into something far more sinister than anyone could have imagined. As Detective Clint Burcham and Lieutenant Adam Nicholson of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department began their investigation, they had no idea they were about to uncover a murder conspiracy that had been hidden for nearly a year. The security footage revealed a burglar that Marsha immediately recognized: Steven White, a close friend of her daughter, Ashley Jones. According to Detective Burcham, White and Jones weren’t just casual acquaintances—they were best friends, which made the burglary all the more puzzling. Why would her daughter’s closest friend target their home? The answer to that question would lead investigators down a rabbit hole of deception, poisoning, and a chilling hit list that revealed just how far some people will go to cover their tracks.

A Shocking Confession Reveals a Hidden Murder

The investigation moved swiftly, and within hours of Marsha Allen’s report, police had located Steven White. During questioning, White admitted to the burglary, but then dropped a bombshell that completely redirected the investigation. He told investigators that Marsha Allen was a murderer. According to White, Marsha had killed her husband, Harold Allen, roughly a year earlier by poisoning a root beer float—a dessert that should symbolize innocence and American nostalgia, now forever tainted by its use as a murder weapon. Harold Allen had died in December 2022 after experiencing months of mysterious, declining health. At the time, medical professionals attributed his death to cardiac problems, and no one questioned the diagnosis. But White’s allegations painted an entirely different picture. He claimed that Ashley Jones, who had been living with her mother and stepfather at the time, was not only aware of the murder plot but had actually masterminded it. Furthermore, White suggested that Jones had orchestrated the burglary as part of a larger scheme. White directed investigators to examine text messages between Marsha Allen and her daughter, promising that these digital communications would reveal the disturbing truth about what really happened to Harold Allen.

Text Messages Unveil a Prolonged Poisoning Campaign

When investigators obtained and analyzed the text message exchanges between Marsha Allen and Ashley Jones, they discovered evidence of a chilling, methodical murder plot that had been in motion for months before Harold’s death. The messages revealed that the mother-daughter duo had made multiple attempts to kill Harold Allen using various exotic poisons. These weren’t impulsive acts of violence but calculated, repeated efforts to end his life while making it appear natural. When their initial poisoning attempts with various substances failed to achieve the desired result, the conspirators changed their approach. They turned to ethylene glycol, a toxic chemical commonly found in antifreeze, which is known to be lethal when ingested and can mimic symptoms of other illnesses. According to the evidence gathered by police, on December 19, 2022, Marsha Allen prepared what would be Harold’s last meal—a root beer float laced with this deadly poison. Harold Allen consumed the poisoned dessert and subsequently died, with his death initially being attributed to the heart problems he had been experiencing. Those “heart problems” now appeared to be symptoms of the various poisoning attempts he had endured over the preceding months. The text messages provided investigators with a disturbing timeline of premeditated murder, showing how the two women discussed their plans, their failed attempts, and ultimately their successful method of killing Harold Allen.

A Confrontation, a Suicide, and an Arrest

Armed with the evidence from the text messages and White’s testimony, investigators brought Marsha Allen in for questioning approximately one month after the burglary that had exposed the murder plot. During the interview, Marsha firmly denied any involvement in her husband’s death, maintaining her innocence despite the mounting evidence against her. She was released and allowed to return home, but the weight of the accusations and the impending criminal charges proved too much for her to bear. Just hours after her police interview, Marsha Allen took her own life, leaving investigators without one of the key figures in the murder conspiracy. Her death meant that many questions would remain forever unanswered, and the full story of what happened in that household would never be completely known. Meanwhile, Ashley Jones was arrested and charged with the murder of Harold Allen. She was booked into the Jackson County Jail to await trial. While incarcerated, Jones reportedly did something that revealed just how dangerous she might be—according to investigators, she gave her cellmate what police described as a “kill list.” This wasn’t just idle jail talk or empty threats; investigators believe the list contained the names of specific individuals who had knowledge of what happened to Harold Allen, people that Ashley wanted permanently silenced before they could testify against her.

The Hit List and the Question of How Far She Would Go

Lieutenant Adam Nicholson explained that Jones had told her cellmate the list contained names of witnesses in her case—people she wanted eliminated. “She was trying to get rid of them, off them,” Nicholson stated bluntly. At the top of that list was Steven White, Jones’ former best friend, whose confession about the burglary had set the entire murder investigation in motion. White, who had been charged in connection with the burglary, now found himself as the primary target on a hit list created by someone he had once considered his closest friend. When “48 Hours” correspondent Peter Van Sant asked Nicholson whether he believed Jones would have actually followed through with killing the people on her list if given the opportunity, the lieutenant didn’t hesitate: “Oh absolutely, without a doubt, she would’ve had them killed,” he replied with conviction. Jackson County Prosecutor Lynsey Fleetwood provided additional context about the list, noting that while Jones was never formally charged with any crimes specifically related to creating or distributing the kill list, forensic analysis comparing the handwriting on the list to known samples of Jones’ writing came back “favorable.” In law enforcement terms, this meant experts believed Ashley Jones had indeed written the list herself, though apparently there wasn’t sufficient evidence to bring additional charges related to solicitation of murder or witness intimidation.

Justice Served: Plea Deals and Prison Sentences

In August 2025, nearly two years after the burglary that exposed the murder plot, Ashley Jones made the decision to accept a plea deal rather than face a jury trial. She pleaded guilty to attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder in connection with Harold Allen’s death. The court sentenced her to 50 years in prison, ensuring she would spend the majority of her adult life behind bars for her role in the poisoning death of her stepfather. Steven White, whose confession had blown the case wide open and potentially saved his own life by exposing the murder before Jones could eliminate him as a witness, received a far lighter sentence. For his role in the burglary of Marsha Allen’s home—the crime that inadvertently led investigators to uncover a murder—White was sentenced to three and a half years in prison. The case, which “48 Hours” featured in an episode titled “The Root Beer Float Murder,” stands as a stark reminder of how seemingly unrelated crimes can unravel much larger conspiracies. Had Steven White and his accomplice not burglarized the Allen home that September day, and had White not decided to tell investigators what he knew about Harold Allen’s death, the murder might never have been discovered. Harold Allen might have remained in his grave with everyone believing he died of natural causes, while his killers continued living freely. Instead, justice was ultimately served, though at a tremendous cost—one man dead from poisoning, his wife dead by suicide, and his stepdaughter facing decades behind bars. The story serves as a chilling example of how toxic relationships, greed, and a willingness to kill can destroy entire families, leaving only tragedy in their wake.