AUSTIN — New details revealed by documents in the murder of Austin jewelry store owner Theodore Shaugnessy show the son, accused in the murder-for-hire plot of his father in March, may have owed his mother $30,000 and was experiencing other financial troubles.
According to a search warranted obtained by KVUE on July 24, police spoke with Nicolas Shaugnessy on the day of his father's death at the scene. Unprovoked, police said he admitted to being in debt to his mother, Corey, for approximately $30,000. He said the money was a loan to help him start a day trading businesses.
According to Nicolas, police said, he had an argument with her earlier in the week about the money. He reportedly stated that he felt held back by paying Corey stipends and was keeping some of the money for himself, stating, "sometimes greasy [expletive] happens."
Police said Nicolas did not seem to show much concern for Corey during his interview. The warrant states she exchanged gunfire and was shot at during the incident. One of the family rottweiler's did not survive the gunfire.
RELATED:
Police said when Nicolas saw a crime scene specialist was going to swab people present for gunshot residue, he said he would most likely test positive because he was cleaning his shotgun before leaving College Station. Police said they found it odd that he also gave detailed statements about nearby security cameras from a convenience store.
According to the search warrant, Nicolas also showed activity from the home's ADT alarm system on his phone using a mobile application. However, detectives noticed that video clips that go with the activity during the shooting had been deleted. Police said he acted surprised when detectives asked how he knew how to access the ADT application.
Police said further financial matters were discussed when looking at evidence from his wife, Jaclyn Edison, who was also on scene. Police said group text evidence from her phone shows a conversation between her, Nicolas and a neighbor asking when they were coming back into town and that she needed the money back ASAP, that she had gone out of her way to loan him $2,600. She threatened to speak to his parents if she had not heard back by 6 p.m. that day. Nicolas responded, saying he would get her the money when he got back. According to police, this conversation was deleted from his phone.
Also on Edison's phone, police said a conversation between her and a friend was found showing screenshots of her and Nicolas' joint bank account and the words, "Only u know I'm broke." The screen shot showed a bank balance of $1.65 in the joint account, and $1.92 in her own account.
According to the search warrant, detectives also spoke with Nicolas' apartment complex. Apartment representatives stated Nicolas had claimed he couldn't pay rent because the FBI had frozen his bank account, which was found to be a false. His rent for the month of March had not been paid.
Police said they also spoke with a College Station jewelry store owner, who knew Nicolas' parents also owned a jewelry store. He said Nicolas came in to sell a gold family bracelet, and found it odd that Nicolas would try to sell it to him for less money than to his parents. The owner bought the bracelet for $530.
After obtaining a search warrant of Nicolas' cell phone records, detectives confirmed that the phone call to police informing them of the incident had been made at 5:45 a.m., a full five minutes after a login to the family alarm system had been made at his IP address in College Station. It was observed that his cell phone had logged into the ADT system at 12:43 a.m. using a different IP address.
The warrant also states that when police were fingerprinting the residence near a window to his room, Nicolas said his fingerprints would be found there, as he often used the window as an exit. He said his friend of his had recently accompanied him through the window. That window was found open after the murder, police said.
Upon speaking with that friend, police said he admitted that Nicolas had given him a .380-caliber gun about two months prior. He said Nicolas had mentioned faking his own death to get the life insurance money. The weapon was collected by police. The friend stated that since Theodore's death, Nicolas had been calling him repeatedly, even calling his mother to ask where he was. He said it seemed Nicolas' only concern was what the detectives knew and what they were asking him.
According to information from his life insurance company, detectives said Nicolas was the sole beneficiary of $2,000,000 in the event that Theodore and Corey were deceased.
Officials said the .40-caliber firearm used to shoot Theodore has not been located and it is not known if the .380-caliber firearm obtained in this case was used to shoot Theodore.