When Harold Allen collapsed in his Freetown, Indiana, home on December 20, 2022, his wife Marsha called 911 to report he wasn't breathing. Paramedics pronounced the 52-year-old dead on scene. Doctors initially attributed his death to pericarditis, an inflammation of the sac around the heart. But a burglary nine months later would expose a chilling truth: Harold had been poisoned by the two people he trusted most — his wife and her daughter.
Background
Harold Allen, known to family and friends as "Peanut," was born premature and earned his nickname from his grandmother, who said he was "no bigger than a peanut." The oldest of three brothers, Harold self-taught himself to play guitar, mandolin, and harmonica. He worked as a controls engineer at Aisin Manufacturing in Seymour, Indiana, and enjoyed riding his Harley motorcycle, deer hunting, and fishing with family.
In 2019, Harold attended his 30th high school reunion in Austin, Indiana. That's where he reconnected with former classmate Marsha Buxton, who was twice divorced with an adult daughter. They began dating and married in July 2021.
Marsha's daughter Ashley Jones, a young widow whose husband Ty had died three years earlier, moved in with Harold and Marsha along with her 5-year-old daughter. Harold, who had no children of his own, doted on his new family. "Peanut always wanted children," said his sister-in-law Samantha Allen. "He enjoyed being called grandpa."
The family traveled together to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and Branson, Missouri. Harold seemed content in his quiet life, surrounded by people he believed loved him.
But behind closed doors, according to investigators, his wife and stepdaughter were plotting his death. The motive: money. Harold carried a $120,000 life insurance policy through his job, along with guns, collectible Star Wars memorabilia, and several guitars.
The Investigation
The case remained closed until September 2023, when Marsha was vacationing in Gatlinburg. Her home security system captured two men breaking into her house at 4:30 a.m. The thieves knew the code to her safe and rifled through her bedroom.
Reviewing the footage, Marsha recognized one of the burglars: Steven White, her daughter Ashley's best friend. She called police.
Within hours, investigators located White at his mother's home. During interrogation, White admitted to the burglary but then made a stunning accusation: "This woman is a f****** murderer. OK. And I know that." White claimed Marsha had poisoned her husband by pouring something into a root beer float with whipped cream and sprinkles.
Detectives were skeptical at first. But when they asked Marsha to consent to downloading her phone's data, she was left alone in the interview room — and security cameras caught her deleting text messages.
Detectives Clint Burcham and Adam Nicholson recovered those deleted texts. What they found was devastating: nearly 7,000 messages exchanged between Marsha and Ashley over the three months before Harold's death, detailing a months-long poisoning campaign.
The texts revealed multiple murder attempts. Ashley ordered Pong Pong seeds — a toxic substance from a tree in Southeast Asia, sometimes called the "suicide tree" — online through eBay. They tried poisoning brownies with the seeds, adding walnuts to mask the bitter taste. When that failed, they ordered water hemlock and served Harold tainted chili, Sprite, and a margarita.
After each failed attempt, Marsha texted Ashley her frustration: "He's not dying fast enough." and "I need this to be over."
When those poisons failed, they turned to ethylene glycol — antifreeze. Because of its sweet taste, they decided to hide it in a root beer float. Marsha texted Ashley: "He's all in for rootbeer floats." Ashley replied: "Okie dokie I'll tell the kids that's what we are doing tonight for dessert :) root beer floats."
Marsha purchased the ingredients at a local store. Investigators believe she served Harold the fatal mixture on the night of December 19, 2022.
Key Takeaways
- Harold Allen, 52, died December 20, 2022, in Freetown, Indiana
- His wife Marsha Allen and her daughter Ashley Jones are charged with murder
- Investigators recovered nearly 7,000 text messages revealing a months-long poisoning plot
- Multiple poison attempts included Pong Pong seeds, water hemlock, and tainted food and drinks
- The fatal poisoning was ethylene glycol (antifreeze) hidden in a root beer float
- Harold had a $120,000 life insurance policy through his employer
- Steven White's burglary led police to uncover the murder scheme
What's Next
Marsha Allen and Ashley Jones are awaiting trial on murder charges in Jackson County, Indiana. The case represents one of the most egregious examples of betrayal in recent memory — a man poisoned by the two people he welcomed into his home and considered family. Investigators spent weeks combing through thousands of texts, building a case that prosecutors describe as meticulously documented by the perpetrators themselves.