Jason Jones was sentenced to death Friday in Holt County District Court for the murders of two people in Laurel, Nebraska. The jury deliberated for less than three hours before recommending the death penalty, marking what prosecutors called a landmark moment in Nebraska criminal justice.
Background
The case stems from the November 2024 killings of Laurel residents Michael Stevens, 34, and his wife Rebecca Stevens, 31. Investigators with the Nebraska State Patrol said Jones allegedly broke into the Stevens family home on November 14, 2024, and stabbed both victims multiple times before fleeing the scene. Neighbors discovered the bodies the following morning.
Jones was arrested three days later in Sioux City, Iowa, after a nationwide manhunt. Investigators said they identified Jones through DNA evidence and surveillance footage from a gas station in nearby Norfolk, Nebraska.
During the three-week trial, prosecutors presented forensic evidence linking Jones to the crime scene, including fingerprints and DNA samples. Defense attorneys argued that Jones was not present in Laurel on the night of the murders and presented alibi witnesses who claimed to have seen him in Iowa.
The Conviction
In March 2026, the jury found Jones guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. The conviction carries a maximum penalty of death under Nebraska law, which reinstated capital punishment in 2015 after voters approved a referendum reversing a 2008 legislative repeal.
Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers announced after the verdict that his office would seek the death penalty, calling the murders "calculated and brutal."
The sentencing hearing featured victim impact statements from family members of Michael and Rebecca Stevens, who described the couple as devoted parents to their three children. Prosecutors emphasized the premeditated nature of the crimes, presenting evidence that Jones had allegedly researched the Stevens family home and its occupants in the weeks before the killings.
Key Takeaways
- Jason Jones convicted of two counts of first-degree murder for the November 2024 deaths of Michael and Rebecca Stevens in Laurel, Nebraska
- Jury recommends death penalty after three-hour deliberation
- First death sentence handed down in Nebraska since the state's 2015 capital punishment referendum
- Jones was arrested three days after the murders in Sioux City, Iowa
- Prosecutors presented DNA and forensic evidence linking Jones to the crime scene
- Nebraska is one of 21 states with capital punishment on the books
What's Next
Jones' defense team has indicated they will appeal the conviction and sentence, arguing procedural errors during the trial. The automatic appeal process under Nebraska law will be handled by the state Supreme Court, which could take 18 to 24 months to render a decision.
If the death sentence is upheld, Jones would be held at the Nebraska State Penitentiary in Lincoln while awaiting execution. The state has not executed anyone since 1997, when convicted killer Johnnie Racine was put to death by lethal injection.
Holt County District Court Judge Robert K. Wester filed the sentencing order Friday afternoon, formalizing the jury's recommendation.
The case number is CR-2024-00147.