An Alabama mother is on trial for capital murder after she allegedly created an elaborate plot to kill her daughter’s father. Jaclyn Skuce reportedly used Facebook to find a hitman that would kill her daughter’s father because they were in court fighting over custody. According to the mom, she was concerned that her daughter’s father would get more time with the girl, which scared her because of alleged abuse.
It appears that she would do whatever it took to keep her daughter away from her father, but Skuce also claimed that having him killed wasn’t the goal. The man’s killer has already been sentenced to life in prison.
The killing happened nearly six years ago.
On July 24, 2020, Anthony Sheppard was found dead during a welfare check at his home in Hartselle, Fox 54 reported. Investigators said police officers found the storm door shattered and the main door slightly open. Sheppard was inside with multiple gunshot wounds.
According to a report from the Associated Press in July 2021, Skuce and Anthony Sheppard were due in court the day of his death to discuss custody and visitation rights. When he didn’t show up, police officers were sent to the home for a welfare check.
Hartselle Police Department investigator Tania Burgess presented several detailed accounts asserting that Skuce used a fake Facebook account to find and hire a man named Logan Delp.
Morgan County District Attorney Scott Anderson told the court that Skuce and her four co-conspirators, Delp, Aaron Howard, LaJuhn Smart and Angela Stolz, were indicted on charges that included three counts of capital murder.
Delp was the shooter, Howard was the lookout, Smart was the driver, and Stolz was in the back seat of a car “providing support,” according to prosecutors. Skuce was, of course, the instigator.
Her family tried to claim she was a good person.
Two years after Skuce’s arrest, her family wrote letters to the court in an attempt to lower her bond and have her released from jail, WHNT reported. A total of nine letters were written, praising Skuce’s character and citing participation in Bible classes, parenting initiatives, and mentorship programs she was involved in.
Her oldest daughter called Skuce “a strong, hard-working, faithful, selfless woman who had dedicated her life to care for and protect her children,” per WHNT. She also claimed that her mother did “everything she possibly can” to stay connected with her children while she was in jail.
“The last time I got to see [Skuce] was in our living room, over two years ago, in the middle of the night with my mother in handcuffs,” the daughter said. “I can not go the rest of my life without hugging my mother again — I need her in my life. I have been strong…but I miss my mom.”
Her trial is now underway.
On April 26, 2026, the trial of Jaclyn Skuce began, WAFF reported. According to prosecutors, she admitted to police that she hired Delp to “take out” Sheppard for $30,000. During an interview played in court, she told police she didn’t think Delp would actually kill Sheppard.
In the interview, Skuce told police she feared for her and her daughter’s lives. She claimed that Sheppard threatened her and sexually abused their daughter, so she thought having him killed would be an “end to it all.”
At the time, Sheppard was having two-hour supervised visits with their daughter twice a month. But according to his lawyer, it looked like they were moving toward unsupervised visits.
