A Morgan County, Alabama jury convicted Jaclyn Skuce on May 8, 2026, on all three counts of capital murder arising from a murder-for-hire scheme targeting Anthony Sheppard, the father of her child [1][2]. The case reached trial after prosecutors charged Skuce with orchestrating Sheppard's killing on July 24, 2020, during an ongoing custody dispute [1]. The State was represented by Morgan County District Attorney's Office prosecutors Garrick Vickery and Joe Lewis [3].
Trial evidence centered on Skuce's alleged recruitment of a hitman to kill Sheppard [1]. The defense, led by Catherine Phillips Carter alongside Anne Elisabeth Poe and Wendy Lopez, argued that Skuce had sought protection for herself, not the death of Sheppard [2][3]. Prosecutors countered that the evidence established a deliberate murder-for-hire conspiracy [2]. The jury returned guilty verdicts on all three capital murder counts following deliberations that began May 7 [3].
Judge Jennifer Howell sentenced Skuce immediately upon the verdict on May 8, imposing life in prison without the possibility of parole [2]. Under Alabama law, capital murder convictions carry either the death penalty or life without parole, and the sentence was entered the same day as the jury's finding [2].
No post-trial motions or notice of appeal were reported in available sources at the time of publication.