Topline: The former school nurse entered an Alford plea to accessory after the fact in connection to the killing of her daughter’s boyfriend, Kirby Carpenter.
Published: September 24, 2025 8:00 am ET
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From left: Caitlin Spence, Jeffrey Spence, and Karen Spence.
RIPLEY, MS — Mississippi man is standing trial this week for the 2022 murder of his daughter’s boyfriend — a killing prosecutors say was part of a premeditated robbery plot involving the man’s entire immediate family.
According to Court TV, Jeffrey Spence is facing capital murder and conspiracy charges in the death of Kirby Carpenter, a Tippah County businessman who was shot and left near a shed behind his home on November 30, 2022. His body, found two days later by first responders, was partially covered by a curtain with a toolbox placed on top. Drag marks led from the carport to the location where his body was discovered.
The alleged conspiracy centers on Spence, his wife Karen, and their daughter Caitlin — the victim’s girlfriend and mother of his child. Authorities say Caitlin made the initial 911 call on December 2 to report finding Carpenter’s body, though forensic evidence later indicated he had been dead for at least two days.
According to ExploreJeffersonPA, Carpenter, who worked in the precious metals trade, was believed to carry substantial amounts of cash, silver, or gold. Investigators were told by Carpenter’s mother that he often had between $200,000 and $300,000 in valuables on him. At the time his body was found, however, only $2,868 in cash was recovered.
In the days leading up to the killing, the Spence family had been staying at Carpenter’s Mississippi home after traveling from Virginia to help with the newborn. Caitlin later told investigators her parents left town on November 29 — the day before the murder. But their timeline quickly came under scrutiny when Carpenter’s mother discovered a bag containing valuable silver coins in the trunk of Jeffrey Spence’s car during a confrontation on December 4, according to Court TV.
As the investigation progressed, authorities would come to believe that the robbery — and Carpenter’s murder — had been coordinated by the Spences. Caitlin and Karen Spence were both arrested alongside Jeffrey in December 2022 — Caitlin in Pennsylvania, her parents in Virginia. All three were later extradited to Mississippi and indicted by a grand jury in April 2024.
Court documents filed in Tippah County Circuit Court show that Karen Spence, a former school nurse from Clarion County, Pennsylvania, recently avoided standing trial with her husband by pleading guilty on September 19, 2025, to being an accessory after the fact to grand larceny. Her plea was entered under the provisions of Alford v. North Carolina, meaning she did not admit guilt but acknowledged the state had enough evidence to convict. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
According to the plea agreement, Karen Spence received a 10-year sentence that was fully suspended. She was placed on five years of unsupervised probation, with restrictions on travel, alcohol and drug use, and requirements to pay court costs and any future restitution determined by the district attorney’s office. She remains under GPS monitoring and must remain in Mississippi unless granted permission to leave.
Prosecutors allege she knowingly helped her husband evade consequences for a grand larceny connected to Carpenter’s death. In court filings, Assistant District Attorney Thad Mueller wrote that Karen “did then and there unlawfully, willfully and feloniously aid and assist a felon, namely Jeffrey D. Spence… with the intent to enable [him] to avoid arrest, trial, conviction or punishment.”
Jeffrey Spence remains incarcerated without bond as his capital murder trial begins. His fate may hinge in part on testimony from his daughter. As reported by both Court TV and ExploreJeffersonPA, Caitlin Spence previously accepted a plea deal, admitting guilt to a charge of accessory to murder in exchange for leniency and a requirement to testify against both her parents.
Her cooperation became even more significant after investigators received a critical tip in November 2023. That’s when David Barnes, a former employee of Carpenter’s, was arrested for burglary. During his interrogation, Barnes reportedly broke down in tears and told police that Caitlin had confessed to him that “things got out of hand and Jeff Spence killed Kirby,” according to Court TV.
Carpenter’s family told investigators they noticed suspicious changes in the days after his death, including altered safe codes and locks.
According to ExploreJeffersonPA, the Spences fled the state by December 20, 2022, and Caitlin ceased all communication with Carpenter’s relatives. A welfare check later conducted in Virginia — where the family had returned — revealed that the house where Carpenter’s child support payments were being sent had burned down.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Karen Spence Pleads Guilty as Husband Faces Trial for 2022 Mississippi Murder
The former school nurse entered an Alford plea to accessory after the fact in connection to the killing of her daughter’s boyfriend, Kirby Carpenter.
By Jacob Charles
Published: September 24, 2025 8:00 am ET
From left: Caitlin Spence, Jeffrey Spence, and Karen Spence.
RIPLEY, MS — Mississippi man is standing trial this week for the 2022 murder of his daughter’s boyfriend — a killing prosecutors say was part of a premeditated robbery plot involving the man’s entire immediate family.
According to Court TV, Jeffrey Spence is facing capital murder and conspiracy charges in the death of Kirby Carpenter, a Tippah County businessman who was shot and left near a shed behind his home on November 30, 2022. His body, found two days later by first responders, was partially covered by a curtain with a toolbox placed on top. Drag marks led from the carport to the location where his body was discovered.
The alleged conspiracy centers on Spence, his wife Karen, and their daughter Caitlin — the victim’s girlfriend and mother of his child. Authorities say Caitlin made the initial 911 call on December 2 to report finding Carpenter’s body, though forensic evidence later indicated he had been dead for at least two days.
According to ExploreJeffersonPA, Carpenter, who worked in the precious metals trade, was believed to carry substantial amounts of cash, silver, or gold. Investigators were told by Carpenter’s mother that he often had between $200,000 and $300,000 in valuables on him. At the time his body was found, however, only $2,868 in cash was recovered.
In the days leading up to the killing, the Spence family had been staying at Carpenter’s Mississippi home after traveling from Virginia to help with the newborn. Caitlin later told investigators her parents left town on November 29 — the day before the murder. But their timeline quickly came under scrutiny when Carpenter’s mother discovered a bag containing valuable silver coins in the trunk of Jeffrey Spence’s car during a confrontation on December 4, according to Court TV.
As the investigation progressed, authorities would come to believe that the robbery — and Carpenter’s murder — had been coordinated by the Spences. Caitlin and Karen Spence were both arrested alongside Jeffrey in December 2022 — Caitlin in Pennsylvania, her parents in Virginia. All three were later extradited to Mississippi and indicted by a grand jury in April 2024.
Court documents filed in Tippah County Circuit Court show that Karen Spence, a former school nurse from Clarion County, Pennsylvania, recently avoided standing trial with her husband by pleading guilty on September 19, 2025, to being an accessory after the fact to grand larceny. Her plea was entered under the provisions of Alford v. North Carolina, meaning she did not admit guilt but acknowledged the state had enough evidence to convict. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
According to the plea agreement, Karen Spence received a 10-year sentence that was fully suspended. She was placed on five years of unsupervised probation, with restrictions on travel, alcohol and drug use, and requirements to pay court costs and any future restitution determined by the district attorney’s office. She remains under GPS monitoring and must remain in Mississippi unless granted permission to leave.
Prosecutors allege she knowingly helped her husband evade consequences for a grand larceny connected to Carpenter’s death. In court filings, Assistant District Attorney Thad Mueller wrote that Karen “did then and there unlawfully, willfully and feloniously aid and assist a felon, namely Jeffrey D. Spence… with the intent to enable [him] to avoid arrest, trial, conviction or punishment.”
Jeffrey Spence remains incarcerated without bond as his capital murder trial begins. His fate may hinge in part on testimony from his daughter. As reported by both Court TV and ExploreJeffersonPA, Caitlin Spence previously accepted a plea deal, admitting guilt to a charge of accessory to murder in exchange for leniency and a requirement to testify against both her parents.
Her cooperation became even more significant after investigators received a critical tip in November 2023. That’s when David Barnes, a former employee of Carpenter’s, was arrested for burglary. During his interrogation, Barnes reportedly broke down in tears and told police that Caitlin had confessed to him that “things got out of hand and Jeff Spence killed Kirby,” according to Court TV.
Carpenter’s family told investigators they noticed suspicious changes in the days after his death, including altered safe codes and locks.
According to ExploreJeffersonPA, the Spences fled the state by December 20, 2022, and Caitlin ceased all communication with Carpenter’s relatives. A welfare check later conducted in Virginia — where the family had returned — revealed that the house where Carpenter’s child support payments were being sent had burned down.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Karen Spence Pleads Guilty as Husband Faces Trial for 2022 Mississippi Murder
The former school nurse entered an Alford plea to accessory after the fact in connection to the killing of her daughter’s boyfriend, Kirby Carpenter.
By Jacob Charles
Published: September 24, 2025 8:00 am ET
From left: Caitlin Spence, Jeffrey Spence, and Karen Spence.
RIPLEY, MS — Mississippi man is standing trial this week for the 2022 murder of his daughter’s boyfriend — a killing prosecutors say was part of a premeditated robbery plot involving the man’s entire immediate family.
According to Court TV, Jeffrey Spence is facing capital murder and conspiracy charges in the death of Kirby Carpenter, a Tippah County businessman who was shot and left near a shed behind his home on November 30, 2022. His body, found two days later by first responders, was partially covered by a curtain with a toolbox placed on top. Drag marks led from the carport to the location where his body was discovered.
The alleged conspiracy centers on Spence, his wife Karen, and their daughter Caitlin — the victim’s girlfriend and mother of his child. Authorities say Caitlin made the initial 911 call on December 2 to report finding Carpenter’s body, though forensic evidence later indicated he had been dead for at least two days.
According to ExploreJeffersonPA, Carpenter, who worked in the precious metals trade, was believed to carry substantial amounts of cash, silver, or gold. Investigators were told by Carpenter’s mother that he often had between $200,000 and $300,000 in valuables on him. At the time his body was found, however, only $2,868 in cash was recovered.
In the days leading up to the killing, the Spence family had been staying at Carpenter’s Mississippi home after traveling from Virginia to help with the newborn. Caitlin later told investigators her parents left town on November 29 — the day before the murder. But their timeline quickly came under scrutiny when Carpenter’s mother discovered a bag containing valuable silver coins in the trunk of Jeffrey Spence’s car during a confrontation on December 4, according to Court TV.
As the investigation progressed, authorities would come to believe that the robbery — and Carpenter’s murder — had been coordinated by the Spences. Caitlin and Karen Spence were both arrested alongside Jeffrey in December 2022 — Caitlin in Pennsylvania, her parents in Virginia. All three were later extradited to Mississippi and indicted by a grand jury in April 2024.
Court documents filed in Tippah County Circuit Court show that Karen Spence, a former school nurse from Clarion County, Pennsylvania, recently avoided standing trial with her husband by pleading guilty on September 19, 2025, to being an accessory after the fact to grand larceny. Her plea was entered under the provisions of Alford v. North Carolina, meaning she did not admit guilt but acknowledged the state had enough evidence to convict. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
According to the plea agreement, Karen Spence received a 10-year sentence that was fully suspended. She was placed on five years of unsupervised probation, with restrictions on travel, alcohol and drug use, and requirements to pay court costs and any future restitution determined by the district attorney’s office. She remains under GPS monitoring and must remain in Mississippi unless granted permission to leave.
Prosecutors allege she knowingly helped her husband evade consequences for a grand larceny connected to Carpenter’s death. In court filings, Assistant District Attorney Thad Mueller wrote that Karen “did then and there unlawfully, willfully and feloniously aid and assist a felon, namely Jeffrey D. Spence… with the intent to enable [him] to avoid arrest, trial, conviction or punishment.”
Jeffrey Spence remains incarcerated without bond as his capital murder trial begins. His fate may hinge in part on testimony from his daughter. As reported by both Court TV and ExploreJeffersonPA, Caitlin Spence previously accepted a plea deal, admitting guilt to a charge of accessory to murder in exchange for leniency and a requirement to testify against both her parents.
Her cooperation became even more significant after investigators received a critical tip in November 2023. That’s when David Barnes, a former employee of Carpenter’s, was arrested for burglary. During his interrogation, Barnes reportedly broke down in tears and told police that Caitlin had confessed to him that “things got out of hand and Jeff Spence killed Kirby,” according to Court TV.
Carpenter’s family told investigators they noticed suspicious changes in the days after his death, including altered safe codes and locks.
According to ExploreJeffersonPA, the Spences fled the state by December 20, 2022, and Caitlin ceased all communication with Carpenter’s relatives. A welfare check later conducted in Virginia — where the family had returned — revealed that the house where Carpenter’s child support payments were being sent had burned down.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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