Two pending psychological evaluations will determine if a Guyton woman will stand trial for the 2025 murder of her husband.
50-year-old Jennifer Arlene Underwood was arrested by investigators with the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office on August 19, 2025 following an investigation at a home on Pine Street in Guyton. The office reported at the time that the Guyton Police Department requested assistance after discovering a body at a home. They later announced that Underwood was taken into custody and that the deceased was Underwood’s husband, Jonathan Underwood.
According to warrants filed in Superior Court, Underwood is now facing charges of Felony Murder and Aggravated Assault for shooting her husband with a 12 gauge shotgun. Underwood is also facing one count of Tampering with Evidence and one count of Possession of a Firearm During Commission of a Crime, both felony charges. Warrants allege that Underwood ‘knowingly and unlawfully removed the victim’s clothing, covered the victim with a blanket, and cleaned herself, all with the intent to hinder the discovery and proper investigation of evidence for a felony crime, murder.”
Underwood was indicted by a grand jury not long after her arrest. Savannah-based criminal defense attorney Skye Musson told the court she planned to request that a competency evaluation be conducted before Underwood was formally arraigned on the charges.
Bond Hearing, Evidence, and Request for Placement in In-Patient Treatment
During a bond hearing back in September, ADA Matt Breedon argued that Underwood was not only a flight risk, but a risk for additional offenses because of a history of violence against both her (now-deceased) husband and other family members. Breedon also told the court that there was video evidence of Underwood stating she had a shotgun and she was planning on shooting her husband with it as well as a confession made in magistrate court during her first appearance, at which time Underwood said something “to the effect of ‘I did it, I killed him, I’m guilty, I just want to get this over with.”
Of the request for a competency evaluation, Breedon said “there’s some malingering there potentially,” suggesting he believed there may be some fabrication or exaggeration of psychological symptoms by Underwood to gain an advantage in terms of prosecution.
Musson, however, told the court that Underwood was “completely and totally incoherent” the first time she met with her. She also said that Jennifer Underwood’s military records and health records had ‘gone missing’ from the crime scene, along with a number of other items. Based on communication with the VA, she’d been able to piece together that Underwood was medically retired from the military with PTSD and sexual trauma related issues. Prior to being retired from the military, she spent an extended period of time in Coastal Harbor treatment facility in Savannah.
Musson asked the court to transfer Underwood to the VA for a 1013 hold, evaluation, and subsequent facility placement for ongoing treatment.
While Underwood’s request for bond was denied, Judge Lovett Bennett Jr. signed two orders for evaluation of Underwood: one to determine the degree of criminal responsibility at the time of the crime and another to evaluate her competency to stand trial.
Status
Since September, Underwood’s case has been placed on the calendar monthly for status updates, but has been continued due to the incomplete evaluations.
Underwood’s case was once again on the calendar on Monday and Musson reported that the evaluations have been completed with all documentation having been provided to the evaluators. Final reports are expected in the next few weeks and following a review by the court, will determine how the case will proceed.
