JONESVILLE — A second person has been indicted in connection with an August 2012 triple-slaying that has already resulted in one conviction.

Debbie Adams was indicted by a Catahoula Parish grand jury Friday on three counts of first-degree murder for the shooting death of her brother-in-law, John Ellard Jr., 45, and the stabbing deaths of her mother, Annie Bell Adams, 76, and her sister, Edris Ellard, 51.

Adams’ former boyfriend, Lee John Ponthieux, was convicted in December of three counts of first-degree murder in connection with the killings. He was sentenced last month to three consecutive life terms in prison.

The grand jury had previously declined to indict Debbie Adams in December, but Seventh Judicial District District Attorney Brad Burget said the jury was able to return the indictment after the district attorney’s office and the Catahoula Parish Sheriff’s Office further investigated and developed the case.

On the night of the killings, Ponthieux and Debbie Adams were inside a residence on Moody Road when Ponthieux stabbed Annie Bell Adams to death in her bedroom before walking to a nearby shack, where John and Edris Ellard were staying, Catahoula Parish Sheriff James Kelly said at the time of the killings.

Ponthieux shot John Ellard point blank with a shotgun before stabbing Edris Ellard to death with a knife.

Annie Bell Adams was stabbed 12 times, while Edris Ellard was stabbed 23 times.

Debbie Adams was originally charged with obstruction of justice, but the charges were later upgraded to first-degree murder. Burget said he could not discuss the specifics of why the jury returned the indictment, but that Debbie Adams was being charged as a principal to the crime.

Under Louisiana law, those charged as principals are, “All persons concerned in the commission of a crime, whether present or absent, and whether they directly commit the act constituting the offense, aid and abet in its commission, or directly or indirectly counsel or procure another to commit the crime.”

Following Debbie Adams’ initial arrest, Kelly said Debbie Adams told Ponthieux she “wouldn’t shed a tear if someone were to kill my momma.”

Burget said he expects the case will take several months to a year to conclude.