A couple of months before Jo was due to deliver, Reed's parents arrived at Melrose Place. The Carters wanted revenge on her for "killing their son" although they knew Jo shot Reed out of self-defense. Nothing Jo did would satisfy them. She tried to tell them she would settle out of court, but the Carters sued her for custody of their grandson. The Carters' attorney convinced the court that Jo was not a fit mother. In a horrifying turn of events, Jo lost the custody of her child to the Carters before it was even born. She also ended her friendship with Alison, who was supposed to testify on her behalf but showed up high on uppers in the courtroom the day she was to testify.