Alexander Jackson: Trial begins for man who blamed ‘phantom burglar’ after 3 of his family were murdered
LINN COUNTY, IOWA: Alexander Jackson's triple murder massacre case trial began on Friday, January 13. The police responded to a 911 call made by the accused on the morning of June 15, 2021, and found Alexander’s father Jan Perry Jackson, 61, mother Melissa Ferne Jackson, 68, and sister Sabrina Hana Jackson, 19, lying dead in different rooms. According to the defendant’s claim, he woke up to the sound of gunfire and had a confrontation with a ‘masked, male intruder’ who during the reported scuffle, shot him in the foot.
However, the prosecutors believe that he has been lying and cooked up a story about a ‘phantom burglar,’ since during their investigation they didn’t find any signs of forced entry to the home or a struggle getting in. As per Linn County police, they also found a .22-caliber Browning semi–automatic rifle in the house. The authorities also assume it to be the murder weapon, while Jackson claims that he and his father left the weapon by the fireplace after cleaning it the previous night. The accused had pleaded not guilty in the multiple-murder case. Interestingly, he had admitted that his father gave him 'an ultimatum to get a job or move out.’
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As he faces the court hearing, Jackson remains in Linn County Jail on a total $3 million bond. The record shows, the Cedar Rapids Joint Communications Center dispatched police officers and medical response personnel to the home on Oak Leaf Court NE at 8.23 am on Tuesday, June 16, after they reached the spot following the shooting inside the house, according to Law&Crimereport. The first responders found ‘multiple victims who had sustained gunshot wounds’ after arriving at the scene in different rooms. The officer said, “there were three family members inside the home who were found deceased.” The property records obtained by the media agency, Associated Press revealed that the family had been residing in the house for a decade. A copy of the criminal complaint obtained by The Gazette, reports that Alexander made the initial 911 call and told dispatchers that a male intruder had broken into the family’s home and shot him and his father.
“This was a horrendous murder. This was more than just a murder — it was an execution of the defendant’s mother, father, and sister. Furthermore, the defendant’s concocted story of a phantom burglar shows the defendant acted out of malice and calculated intent to get away with these murders,” said Assistant Linn County Attorney Ryan Decker in Linn County District Court back in 2021.