On July 6, 2017, the life of 56-year-old Wanda Jo Moon, a female of Native American heritage, came to a tragic end in a motel room in Buffalo, Missouri. Known affectionately as 'Momma Moon' or 'Wonder' to her friends and family, she was a free spirit who loved motorcycles, nature, and the ocean. Born in Ventura, California, she had settled in Missouri where she was a mother and grandmother. On that summer day, she and her husband, Glen A.
Jackson, had checked into the Buffalo Inn and Suites, ostensibly to take a break from the stress of their chaotic home life and enjoy some time swimming.
Instead of a peaceful retreat, the stay turned violent. Police were called to the scene where they discovered Wanda deceased in the motel room, having suffered a fatal gunshot wound. The investigation immediately focused on her husband, who was the only other person present in the room at the time. When questioned by authorities, Jackson provided a confusing and contradictory account of the events. He initially claimed that he and his wife had planned to go swimming, but he blacked out and had no memory of what occurred, only to wake up and find her dead.
As detectives pressed further, the holes in Jackson's story began to widen. He admitted that the weapon used, a. 44 caliber black powder revolver, belonged to him and was in the room. Despite his initial claims of amnesia regarding the actual shooting, he eventually conceded that he and Wanda were the sole occupants of the room. Disturbingly, during the course of the interrogation, Jackson confessed that he had previously harbored thoughts of killing his wife during past arguments, though he maintained that they had not been fighting on the day of her death. It was also revealed that he had waited approximately three hours after the shooting before contacting an acquaintance, who then alerted emergency services.
Glen A. Jackson was arrested and charged with first-degree murder for the death of his wife. The legal proceedings stretched on for over two years as prosecutors built their case against him, highlighting his inconsistent statements, the presence of his weapon, and his admission of prior homicidal ideation. The case culminated in a trial where the jury weighed the evidence of the premeditated nature of the crime versus his claims of a blackout.
In December 2019, the jury returned a guilty verdict, convicting Jackson of first-degree murder. He returned to court in February 2020 for sentencing, where the judge handed down a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. The conclusion of the trial brought a measure of justice for Wanda's grieving family, including her children and the many friends from the biker community who remembered her for her generosity and strong spirit.
