On the evening of Sunday, March 29, 2015, authorities discovered the body of Spence Jackson, a 44-year-old male, inside his apartment in Jefferson City, Missouri. The discovery was made after his mother, concerned that she had been unable to reach him throughout the weekend, requested a welfare check. Officers arrived at the residence in the 900 block of Southwest Boulevard and gained entry with the assistance of the property manager.
Inside the bedroom, they found Jackson deceased from a single gunshot wound to the head. A. 357 Magnum revolver was recovered on the bed next to him.
Detectives from the Jefferson City Police Department launched an investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the death. The initial assessment of the scene revealed no signs of a struggle or forced entry, leading investigators to treat the case as an apparent suicide. This conclusion was further supported by the discovery of a handwritten note on a table in the living room. The brief message, dated Friday, March 27, expressed despair over his professional future, reading, 'I’m so sorry. I just can’t take being unemployed again.' Based on the date of the note and preliminary forensic evidence, authorities estimated that he had died sometime late on Friday or early Saturday morning.
The death occurred during a tumultuous period in Missouri politics, as Jackson had been the long-time spokesman and media director for State Auditor Tom Schweich. Just one month prior, Schweich had committed suicide at his home in Clayton, Missouri, amidst allegations of a 'whisper campaign' regarding his religious background. Jackson had been publicly vocal following his boss's death, calling for the resignation of state party leadership. Despite the high-profile nature of the case and the political tensions surrounding it, law enforcement officials stated that there was no evidence of foul play. Consequently, there were no suspects sought, no arrests made, and no criminal charges filed in connection with Jackson's death, which was officially ruled a suicide.
