On a September afternoon in Stone Mountain, Georgia, the life of 26-year-old Asia Monique Jackson was tragically cut short. On September 11, 2020, Jackson, a mother of two who worked for the post office, was fatally shot outside the Retreat at Stone Mountain apartment complex following a dispute. Her oldest daughter was with her at the time of the incident.
The man suspected of her murder is Ronal E. Derickson, the father of her children.
According to Jackson's mother, there had been previous disagreements between the couple concerning his visitation with the children. Just before the shooting, Jackson gave her daughter the keys and instructed her to go inside their home. The child heard the gunshot and had to walk past her mother after she had been shot. Derickson then drove the child to her grandmother's neighborhood and told her to go to her grandmother's house.
Following the shooting, Derickson fled the state. He was later located and apprehended in Michigan. On October 17, 2020, he was booked into the DeKalb County jail. He is facing multiple charges, including felony murder, aggravated stalking, kidnapping, and first-degree cruelty to children.
Asia Jackson was remembered by her family as the 'life of the party,' someone who was always happy and had a beautiful smile. She was a loving mother to her two daughters, Aniyah, 9, and Hailee, 5. In addition to her job at the post office, she also ran an online beauty and personal care shop called Sassy Sue Collection, with the goal of building a successful business to provide for her children. A candlelight vigil was held in her memory on September 19, 2020, in Decatur, where she grew up, and her funeral took place two days later.
