On January 9, 2023, in Denver, North Carolina, 35-year-old Debra Ana Jackson was found deceased in the front yard of her home on Sherwood Lane. Family members discovered her body after being alerted by Lincoln County Schools that her children had not been picked up from school. Emergency responders determined that Jackson had suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head.
The following day, January 10, 2023, the Lincoln County Land Search team located the body of 30-year-old Anthony Tyrone Herriott Jr. in a small pond approximately 200 yards from Jackson's residence. Herriott, who also resided on Sherwood Lane, was identified as the suspect in Jackson's death. Upon recovery, he was found in possession of a handgun believed to have been used in both Jackson's shooting and his own apparent suicide.
Authorities have indicated that the incident appears to be a murder-suicide, with Herriott as the perpetrator. The exact nature of the relationship between Jackson and Herriott has not been publicly detailed. Evidence from the scene was processed to confirm the causes of death, and the investigation was ongoing at the time.
Jackson was a small business owner involved in transportation deliveries and a mother to three daughters, aged 7, 9, and 11. She was remembered as a loving mother, daughter, sister, and friend. A public memorial service was held on January 21, 2023, at Elevation-Lake Norman in Cornelius, North Carolina.
