On a cold January afternoon in Manchester, Connecticut, Joseph Swan, a 45-year-old Black/African American male, was leaving his mother's home on Eldridge Street for his job at a fast-food restaurant. It was January 21, 2019, and just as he stepped outside the front door, the unimaginable happened. A single gunshot rang out, and Swan was struck in the head, collapsing on the porch. When police responded to the report of a shooting at the residence, they found him grievously wounded.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital, but his injuries were too severe, and he died shortly after arriving.
The investigation into the homicide quickly focused on someone inside the home. At the time of the shooting, only three people were at the apartment: Joseph Swan, his mother, Carolyn Swan, and his 27-year-old half-brother, Millard Jackson. Detectives questioned Jackson, but he denied any involvement in the shooting. However, their investigation led them to discover a Taurus. 357 Magnum revolver hidden in the basement of the home. The weapon had one spent casing and five live rounds remaining. The evidence pointed to a tragedy within the family.
In March 2019, Millard Jackson was arrested and charged in connection with his half-brother's death. The charges against him were severe, including murder and multiple firearm offenses. He was held on a $1 million bond. As the case proceeded through the legal system, a heart-wrenching story emerged. Carolyn Swan explained that her son, Jackson, suffered from mental illness. She believes that on that fatal day, because Joseph was wearing a heavy parka she had given him, Jackson did not recognize his own brother and, in a tragically confused state, perceived him as a threat. Ultimately, Jackson pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of first-degree manslaughter with a firearm and was sentenced to ten years in prison, to be followed by five years of probation.
