On the morning of June 15, 2021, a distressing 911 call from 20-year-old Alexander Ken Jackson summoned Cedar Rapids police to his family's home on Oak Leaf Court NE. He claimed that a masked intruder had broken into the house and shot him and his father. When officers arrived at the residence the family had occupied for a decade, they discovered a tragic scene inside.
White male, Jan Perry Jackson, 61, was found deceased, having been shot five times in his head, neck, and stomach.
Also discovered in the home were the bodies of his wife, Melissa Ferne Jackson, 68, who had been shot twice in the head at close range, and their 19-year-old daughter, Sabrina Hana Jackson, who was shot in the chest and eye. The victims were located in different rooms of the house. Alexander Jackson was found with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to his foot and was transported to the hospital for treatment.
Investigators quickly grew suspicious of Alexander's account. There were no signs of forced entry or burglary at the home. During questioning, Alexander denied killing his family but mentioned that his father had recently told him he "needed to find a job or move out of the residence." After an investigation throughout the day, Alexander Ken Jackson was arrested and charged with three counts of first-degree murder. He is accused of using a. 22-caliber Browning semi-automatic rifle that belonged to his father to kill his parents and sister.
Following his release from the hospital, Alexander was taken to the Linn County Correctional Center. He made his initial court appearance where his bond was set at $3 million. In January 2023, a jury found Alexander Jackson, then 22, guilty of murdering his parents and sister.
