In the early morning hours of a Sunday in Topeka, Kansas, a grim discovery marked the city's 24th homicide of the year. On December 13, 2020, Charles Jackson, a 73-year-old Black/African American man, was found dead inside his apartment in the 1400 block of SW Van Buren. The events that unfolded pointed to a shocking and tragic family affair.
Police were dispatched to the apartment building around 5 a.m.
after receiving reports of a woman covered in blood who was telling people her father had been killed. When officers arrived, they discovered a trail of blood outside the building which led them to the deceased, Charles Jackson. At the scene, they also found his 50-year-old daughter, Jennifer Jackson. She was reportedly covered in blood and was taken into custody in connection with her father's death, though she did not reside in the same apartment.
The investigation proceeded quickly, and within days, the Shawnee County District Attorney formally charged Jennifer Jackson. The charges against her were severe and included first-degree premeditated murder, aggravated burglary, and criminal threat. She also faced two misdemeanor counts of criminal trespass, stemming from an incident that had occurred at her father's apartment just two days prior to his death.
Following the charges, Jennifer Jackson was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections. A judge set her bond at $1 million. While authorities confirmed Jennifer as the suspect and proceeded with the legal case against her, a motive for the killing was not immediately made public. The case remains under investigation by the Topeka Police Department.
