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Thread: Death Penalty Pursued for Donald “Donny” Ray Jackson Jr in 2020 KS Murders of Austin Jackson and Logan Jackson

  1. #1
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    Death Penalty Pursued for Donald “Donny” Ray Jackson Jr in 2020 KS Murders of Austin Jackson and Logan Jackson


    Austin Jackson and Logan Jackson


    Donald Jackson, Jr.

    Jackson charged with capital murder

    A the Leavenworth County man who was arrested over the weekend following an Amber Alert has been charged with capital murder.

    Donald “Donny” R. Jackson Jr., 40, has been charged with capital murder for the death of two boys, County Attorney Todd Thompson announced Tuesday.

    The charges came after the boys, ages 12 and 14, were found dead Saturday at a home on Hillside Road near Lansing.

    According to Leavenworth County Undersheriff Jim Sherley, Jackson is the father of the 2 boys.

    Two girls also were reported missing at the time, and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation issued an Amber Alert.

    The Amber Alert identified Jackson as a suspect in the case.

    Jackson and the girls were located Saturday in Oklahoma. The girls reportedly were safe. Jackson was taken into custody.

    Thompson, who is the county attorney for Leavenworth County, announced the capital murder charge during a news conference.

    Thompson said Tuesday that he could not discuss details, or the facts, of the case.

    “We do not want to taint the jury,” he said.

    Thompson said a conviction for capital murder can result in life in prison without parole, or prosecutors can seek the death penalty.

    If the prosecution seeks the death penalty, a jury would have to make a finding regarding aggravated circumstances in order for the death sentence to be imposed, according to state law.

    As an alternative to the single count of capital murder, Jackson has been charged with 2 counts of 1st-degree murder. This would give jurors the option of convicting the defendant of the 1st-degree murder charges instead of the capital murder charge.

    For now, Jackson remains in custody in Oklahoma.

    Thompson said Jackson will have the option of waiving extradition from Oklahoma to Leavenworth County. Thompson said Jackson also can choose to fight extradition, which would result in legal wrangling in Oklahoma.

    The Amber Alert was issued because it was believed the 2 girls had been abducted. But Jackson has not been charged with kidnapping.

    When asked about possible federal charges in the case, Thompson said he has not had discussion with officials in federal agencies. Thompson said he believes the case will be prosecuted in Leavenworth County.

    (source: Leavenworth Times)
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    Court papers: Leavenworth dad accused of capital murder shot two sons before fleeing with daughters

    LEAVENWORTH, Kan. — An affidavit released Tuesday backs up details investigators previously shared and provides a timeline in a Leavenworth capital murder case where Donald Jackson Jr., is accused of killing his 12 and 14-year-old sons.

    The affidavit says Leavenworth County deputies went to a home on Hillside Road at about 1:15 p.m. on Saturday, October 24 after Jackson didn’t show up for a soccer game with his four kids, and wasn’t answering his phone. Court papers say relatives had found 12-year-old Austin and 14-year-old Logan Jackson shot to death.

    Jackson Jr., 40, and his two daughters were nowhere to be found, and authorities issued an AMBER Alert, eventually leading to his capture and the girls’ rescue in Erick, Oklahoma at 6:35 that Saturday night. Investigators found three .40-caliber shell casings at the home in Leavenworth, and say they found a .40-caliber hand gun in the driver’s side door pocket of the car Jackson Jr. was driving.

    Further details in the affidavit are redacted, Jackson is due again in court on December 14 at 1 p.m. for a motion hearing. If convicted on capital murder, Jackson faces the death penalty or life in prison without parole. He’s charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the alternative.

    He’s being held without bond and being represented by the death penalty defense unit, which falls under Kansas’ State Board of Indigents’ Defense Services.

    The boys’ mom, Tara Jackson, released this statement after charges were filed.

    "As many of you know, my client, Tara Jackson and her family suffered a traumatic loss of two of her oldest children and the kidnapping of two daughters.

    On behalf of Tara Jackson, her family and friends, she would like to thank everyone who came together to bring her daughters home safe on Saturday. The Leavenworth County Sheriff’s Department, Kansas Bureau of Investigations, Kansas Highway Patrol, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Beckham County Sheriff’s Department, the unknown truck driver that called in a vital sighting, the various law enforcement agencies in the Towns and Counties along the way, and the many other people that helped search. Tara also appreciates the media and reporters who played a large part in getting the information out concerning the abduction of her daughters and assisted in locating them.

    In addition, she wants to thank everyone that has offered support and assistance in her family’s time of need. I would like to ask that you respect her privacy during these next very hard few weeks and months that Tara and her family have ahead of them.

    There is a lot of unanswered questions concerning the event of Saturday October 24, 2020 and other matters over the last several months. However, there is an open investigation and pending litigation, therefore I will not answer questions at this time."


    https://fox4kc.com/news/court-papers...ith-daughters/
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  3. #3
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    Status hearing scheduled in capital murder case


    A Leavenworth County man who is charged with capital murder appeared in court Thursday.

    Donald R. Jackson Jr. appeared in court for a status hearing. And his next status hearing has been scheduled for May 20.

    Jackson, 40, is charged with capital murder for allegedly killing his two sons, ages 12 and 14. The bodies of the boys were found Oct. 24 at a residence on Hillside Road near Lansing.

    The two boys had been shot, according to a probable cause affidavit prepared in the case.

    Jackson, who remains in custody at the Leavenworth County Jail, made his court appearance Thursday through the Zoom online videoconferencing service.

    Zoom is being used for many Leavenworth County District Court proceedings because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    District Judge Gerald Kuckelman asked Thursday if attorneys in the case were ready to schedule a preliminary hearing.

    Jeffrey Dazey, one of Jackson’s attorneys, said the prosecution had provided the defense team a bundle of materials as part of the discovery process.

    “We are going through the records with a fine-tooth comb,” he said.

    Dazey said the defense attorneys have provided the prosecution a detailed list of materials they are still seeking through the discovery process.

    “It is going to take them time to review those items and respond,” he said.

    Dazey requested to have another status hearing in about 60 days.

    “Then we’re going to be in a much better position to set this matter for a preliminary hearing,” he said.

    Assistant County Attorney Shawn Boyd agreed it will take the prosecution time to review the defense’s request. He said discovery evidence continues to come in.

    “So I don’t have a problem with 60 days,” he said.

    Kuckelman scheduled the next hearing for May 20.

    Dazey said the defense filed a request for Jackson to appear in court in civilian clothing or to have cameras barred from the courtroom. Dazey said defense attorneys would prefer that cameras not be allowed in the courtroom.

    Dazey said defense attorneys are trying to avoid the defendant being photographed during what he characterized as the “classic perp walk.”

    Kuckelman said so far Jackson has appeared in court in green jail clothing the judge said looked like medical scrubs.

    Kuckelman said he would order that Jackson be allowed to wear civilian clothing during a jury trial. But the judge said he does not believe this is necessary for status hearings.

    The judge suggested he can listen to arguments about the defense request during the next status hearing.


    https://amp.leavenworthtimes.com/amp/4507369001
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    Attorney seeks to quash subpoena in capital murder case

    By John Richmeier
    Leavenworth Times

    An attorney is seeking to quash a subpoena that was issued in the case of a man facing a capital murder charge in Leavenworth County.

    The subpoena was issued in the case of Donald R. Jackson Jr.

    Jackson, 40, is charged with capital murder for allegedly killing his two sons, ages 12 and 14. The bodies of the boys were found Oct. 24 at a residence on Hillside Road near Lansing.

    The two boys had been shot, according to a probable cause affidavit prepared in the case.

    Local attorney Kevin Reardon has filed a motion seeking to quash a subpoena that was issued by one of Jackson’s lawyers.

    Reardon serves as child custody investigator for Leavenworth County.

    According to the motion, the subpoena is seeking a report and other documents Reardon created in his capacity as a child custody investigator in a 2019 case. Reardon argues he was ordered to keep those documents confidential.

    https://www.leavenworthtimes.com/sto...se/7246273002/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Father of Kansas man accused in killings dies by suicide after child sex crime charges

    The father of a Leavenworth County man who is charged with killing his two young sons died by suicide while out on bond and awaiting trial for alleged child sex crimes.

    Donald Jackson Sr., of Easton, died by suicide, Leavenworth County officials confirmed Wednesday. He had recently been charged with two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child.

    “Our thoughts are with the family,” said Todd Thompson, the county attorney. “It would be presumptuous of us to know why he chose to do what he did. We did have charges filed against him, and our goal is always to protect our victims and community, and give a person a fair trial.”

    According to a criminal complaint filed on Feb. 23, Jackson allegedly touched a child inappropriately between July and August 2019, in Leavenworth County.

    He posted bail after his bond was set at $100,000 this spring, though the state had requested his bond be set at $500,000. He bonded out on March 29.

    Several months earlier, in June 2020, Jackson was arrested for the same charges in a separate incident between August 2018 and December 2019, according to an affidavit.

    The victims in both cases were under the age of 14 at the time of the alleged crime, court records show. The Star does not typically identify the victims of sex crimes, particularly those who are juveniles.

    In April, officials confirmed to The Star that Jackson, who was 62 at the time of his first arrest, is the father of Donald Jackson Jr., who is accused of fatally shooting his young sons in October.

    In a motion for bond filed in June 2020, the elder Jackson’s attorney argued that he was a lifelong resident of Leavenworth County with no history or arrests or convictions. Jackson’s attorney could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday.

    The attorney said Jackson had been married for 41 years and for 22 years owned and operated a poll construction business until his retirement, court records show.

    His son remains in the Leavenworth County Jail.

    An affidavit charging the younger Jackson with capital murder confirmed his sons — 12-year-old Austin and 14-year-old Logan — were found shot on Oct. 24 at Jackson’s home at 14970 Hillside Road in rural Leavenworth. Jackson was 40 at the time of his arrest last fall.

    One of the boys suffered one gunshot wound; the other was shot twice, records show. Police recovered shell casings from the home.

    Amber Alerts were issued in multiple states after family members found the boys dead. Their younger sisters, who were 7 and 3, were missing.

    Hours later, Jackson was arrested by officers in Beckham County, Oklahoma. The girls were in the car with him.

    https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.kan...252000413.html
    Thank you for the adventure - Axol

    Tried so hard and got so far, but in the end it doesn’t even matter - Linkin Park

    Hear me, my chiefs! I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever. - Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt

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    Preliminary hearing begins in capital murder case

    A preliminary hearing began Monday morning for a man who is charged in Leavenworth County with capital murder.

    A judge has set aside two days for the hearing for Donald Ray Jackson Jr.

    Jackson, 42, is accused of murdering his two sons, ages 12 and 14. The bodies of the boys were found Oct. 24, 2020, at a residence on Hillside Road near Lansing where Jackson was living.

    Evidence related to the allegations is being presented during the preliminary hearing. At the conclusion of the hearing, District Judge Gerald Kuckelman will determine whether to bind over the case for a possible trial.

    Tara Jackson, the defendant’s ex-wife and the mother of the two boys, was the first witness called to testify Monday by the prosecution.

    Tara Jackson testified that she was separated from Jackson and going through a divorce at the time of the boys were killed.

    Tara Jackson testified that she and the defendant’s mother found the body of one of the boys.

    “He was on his back,” Tara Jackson said of her son. “There was a lot of blood.”

    Tara Jackson and the defendant’s mother had gone to Donald Jackson Jr.’s home after he and some of his children did not show up for a soccer game, according to the testimony.

    Tara Jackson testified that earlier in the day the defendant sent her a text message asking her to visit him at his home, but she declined.

    Tara Jackson said she did not want to visit with the defendant that morning because he had been unpleasant when she met with him the day before.

    Tara Jackson said the defendant ended up calling her on the phone.

    “He was angry that I wasn’t coming over,” she said. “He was angry in general.”

    Tara Jackson said the defendant made threats to kill himself, their children and her.

    Donald Jackson Jr. remains in custody at the Leavenworth County Jail.

    https://www.leavenworthtimes.com/202...l-murder-case/
    Thank you for the adventure - Axol

    Tried so hard and got so far, but in the end it doesn’t even matter - Linkin Park

    Hear me, my chiefs! I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever. - Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt

    I’m going to the ghost McDonalds - Garcello

  7. #7
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    Judge binds over capital murder case

    By Leavenworth Times

    The case of a Leavenworth County man who is charged with capital murder has been bound over for arraignment and a possible trial.

    Arraignment for Donald Ray Jackson Jr. is scheduled for Feb. 24 in Leavenworth County District Court, according to Deputy County Attorney Shawn Boyd.

    Boyd said District Judge Gerald Kuckelman made the decision to bind over the case Tuesday at the conclusion of a preliminary hearing.

    Jackson, 42, is charged with capital murder for allegedly shooting his sons, ages 12 and 14. The bodies of the boys were found Oct. 24, 20220, at a residence on Hillside Road near Lansing where Jackson was living.

    If Jackson is convicted of capital murder, prosecutors could seek the death penalty.

    As an alternative to the single count of capital murder, Jackson also has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder. This would give jurors the option of convicting the defendant of the first-degree murder charges instead of capital murder.

    A trial has not yet been scheduled in the case.

    This week’s preliminary hearing began Monday morning. The hearing was recessed Monday afternoon and resumed Tuesday morning. The hearing wrapped up around 1 p.m. Tuesday, Boyd said.

    Jackson remains in custody at the Leavenworth County Jail.

    https://www.leavenworthtimes.com/202...l-murder-case/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

  8. #8
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    Kansas to seek death penalty for Donald Ray Jackson

    By Zoe Brown

    LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (KCTV) - The state of Kansas intends to pursue the death penalty for Donald Ray Jackson Jr., who is accused of killing his two sons on October 24, 2020.

    The county attorney’s office said Donald Ray Jackson Jr., who has been charged with capital murder, appeared in court today. There, he learned the state plans to pursue the death penalty in his case.

    Jackson, who just turned 43, appeared in custody with his legal counsel during the arraignment today. He didn’t say anything, so the court entered a “not guilty” plea on his behalf.

    The defense said they will not have jury time available until 2025, possibly.

    Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson said: “The defendant can plead guilty, not guilty, or stand mute – also known as standing silent. Standing mute or silent means a defendant does not take a stance on being guilty or not guilty; they remain silent according to rights guaranteed by the 5th Amendment.”

    A motions hearing is set to start October 30, 2023.

    According to the state Department of Corrections, Kansas has not executed anyone since 1965. More information about capital punishment in the state is available here.

    According to reporting from a local newspaper, Jackson’s sons were found fatally shot inside his rural Leavenworth home on that October day in 2020. The boys were 12 and 14 years old.

    The boys’ 7-year-old and 3-year-old sisters were missing, as well. Amber Alerts were issued in multiple states.

    Jackson was ultimately taken into custody in Oklahoma about six hours later. The two missing girls were in the car with him.

    https://www.kctv5.com/2023/06/07/kan...outputType=amp
    Thank you for the adventure - Axol

    Tried so hard and got so far, but in the end it doesn’t even matter - Linkin Park

    Hear me, my chiefs! I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever. - Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt

    I’m going to the ghost McDonalds - Garcello

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