With dad facing capital murder, attorney issues statement for mom of 2 boys killed in Leavenworth
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. -- The attorney for Tara Jackson, the mother of two boys who were allegedly shot to death by their father, Donald Ray Jackson, Jr., 40, released a letter on her behalf Wednesday.
Jackson Jr., triggered an AMBER Alert when he took their 3 and 7-year-old daughters across state lines and into western Oklahoma on Saturday, October 24.
Here's the verbatim of the attorney's letter:
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.
Gary A. Nelson, P.A.
During a news conference on Tuesday, Leavenworth County District Attorney Todd Thompson, announced Donald Jackson is facing one count of capital murder related to the killing of his two boys, or two counts of first-degree murder in the alternative.
Related to the kidnapping of this two daughters, he may face federal charges because it happened across state lines, but none have been filed yet.
He is currently in custody in Beckham County, Oklahoma. He’s awaiting extradition back to Kansas after authorities arrested him Saturday night in Erick, close to the state’s western border with Texas, about seven hours away from his home in Leavenworth.
Authorities got involved after relatives became suspicious when one of the boys didn’t show up for a soccer game and called authorities.
Shortly after, deputies with the Leavenworth County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the home and found 12-year-old Austin and 14-year-old Logan dead. Aven and Nora were missing which prompted the AMBER Alert.
The truck driver that Nelson refers to in his letter is Moez Somrani, FOX4 spoke with him on Monday.
“I got the AMBER Alert, and I got it again on the highway,” Somrani said. “I saw it, and I passed by and I saw a guy that matched the description.”
FOX4 is continuing to communicate with authorities in Oklahoma and Kansas regarding Jackson’s extradition and any other charges he may be facing.