‘A traumatic loss’: Mother of dead Leavenworth boys expresses thanks after girls saved
The mother of two boys killed Saturday in Leavenworth has thanked those who played a role in bringing home her daughters after they were allegedly abducted by their father.
In a statement issued by her attorney, Tara Jackson expressed gratitude to law enforcement agencies as well as a semi-truck driver who called in a “vital sighting” in Oklahoma that helped lead to the arrest of her husband, Donald Jackson Jr.
Donald Jackson, 40, has since been charged with capital murder for allegedly killing the boys — 11-year-old Austin and 14-year-old Logan — who were found dead Saturday at Jackson’s home at 14970 Hillside Road in rural Leavenworth.
Tara Jackson’s attorney, Gary Nelson, said she and her family suffered “a traumatic loss” when her sons were killed and her daughters were kidnapped. Nelson asked people to respect her privacy in “these next very hard few weeks and months” to come.
“There (are) a lot of unanswered questions concerning the event of Saturday ... and other matters over the last several months,” Nelson said in the statement, which noted he would not answer questions at this time.
Tara Jackson, who was in the middle of divorce proceedings with Donny Jackson, also thanked reporters who helped get out information about her missing daughters.
Amber Alerts were issued in multiple states Saturday after family members found the boys dead. Their younger sisters, who are 7 and 3, were missing. Investigators said they believed Jackson abducted them, though he has not been charged with such a crime.
Hours later, Jackson was arrested by officers in Beckham County, Oklahoma. The girls were in the car with him.
At a news conference Tuesday, Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson released few details about the accusations against Jackson, saying he did not want to taint a potential jury. He declined to say, among other things, how the boys were killed.
This story was originally published October 28, 2020 at 3:39 PM with the headline "‘A traumatic loss’: Mother of dead Leavenworth boys expresses thanks after girls saved."
