Mississippi Man Charged with Mother’s Murder
A man from Mississippi has been accused of killing his mother after authorities reportedly found him attempting to dispose of parts of her body in the toilet. The local sheriff described it as “one of the most heinous crimes” he has ever witnessed.
Zachary LaBelle Jackson Jr., 29, faces charges that include first-degree murder, second-degree murder, mayhem, and tampering with evidence for the death of his 62-year-old mother, Lana Brown Bradley, who was also his former teacher.
The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reported that deputies arrived at Bradley’s residence in Natchez on April 4 after a relative alerted them to her disappearance.
Initially, Jackson was identified simply as a family member, but it was later confirmed that he is Bradley’s son.
“This is the most heinous crime I’ve ever witnessed in my life. We weren’t there that day, but it was one of those things you can never forget. This is the kind of case that stays with you,” Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten communicated.
On the day before the incident, authorities were called to the home after Bradley’s eldest son reported he couldn’t reach her. Two of Bradley’s other sons lived with her as well.
According to Sheriff Patten, once they entered the house, they noticed signs of cleaning and detected a strong chemical odor. “The floors were very slippery, and my eldest son mentioned it was unusual for my younger son to clean so thoroughly,” he noted.
Jackson was eventually discovered in the bathroom, where officers reported seeing a dark substance inside.
“What was in the bathroom? It was her flesh. He dismembered her in a way that required careful searching to find her,” the sheriff added.
Reports suggest that Jackson may have placed his mother’s body parts in a suitcase, dismembered them, and attempted to flush the remains. Investigators have indicated that Bradley had threatened to evict her son, and family interviews have pointed to Jackson’s mental instability.
Despite these circumstances, Sheriff Patten remarked that Jackson appeared to act with calculation around the time of the alleged offense. “He had been threatening her the day before because she was in the process of having him removed from her home. She had even gone to court to initiate that,” Patten explained.
