Judge is calling it a day. Trial will resume at 9 a.m. Wednesday. 

Thanks for following today! See you all tomorrow. 

 

Boesenberg: House was processed four different days. It usually doesn't take four days to process a crime scene but this one had three deceased victims. 

 

Slaughter was showing 3-D laser scan of exterior and interior of house. 

 

  

Boesenberg: He responded to the Jackson house as part of the crime scene unit. He went to hospital first because Alex Jackson was taken there. He had a gunshot injury to his left foot. 

Showing photos of injury to Jackson's left foot. Gunshot injury is to the top of his left foot.

No defensive wounds on Jackson. No other injuries.  

He then went to Jackson's house to process scene. Another investigator assisted him. 

 

Brandon Boesenberg takes the stand. He is former CRPD crime scene investigator. He now works for Collins Aerospace. He took a medical retirement from police department. 

  

We are back. 

Kruse is excused. 

Judge calls for break. Be back at 3:30 p.m.

Kruse is excused. 

Judge calls for break. Be back at 3:30 p.m.

Slaughter: Do you have experience of blow back from bullet?

Kruse: No. More with suicide cases. 

Slaughter: Do size and strength of bullet have an impact on that? 

Kruse: It could.

Johnston on cross: Is it possible to have blood or tissue on the shooter or gun in the close range shots?

Kruse: Yes. 

Johnston asked that because police didn't find victims' DNA on gun or on Alex Jackson's clothing. 

 

Kruse: Sabrina died from multiple gunshot wounds. 

One gunshot injury on left side of her torso. Entered into abdominal cavity and liver and exited on front side.

Gunshot wound to right arm. Gunshot to her left eye. Injured eye, dura and brain. 

When the addomen bullet exited it then entered mid section of arm.

She could have been able to roll over or move after these injuries.

T-shirt of Sabrina's shows bullet hole of exit abdomen injury.

Left side injury showed no stipling or soot. Clothing could prevent that. 

Her eye injury had no soot or stipling - not at close range.

Each injury could have been fatal but the one to her head - eye - would have been more "rapidly fatal."    

 

Kruse: Right side of Melissa's temple area is second gunshot entrance wound. No soot or stipling. This shot wasn't fired at close range.

Right side of top of head shows exit wound from right eye gunshot.

Two bullet fragments from left eye and right temple area. 

Right injury went into dura and brain. Left eye injury entered eye, dura and brain. 

Either injury could have been fatal. 

Alex Jackson hasn't looked at photos on TV screens during this testimony.   

 

Kruse: Cause of death to Melissa Jackson - gunshots wounds to the head.

She has two gunshots wounds to her head. One next to left eye. Injury at scalp of hairline. Laceration or tearing of the scalp. Could be a grazing wound from a bullet - make contact with skin and skirts along the surface. 

Her left eye has a gunshot entrance wound. Dark circle around gunshot wound is from soot of gun. That gun was likely close - within inches.  

 

 

Kruse: Can't determine time of death. A lot of misconception about determining time of death. From an autopsy, time of death can't be determined. 

They can determine distance from where shot is fired. Usually you can see soot - within inches. Stipling - likely feet. Need to test fire to make more accurate determination. 

Didn't see any gun powder or stipling on his head or shirt. 

Cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds. Each individual shot would be fatal. Doesn't mean it caused instant death. None of gunshots were superficial. They injured vital organs.  

Kruse: Laceration to his lower lip - possibly from falling to the floor.

Fragment found in left forehead wound - embedded in scalp.

Multiple fragments found in from upper chest injury.

Five fragments found within soft tissue of abdomen  - from gunshot to right side of chest. 

Fragment from frontal lobe of gunshot wound to back of head. 

Another fragment from back of head. 

Fragments in blood of chest cavity.

Projectile found in right side of back.  

Kruse: Jan Jackson autopsy - he had five gunshot wounds. No natural diseases.

She took photos of the body during autopsy and Slaughter is showing those to the jury. 

Photo of Jan's shirt after being removed with blood stains at neck area. Also has holes in shirt that correspond with gunshot wounds. Back of head has two gunshot wounds. Entered into skull, dura and brain. Wounds on top of right side of head - part of the bullet went into head but broke off and exited.  

Gunshot wound to lower neck. Another wound below it. 

Blunt force injury and laceration to his face. These could have been caused by falling. 

 

Dr. Kelly Kruse, associate state medical examiner, takes the stand. She will testify about the autopsy. 

Dunbar is excused. 

Slaughter: Would it be fair to say you asked a lot of questions and some of those were in the reports?

Dunbar: Yes. He left his contact information to call him if they remembered anything later.   

Dunbar: He didn't find any evidence on his canvassing. 

Johnston on cross: In your report, you didn't say that any of these people you talked to said they didn't see anything.

Dunbar: The Yangs said they didn't see or hear anything in the morning. 

Johnston: You didn't write it down for three other neighbors. 

Dunbar: Correct. If they saw anything unusual he would have. 

 

 

Dunbar: He was sent back later to do more canvassing in the wooded area to the north and east of the Jackson home because Alex Jackson had told police the intruder ran out the back door and that would have been a possible escape route.

He couldn't get thorugh the woods north to Ushers Ferry Rd. because of debris and downed trees - likely from derecho damage. He drove around to the road and tried to walk through the wooded area back to the Jackson home. It was difficult to do. He had to climb over trees and his clothes got dirty.  

Dunbar: After speaking with the Yang's, across the street, he then went to 4330 Oak Leaf Ct. because he could see two cameras at that house. the residents said they hadn't seen anything unusual that morning.   

He also went to 5000 Spring Oak Ct. because they had two cameras. He didn't collect that footage because of it's locations. 

None of the homeowners in the area had seen anything that morning.  

We are back. Dunbar continues his testimony.

Judge is calling for lunch break. Be back at 1:15 p.m. 

Dunbar: He saw a white utility van around 6 a.m. There were several houses in the area under construction, so it didn't seem unusual. He didn't see any other people during the two hour time frame. He did see the officers when they arrived. 

Dunbar: He has specialized training in drug recognition. He is assigned to burglary and property crimes.

He responded to the Jackson house to investigate. He canvassed the neighborhood and was looking for surveillance cameras. They went to every house in the area to talk to neighbors.

Dunbar first went to the house directly across the street to the Yang resident. Two Yang family members testified Friday. They had two camera at front of house.

He looked at portions of the footage between 6 and 8 a.m. 

Cedar Rapids Police investigator Ryan Dunbar takes the stand. 

Brown is excused. 

Brown: He told Lacina and Denlinger that Jackson isn't "there" right now - meaning he's out of it. 

Brown: He knows everyone reacts differently in shock.

Jackson asked if his sister is ok. Nobody answers him. 

Jackson asked if they got an ambulance for his dad. 

Paramedic asked what his father did. Jackson said computers - designs IT. His mother is a photographer. 

Jackson said he slept on porch all night. 

  

Brown: Jackson said his pain level was 10. 

Paramedic asked Jackson what happened. Jackson said he was sleeping on porch and then asked where was his dog. 

Brown doesn't know when they gave Jackson fentanyl.

Jackson tells the paramedic he ran into the "man" - intruder. Says he hit him or charged and intruder got his foot. 

Jackson was crying "quietly and briefly." 

Brown: Investigators didn't have body cam. He gave his body cam to another investigator to record questioning. 

Brown under cross: He doesn't remember hearing any barking from dog on back porch as they approached house. 

Jackson identified body of dad and said his sister was in her room. Jackson said he thinks she's ok. 

 Jackson asked if they got his mom. Brown said they are getting everyone. 

Brown said he thinks Jackson's in shock at that point. 

 

Police investigators Sarah Lacina and Matt Denlinger meet ambulance when it arrives. They will question Jackson. 

Video: Jackson said he was sleeping on the porch with dog. He heard gunshots and saw someone in house.

Jackson said he went to UI. 

It's difficult to hear after ambulance is headed to hospital. 

Jackson starts crying. I think he's asking about his sister and mother. 

Slaughter will likely ask Brown follow up about what was being said.    

 

They take Jackson outside to wait for EMTs.

Brown is going to go with Jackson in ambulance. Officer pats him down before they get in ambulance. 

 

The video again shows officers finding bodies in the house. 

The officers go upstairs and leaves Jackson sitting on the floor downstairs near a hallway. 

Jackson had crawled down the hall near his dad's body and the gun. Still sitting on the floor. 

Jackson said there was a man who came in. Coudn't or didn't describe additional details of him.      

Video: I guess they are playing body cam from when Brown initially approached house. 

Slaughter is playing Brown's body cam video of him on ambulance with Jackson. 

Brown: He and other officers took Alex outside to wait for emergency responders, so they wouldn't distrub the crime scene. He went with Alex in the ambulance. He did a pat down on Alex just as a precaution and it's normal procedure. 

Brown: Other officers approached door and talked to a person. Brown then went in. He saw a male lying face down. It was Jan Jackson and he had a gunshot injury and was dead. 

He then saw Alex Jackson down the hall and officers were talking to him.   

They started clearing house. Another officer identified a third victim in the basement.

Other officers found another victim in master bedroom.

Alex had crawled down the hallway to his father's body. He was playing with a shell casing. Brown asked him to put it down.

Alex told him there was a man.      

Brown: When he arrived, he waited for other officers to join because they didn't know the entire situation. Officers Buckles and Barber got there. They found out family was in the house. He suggested to dispatch to have Jackson come out. He was shot and couldn't. He then asked another family member to come out but that wasn't possible. 

He went in at the back of house with K-9 officer Buckles. It was quiet in the neighborhood. The back door was a walk out basement. He took cover behind a tree in the back - in case there was an intruder. The back of house had windows. 

They still thought it might be a prank call. 

Brown: He responded to Jackson house, 4414 Oak Leaf Ct NE, that day.

He only had information that there had been a break in and caller had been shot.

Dispatcher was told the back door of residence was open and intruder fled. Dispatcher mentioned a long gun was in the house.  

Cedar Rapids Police Officer Tim Brown takes the stand. He works patrol and is a field training officer.

He is also a member of the special response team - SRT 

Barber is excused. 

Barber on re-direct: He saw no evidence of a home invasion. 

Barber: He agrees it's a more wooded area. He hadn't been in the neighborhood before. He didn't see any cars parked at the house.

He saw the dog on the screened in porch. The dog wasn't barking. 

He was probably in the house 10 min. He was helping clear and secure the house. 

Barber on cross: He only had the information from the dispatcher. He thought he was responding to a home invasion. 

They had no information that Jackson's dad had been shot. 

  

Barber: He saw some construction workers when he was in the backyard of the Jackson house. The wokers were on a street behind the house. 

He asked the workers if they had seen anyone in this area or anyone that ran through area. They had been out working since 8 a.m. that day.      

We are back. 

5 min. break

Judge is excusing jury to take up something with lawyers. 

Barber: No signs of forced entry at basement door. 

He assisted K-9 officer with his search.

Video is over. 

Barber: He approached the door and rang doorbell because it seemed to be a swatting situation. They have had those calls - prank phone call - in the past. 

He didn't expect to see a deceased person. They had information that it was burglary and one person had been shot in the foot.

He had some frustration because they had little information and it first appeared like it might be prank. 

Nothing was out of place in the home. No signs of a home invasion. Front door was locked. No furniture out of place in the basement.    

More video footage of an officer going back to each body with multiple gunshot wounds. 

As Barber is approaching house, he says he thinks this is going to be a "swatting" call - prank phone call to police. He comments on Ring - video - doorbell at front door. 

They go inside and find Jan Jackson lying in blood on the floor in the basement and they are asking Alex what happened and he says that someone broke in and shot him. They start searching house. The officers then find Melissa and Sabrina upstairs in different bedrooms. 

They searched the garage. 

They help Jackson out of the house.  

 

Schier is showing video from Barber's body cam from that day - June 15, 2021. 

 

 

Cedar Rapids Police Officer Korie Barber takes the stand. He works patrol. 

 Barber: He responded to the Jackson home faor a gunshot victim. Two other officers were on the scene and then two others joined after he arrived. 

They parked down the street because they didn't know what they had. They were told Alex Jackson said his sister was inside and would meet them outside. 

Judge Anderson is telling the jury that Lindsay Garner is not here. She is dealing with a significant family issue. She may be back at some point during the trial. 

Just as a reminder - Tyler Johnston, Amber Foley and Lindsay Garner are lawyers for Jackson. 

Assistant Linn Co. Attorney Jordan Schier and First Asst. Linn Co. Attorney Monica Slaughter are the prosecutors.

6th Judicial District Chief Judge Lars Anderson is presiding over this trial.  

Good morning all! Hope everybody had a great long weekend - if you had Monday off. 

The trial will get started in a few minutes.