[Anthony & Tommy Jackson]

Deputies believe

father shot sons

before killing self

by LAURA PILE                                 

Times Staff Writer                                

_____________________________

Although sheriff's deputies                                     

haven't received results of the                         

neutron test performed Thursday,

"indications are that he (Tom D.

Jackson) fired the weapon," a Sci-

oto County sheriff's department

spokesman said.

 The spokesman said the 37-

year-old resident of 665 Cherry

Ridge Road, Columbus, shot his

two sons, Tommy, 6, and Antho-

ny, 5, in the head several times,

and himself once in the head, in a

field off of Ohio 335, two miles

north of Minford, on Thursday

morning. The spokesman declined

to confirm the number of times

each boy was shot.

 The boys' mother, Judy Jackson,

43, of Whitehall, a community

near Columbus, had custody of

the children.

 However, for the last two

weeks, the boys were staying with

Jackson, who had visitation

rights.

 The boys were supposed to re-

turn to there mother Thursday

night, the spokesman said.

 According to the sheriff's de-

partment, the Columbus Police

Department said the couple's di-

vorce was bitter, and that Jack-

son was "despondent" over the sit-

uation.

 Sheriff's deputies could not

elaborate on the couple's dispute

or length of their separation.

 Jackson pulled his 1979 Malibu

Classic into the family's private

cemetery, Brown Cemetery, be-

tween 3 and 3:30 a.m. Thursday,

where Jackson's father was bur-

ied about 1 1/2 years ago, the

spokesman said.

 Neighbors heard the car pull in,

and one person even saw it, ac-

cording to the spokesman.

"One heard the car making a lot

of noise, like it stopped fast," the

spokesman said. "About 3:30, they

(neighbors) heard a banging

noise, like someone hitting the

car."

 One neighbor even turned on

his lights to investigate the origin

of the noise, but the banging

stopped once the lights came on.

 The noise turned out to be gun-

shots.

 "It appears he (Jackson) was

standing along the side of the

driver's door outside of the car,"

the spokesman said, "and was

aiming in towards the car. He

was standing with the door open,

firing into the car."

  Jackson's body was found on the

ground next to the car, and the

boys' bodies were still in the front

seat. Tommy was in the middle,

wrapped in an American flag, and

Anthony was next to the passen-

ger door.

 The sheriff's office was insistent

that the flag was not symbolic.

 "He (Tommy) was covered in

the flag and was using it as a

blanket," the spokesman said. "He

was wearing shorts, and it was

the only thing in the car the boy

could wrap up in."

 A witness spotted Jackson's

body outside of the car at 8:45

a.m.

 A woman looked out of her

window, saw the body and called

the sheriff's office. She was afraid

to approach it," the spokesman

said.

 All three were pronounced dead

at the scene by Dr. George Pettit,

county coroner.

 After the bodies were taken to

the Mercy Hospital morgue, they
were released to the funeral home
of the mother's choice, not to Cin-
cinnati or Columbus for an autop-
sy, the spokesman said.
 Jackson used a ,380 automatic
pistol to commit the double homi-
cide and suicide, according to the
sheriff's department. Ownership
of the gun hasn't been deter-
mined.
          See HOMICIDE, Page 4

- HOMICIDE -

From Page 1
 Deputies expect results of the
neutron test, which will deter-
mine if Jackson definitely fired

the weapon, within the next few

days.

 Kingston Malley, Judy Jack-

son's attorney, told the Times Co-

lumbus Bureau this morning that

the couple was still legally mar-

ried, although they were not liv-

ing together.

 The check of court records by the

Times Columbus Bureau indicates

Judy Jackson filed for divorce on

June 2, 1987, and asked that her

husband be enjoined, restrained

and prohibited from directly and

indirectly molesting, interfering

or threatening physical violence

against her and from wasting

their joint assets.

 Although the divorce proceed-

ings had not been concluded, an

entry on April 5, 1988, in the

court records indicated that Judy

was to be granted the divorce

based on gross neglect of duty

and cruelty.

 The court was to issue a final

judgement when an entry for child

support and custody was filled.

The divorce file included hand-

written arrangements for Judy to

get custody of the boys. Tom was

to have visitation rights one day

per week.

 Malley said the judge attempted

to work out joint custody of the

boys. Judy opposed the arrange-

ment.

 "My client knew it wouldn't

work. We had our suspicions that

the man wasn't working on all

bases. It's a tragic situation. I

hope she survives. I can only

imagine what she is going

through," Malley said.

 Tom filed a request with the

court in September 1988 for cus-

tody of the boys. The request was

denied, court records indicate.

The divorce settlement was still

pending at that time.

Portsmouth Daily Times

August 25, 1989.

contributed by Willie Anderson