NBC’s ‘Dateline’ will feature case of missing Central Kentucky mother Ella Jackson
NBC’s “Dateline” will feature an investigation into the disappearance of a Richmond mother in their upcoming episode, “The Bluegrass Mystery.”
Dateline announced its episode investigating the disappearance of Ella Jackson will air Friday, July 10.
The episode will feature the first-ever interview with the case’s lead investigator, Jason Friend, of the Richmond Police Department. Rodney Richardson, the department’s chief, is also featured in the show.
Ella Jackson, 47, was reported missing in October 2019 by her oldest son, Phillip Hans. Hans told police he spoke with his mother frequently, and when he didn’t hear from her, he became worried.
In April, her husband, Glenn Jackson, 45, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for charges of manslaughter, abuse of a corpse and evidence tampering.
What happened in the case
Early in the investigation, Glenn Jackson told detectives varying stories about where his wife might have gone. He originally called police and reported his wife of about six years may have abandoned their son. He also told police she would routinely disappear and later return.
Police found Ella Jackson’s phone, wallet, car and then 5-year-old son at her home on Westwood Drive.
In April 2020, Glenn Jackson was charged with murder, tampering with physical evidence and abuse of a corpse after a significant amount of his wife’s blood was discovered in the trunk of his vehicle.
Investigators used luminol, a chemical that illuminates when it comes in contact with substances like blood, to find a stain approximately 2 feet in diameter, according to previous detective testimony. A knife, which also reacted to luminol, was also found in the trunk, police said.
A week after Glenn Jackson’s arrest, his wife’s skeletal remains were found in Pulaski County on property neighboring one he owns, along with women’s clothing strewn around, according to Richmond police.
A medical examiner ruled Ella Jackson’s death a homicide but could not determine a cause of death due to the state of her remains. However, the examiner noted a “significant fracture to the skull,” prosecutors said.
Glenn Jackson was employed by EKU as a lecturer at the time of his wife’s disappearance, but he was fired in February 2020, before his arrest, according to documents obtained by the Herald-Leader.
During the course of the investigation, Richmond police discovered Ella Jackson met with a domestic violence advocate a few days before her disappearance and had spoken with a divorce attorney.
Now that Glenn Jackson has entered a plea, a wrongful death suit previously filed by Jason Hans, Ella Jackson’s ex-husband, can proceed.
Hans can also move forward with becoming the legal guardian of Ella and Glenn Jackson’s almost-12-year-old son.
Glenn Jackson previously pleaded guilty to the charges in an Alford Plea, meaning he acknowledged there was enough evidence to convict him.
He was sentenced to 14 years in prison, but could be out in as early as eight years for time served. He was previously on home incarceration after his arrest in 2020.
