A 29-year-old man, Zachary Lavel Jackson Jr., has been charged with multiple offences, including first-degree murder, following the death of his mother, Lana Brown Bradley, at her residence in Natchez, Mississippi.
The Adams County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were dispatched to the home on April 4 after relatives reported Bradley missing when her eldest son was unable to reach her.
Authorities initially identified Jackson as a family member before confirming he was the deceased’s son.
Sheriff Travis Patten described the case as one of the most disturbing he has encountered.
“This is by far the most heinous crime that I’ve ever witnessed in my entire life. We weren’t out there that day; this was one of those things when we walked up.
“This was one of those cases that you will never, ever forget in your life. This is the type of case that follows you home,” Patten told WJTV.
According to investigators, deputies observed signs of a recent clean-up upon entering the residence, raising immediate suspicion.
“As soon as they walked in the house, they could just see where somebody had been cleaning up, and they could smell chemicals all throughout the house.
“Floor was extremely slippery. And the older son said that this is just unusual for the youngest son to be cleaning up the house like that,” the sheriff said.
Jackson was later found in a bathroom within the house, where deputies made a discovery central to the investigation.
“I can say what was in the toilet, and it was her flesh. He chopped her up in pieces and dismembered her in a way that whoever came looking for her would have to do their due diligence to find her, and that’s just what we did,” Patten added.
Authorities further alleged that Jackson placed parts of his mother’s body in a suitcase and attempted to dispose of other remains.
He is now facing charges including first-degree murder, second-degree murder, mayhem, and tampering with evidence.
Investigators said Bradley, a retired teacher, had recently initiated legal steps to evict her son from the home, a development believed to have triggered tensions.
“He had threatened her the day before because she was looking to have him evicted from the home.
“She was in the process of doing so and had just gone to court the day before to have him removed from the home,” Patten said.
Officials also noted that while Jackson was believed to be mentally unstable based on family accounts, aspects of the incident suggested deliberate actions.