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A man from Mississippi stands accused of murdering his mother, in a case described by local law enforcement as one of the most horrific they have ever encountered. Authorities claim they discovered him attempting to dispose of fragments of her body in the toilet.
Zachary Lavel Jackson Jr., aged 29, is facing several serious charges, including first-degree murder, second-degree murder, mayhem, and tampering with evidence. These charges stem from the death of his mother, Lana Brown Bradley, a 62-year-old retired teacher.
The investigation began when the Adams County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call on April 4 at Bradley’s home in Natchez. Concerned relatives had reported her missing, prompting the authorities to investigate.
Initially identified only as a family member, Jackson was later confirmed by investigators to be Bradley’s son.
Authorities allege that Jackson not only killed but also dismembered his mother, attempting to flush pieces of her flesh down the toilet in her residence. The Adams County Sheriff’s Office released his identity to the public following these grim discoveries.
“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,” Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten told WJTV.
Deputies were called to Bradley’s home after her oldest son could not reach her the previous day. Two of Bradley’s other sons lived with her.
“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,” Patten explained.
Jackson, the youngest son, was found in a bathroom where deputies allegedly saw a black substance in the toilet.
Authorities seen at the home of Lana Brown Bradley in Natchez, Miss. (Adams County Sheriff’s office)
“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,” the sheriff said.
Authorities stated that Jackson had allegedly placed his mother’s body parts in a suitcase and flushed the rest down the toilet after dismembering her. Bradley had threatened to evict her son from the home, according to the sheriff, who cited interviews with family members stating that Jackson was mentally unstable.
Law enforcement at the home of Lana Brown Bradley in Natchez, Miss. (Adams County Sheriff’s Office)
However, Patten noted that Jackson was “very calculating” when he allegedly committed the crime.
“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 explained.
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