Trish Mehaffey

A Cedar Rapids man who fatally shot his girlfriend’s uncle pleaded to voluntary manslaughter and other charges. He faces up to 20 years. He and his girlfriend staged the 2019 shooting to look like a suicide.

Iowa State University will celebrate it’s first George Washington Carver Day Feb. 1. Carver was the first Black student to receive bachelor and master degrees and also first Black faculty member at ISU.

An Iowa City man was convicted for igniting a fire at his former girlfriend’s apartment, trapping her, her boyfriend and three kids under the age of 5. They escaped on a balcony and waited for firefighters.

A Marion man was sentenced to 16 years in prison for sexual abuse of teen girl and possessing child pornography. He forced the teen to do sex acts in exchange for internet she needed to do her school work.

Alexander Jackson faces life in prison for killing his parents and 19-year-old sister in June 2021. After the verdict, his father’s family members said “Alex wanted the world to think he was a victim” but they know the truth today.

Alexander Jackson has been found guilty of three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of his father Jan Jackson, 61, mother Melissa Jackson, 68, and his sister Sabrina Jackson, 19 on June 15, 2021.

A prosecutor in the Alexander Jackson murder trial, said during her closing argument Tuesday that Jackson didn’t bother checking on his family before he called 911 because he knew they were dead. The defense said there is reasonable doubt in the circumstantial case to convict Jackson. The jury will resume deliberations Wednesday.

Closing arguments on Tuesday

A Cedar Rapids man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for robbing and killing a cab driver in 2011.

A defense expert testified Alexander Jackson didn’t have the doorbell app Ring to manipulate backyard surveillance cameras, which police suspected. Jackson claims an intruder broke in and killed his parents and sister on June 15, 2021, but no intruder was seen on camera videos.

Defense continues its case today

A defense expert said a Cedar Rapids police dog that couldn’t track the alleged intruder that Alexander Jackson said killed his family doesn’t mean the suspect didn’t exist. He said the dog was panting heavily, preventing him from sniffing through his nose to track anything.

Defense will start its case Friday.

Police investigators interrogated Alexander Jackson for several hours but he didn’t change his story about an intruder killing his parents and sister. The investigators believe his motive was an ultimatum from his father to get a job or move out.

Video of police interview of Alexander Jackson will be played in court Thursday.