A woman accused of helping to kill her brother at the family’s ranch east of Gunnison and hide his remains for more than two years has declined to accept a plea agreement. Stephanie Jackson, 34, pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and other crimes Tuesday.
As a result, a jury trial in the case was scheduled to begin Aug. 19 of next year and is expected to span into mid-September.
Jackson was arrested earlier this year along with her husband, David Jackson, 35, and mother, Deborah Rudibaugh, 69, after authorities discovered the remains of Stephanie Jackson’s brother, Jake Millison, on the family’s ranch in July 2017.
Rudibaugh confessed to shooting her son in the head while he slept and told authorities that she disposed of the body herself. However, changes to Rudibaugh’s story over time and her frail physical condition led authorities to believe that she did not act alone.
After months of interviews following the discovery of Millison’s remains, ultimately Stephanie Jackson was charged with first-degree murder and accessory to murder, while David Jackson was charged with accessory to murder, and Rudibaugh, who remains incarcerated, is accused of firstdegree murder after deliberation.
Additionally, the Jacksons and Rudibaugh were charged with tampering with a deceased human body, concealing a death and other crimes.
Stephanie Jackson also remains in the custody of the Gunnison County jail, from which she appeared by teleconference during court proceedings this week. However, David Jackson was released on bond Nov. 6 after accepting a plea agreement.
David Jackson also appeared in court Tuesday. A sentencing hearing in his case has yet to be scheduled.
Stephanie Jackson waived her right to a speedy trial under state statute, which typically requires that a defendant be brought to trial within six months of the date of entering a not-guilty plea. In this case, that would be June 4. However, Jackson and her public defenders agreed that a later date would offer the time necessary to make their case.
“I think honestly, pushing it out to August would be fine,” Jackson said. “I think we need that kind of time.”
In response to questioning by District Court Judge J. Steven Patrick, Jackson confirmed that she did not accept plea offers from the prosecution.
“They discussed offers with me, and I’ve rejected the offer,” Jackson said.
Yet, the first-degree murder and related charges are only some of the accusations against Jackson. Since she was arrested, two additional cases have been filed. In the first, Jackson is accused of felony menacing and reckless endangerment for having allegedly fired a pistol during an argument with her husband in early 2016 — a story which was revealed during interrogation of David Jackson related to Millison’s murder.
A j ury trial in that case is scheduled to commence Jan. 7 of next year.
Then, another case was filed against Stephanie Jackson this past July in which she’s accused of felony tampering with a witness or victim for allegedly attempting to sway her husband’s testimony through messages conveyed by an unnamed third party while both Jacksons were in the custody of the jail earlier this year.
Additionally, a wrongful death lawsuit has been filed by Millison’s father, Ray Millison, against both Jacksons and Rudibaugh. On Tuesday, a jury trial in the suit was scheduled to commence July 15 of next year.
The complaint in the case alleges that the trio of family members “jointly planned to kill Jacob Millison,” and after he was dead “duct taped his body in a plastic sheet,” dragged the remains to a manure pile in a corral on the ranch, buried him there and “actively attempted to conceal his death.”
“Deborah Sue Rudibaugh confessed that she killed Jacob Millison at Stephanie Jackson’s direction,” the complaint further alleges.
The lawsuit seeks judgment for monetary damages in an amount to be determined at trial.
(Will Shoemaker can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or at editor@gunnisontimes.com .)
“They discussed offers with me, and I’ve rejected the offer.”
Stephanie Jackson
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here