On June 13, 1994 , at 12:59 a.m. , James O. Jackson used a Winchester 12 gauge shotgun, pump, serial #454455, to shoot his wife of 26 years, Wilma Jean Lyon Jackson. Wilma Jean, “Jean” as she was known to her family, was the daughter of George “Ollie” Lyons, and Jewel Gladys Wright Lyons. She was born in Bowie, Montague Co., TX on Nov 19, 1942 . She is buried in City Cemetery, Sundown, Hockley Co., TX, where the grandparents of James Jackson are buried.
Jean and James were married on Dec 15, 1968 in Levelland, Hockley Co, TX. James was almost 20 years old, and Jean was almost 26 years of age on their wedding day.
They would have three children; James, William and Brenda, and lived at 415 6 th St. , Wolfforth , Texas at the time of this incident.
After Jean’s death, Social Security benefits were granted to her minor child, Brenda, based on Jean's work history under Social Security number 456-76-8416.
It took almost three years before James was brought to trial.
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March 31, 1997
By Graham Underwood
Avalanche-Journal (Lubbock, TX)
Former officer says defendant distraught shortly after wife's slaying
The murder trial of James O. Jackson opened Monday with a former police officer's description of a distraught defendant who hugged his wife's body and asked to die.
Jackson, 47, occasionally reddened during opening statements and testimony in 137th District Court, but otherwise showed little reaction.
He is charged with killing 52-year-old Wilma Jean Jackson on June 13, 1994, in their Wolfforth home.
Mrs. Jackson was a former Levelland telephone operator and homemaker who also worked in her husband's oil field supply firm.
The Jacksons, who had been married more than 20 years and parented three children, were drinking together before Mrs. Jackson received a shotgun blast to her neck that almost decapitated her, said Assistant Criminal District Attorney Frank Webb.
''We know the gun couldn't have gone off accidentally. We know she couldn't have done it herself,'' Webb said. ''And we know that Mr. Jackson was the only one in the house with her.''
Defense attorney Floyd Holder did not deny that Jackson shot his wife but said the shooting was an accident between a couple that had no history of violence. The incident, Holder said, stemmed from Jackson's anxiety about his 15-year-old daughter's dating relationship with a then-37-year-old Lubbock attorney Jack Clinton Looney.
When their daughter was late arriving home from an outing with the attorney, Holder said, Jackson cleaned and loaded his shotgun and prepared to meet her and her date when they arrived home.
''Mrs. Jackson thought, simply, he (Jackson) was being an old fool in plain and simple language and that he shouldn't point a gun at anyone,'' Holder said.
When she grabbed the gun's barrel and tried to take it away, the shotgun discharged and the blast hit her in the throat, Holder said.
Former Wolfforth police officer Enrique Saldana testified that he arrived at the Jackson residence in response to a hysterical phone call from Jackson and found the man embracing his wife's bloody body on the floor of their living room.
''Mr. Jackson appeared to be somewhat despondent. He was hovering over the body,'' Saldana said. ''He just kept telling me, 'Kill me! Kill me! All I want is to die.'' Testimony continues today.
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April 1, 1997
Avalanche-Journal (Lubbock, TX)
By Graham Underwood
Defense rests in trial of husband accused of shooting wife to death
James O. Jackson described his wife's killing as accidental Tuesday, shortly before attorneys rested in his murder trial.
The 47-year-old Wolfforth man spoke softly and occasionally cried as he recounted the night of June 12, 1994, when Jean Jackson received a shotgun blast to her neck.
Jackson said he and his wife anxiously were awaiting their teen-age daughter's return from a date with a 37-year-old Lubbock lawyer. Both he and his wife had been drinking, Jackson said, and disagreed about how to handle their 15-year-old daughter and her apparent boyfriend, Jack Clinton Looney.
''I just wanted to let him know that I didn't want him messing around with my daughter and not to come over here no more,'' Jackson said.
He said Jean Jackson wanted to avoid a confrontation because she believed it would make their daughter, Brenda, even more rebellious. At some point during the hours of discussions, Jackson said he went into his bedroom, got two shotguns from a closet and wiped them down.
Some time after 10 p.m., he said, Brenda called from Looney's mobile telephone. Jackson said he spoke to his daughter and threatened to call police if she did not come home. After the phone call, Jackson said his wife took one of the shotguns and returned it to their bedroom.
''I got the other one and set it down by me,'' Jackson said.
The phone rang again, and Brenda told them that she was spending the night at her grandmother's house.
''Jean came back in the room, nearly crying, and she said, 'I guess you've done it now. She's never coming home, now,' '' Jackson said.
As he tried to get up from the chair in which he was sitting, Jackson said, Jean took hold of the shotgun's barrel to take it away from him. Jackson said the gun fired.
''I looked up and all I seen was my wife's arms and her hands were flung out,'' Jackson said.
A medical examiner testified earlier that Jean's neck had a gunpowder burn, indicating the weapon was pressed against her throat as it was fired.
Wolfforth Police Chief Mike Malone also testified for the defense that, minutes after arriving at the crime scene, he decided Jackson had not intentionally shot Jean. Malone said he passed along that opinion to the other officers there. Although Jackson is a longtime acquaintance, Malone said Jackson is not a friend of his.
''I don't think my mind was made up (about Jackson's innocence,)'' Malone said under cross examination. ''It's just a small town and you know everybody. Sometimes you get surprised.''
Final arguments are set for today in 137th District Court.
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April 2, 1997
By Graham Underwood
Avalanche-Journal (Lubbock, TX)
Jurors sentenced James O. Jackson to seven years in prison Wednesday for the 1994 shotgun slaying of his wife.
The 48-year-old Wolfforth man showed no visible reaction a short time after 137th District Judge Cecil Puryear read the jury's finding. He must serve at least half of the term before he is eligible for release. Jackson remains out on bond until formal sentencing Friday.
Earlier in the day, Jackson was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter in the June 13, 1994, shooting of 52-year-old Jean Jackson in their home. It was the first felony conviction for the former Boy Scout leader and father of three.
Jackson testified Tuesday that, on the night of the shooting, he was angry at his 15-year-old daughter and a then-37-year-old attorney whom she was dating against her parents' wishes. When his daughter was late arriving home, Jackson said, he got out two shotguns with which to frighten her suitor from ever returning to the residence.
Jackson said his wife picked up one of the weapons, put it away in a closet and was trying to take the second shotgun away from him. Jackson said he was trying to get out of a chair when the shotgun fired. The blast struck his wife in her neck.
Testimony and medical evidence indicated both Jackson and his wife had been drinking. At least one defense witness testified that the couple had never displayed any violence during more than 20 years of marriage.
The only witness to testify Wednesday was the defendant's mother, Barbara Jackson, who said Jackson had been hospitalized and treated for depression and had lost about 50 pounds since his wife's death.
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October 26, 1999
Avalanche-Journal (Lubbock, TX)
Probation denied for man convicted of shooting wife
District Judge Cecil Puryear denied probation Monday for a man who has served two years of a seven-year sentence for killing his wife in 1994.*
James O. Jackson was convicted in 1997 of voluntary manslaughter in the shooting death of his wife, Jean Jackson. She suffered a gunshot wound to the neck in June 1994.
*(Jackson had been incarcerated for a little more than a year prior to this hearing)
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Jackson remained free on bond after
his conviction for approximately two years. He was initially incarcerated
on November 16, 1998 (probably in the county jail) and was received by TDCJ
on July 27, 1999.
Listed below are the units that housed James O. Jackson while in the custody of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice:
Unit
Date
Received at Middleton Unit
7-27-99 (Abilene)
Transferred to Robertson Unit on 10-18-00
(Abilene)
Transferred to Middleton Unit on 10-18-00
(Abilene)
Transferred to Byrd Unit on
12-05-01 (Huntsville)
Transferred to Goree Unit on
12-18-01 (Huntsville)
Transferred to Coffield Unit on
1-04-02 (Tennessee Coloney (near Palestine))
Transferred to Beto Unit on
2-20-02 (Tennessee Coloney
(near Palestine))
Transferred to Coffield Unit on
2-20-02 (Tennessee Coloney (near Palestine))
Transferred to Huntsville on
11-14-05 (Huntsville)
Discharged on
11-15-05 (He was
released unconditionally after serving every day of his seven year sentence)
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On November 9, 2007, I sent a request to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for Jackson's record while in prison. The focus of my inquiry was to determine why he spent all of his seven year sentence incarcerated, when by Texas law, he was required to serve only 3.5 years (one-half his sentence) and below is their response.
Dear Mr. Wright:
The above information request
was forwarded to this office for response. Unfortunately, most TDCJ records
of non-death row inmates, even those who have been released, are confidential
by law, and therefore unavailable to the public. In particular, the information
you seek is made confidential by Texas Government Code, Section 552.134 and/or
Section 508.313. Sincerely, James M. Frazier, III Assistant General Counsel'
Office of General Counsel TDCJ
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Texas Marriage Collection 1966-2002
Name: Wilma J Lyon
Gender: Female
Marriage Date: 15 Dec 1968
Estimated birth year: abt 1952
Age: 16
Spouse: James O Jackson
Spouse Gender: Male
Spouse Est Birth Year: abt 1949
Spouse Age: 19
Marriage County: Hockley
Marriage State: Texas
Source: Texas Marriage Index, 1966-2002
(the estimated birth year for Wilma Jean should be 1942, not 1952 ... this is
an error on the official record)
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Social Security Death Index
Social Security Death Index
about Wilma J. Jackson
Name: Wilma J. Jackson
SSN: 456-76-8416
Born: 19 Nov 1942
Died: 13 Jun 1994
State (Year) SSN issued: Texas (1962 )
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Jack Clinton Looney
(this is the man who was with Brenda the night Wilma Jean was murdered)
Jack Clinton Looney
(this is the man who was with Brenda the night Wilma Jean was murdered)
Oct 4, 1957 Jack Clinton Looney was born, the middle child and second son of Ervin Paul & Ruby Maxine Craig Looney in Wimpole Park , England .
Nov 5, 1982 Jack Looney admitted to the Texas bar. Graduated from Texas Tech Law, Issued Texas license #12555000.
Oct 9, 1983 Jack Looney (age 26) married Judy D Jones (age 23) in Lubbock Co., TX
Feb 22, 1985 Jack Looney & Judy divorce in Lubbock Co., TX
Aug 10, 1986 Clinton Donovan Looney born; son of Jack Clinton Looney & Dana Joyce, in Lubbock Co., TX (they were never married)
Mar 17, 1990 Jack Looney (age 33) married Maureen M Dick (age 41) in Lubbock Co., TX
Jun 26, 1990 Jack Looney & Maureen divorce in Lubbock Co., TX
Jun 1, 1992 Jack Looney was retained by Leon Lee Reyes to represent him in a personal injury matter. Looney neglected this case.
July 5, 1994 Bethany Passman was arrested
in Lubbock County , Texas for public intoxication and disorderly conduct. On
that same day, Passman posted bond, retained Looney to represent her in fighting
these charges.
According to the citation that was issued to Passmann she had fifteen (15) days
from the date of the incident to make an appearance with
the court. Failure to appear would result in an automatic finding of guilty.
After retaining him, Passmann relied on Looney to take all appropriate action to insure that the default finding of guilty was not rendered against her pursuant to the terms of the ticket.
Approximately a week after retaining Looney, Passmann inquired with the Lubbock Municipal Court regarding the ultimate return of her cash bond. At that time she was informed that Looney had not made an appearance on her behalf. Passmann immediately contacted
Looney’s office and was assured
by one of Looney’s employees that an appearance had been made. After another
month without hearing
from Respondent, Passmann called his office to inquire about the status of the
case. She was told that Looney’s office had not received
anything from the court. Passman at that time informed Looney’s office
personnel that she wished to resolve this matter as soon as possible
in that she was moving to Bryan, Texas to further her education. Passmann was
told by an employee in Looney’s office that he would inquire about the
status of her case and that she should call him back the next day for an answer.
When Passmann called back the next
day, she was simply told that these things take awhile, and that she should
leave them a forwarding address.
After not hearing from Looney or his office again for sometime, Passmann called
Looney’s office on or about September 23, 1994,
to inquire about the need to return to Lubbock for court. After a second telephone
call, Passmann was told by Looney’s employee that
everything had been taken care of and that she did not have to worry about returning
to Lubbock . At that point, Passmann called
the Lubbock Municipal Court to inquire about the return of her cash bond, at
which time she first learned that a default finding of guilty
had been rendered against her. It was this incident that caused Looney's two-year
suspension. The following mal-practice incidents are
included in the motion to resign from the bar that was filed by Looney, in lieu
of being disbarred.
Mar 31, 1995 Looney was retained by Phillip A. Thompson in a divorce matter, Looney was paid $1,050, and performed no work on the case.
Aug 17, 1995 Looney was retained by Aumpun Sitthigarana to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Looney was paid $668 and he never filed any paperwork on this case.
Feb 1, 1996 Looney was retained by Rafael Saenz in a divorce matter; Looney was paid $750 and performed no work in this case.
Mar 11, 1996 Looney was retained by Josie Peralez in a divorce matter, Looney was paid $750, and he neglected to file the petition.
May 1, 1996 Looney's licenses was
suspended from May 1, 1996 to May 1, 1998 for allowing a client who had been
arrested for disorderly
conduct and drunk in public to be convicted by default, when Looney failed to
enter an appearance on her behalf. (See incident above)
He was also fined $7,200. However, the records show that Looney continued to
practice law in Lubbock even with a suspended license.
Apr 16, 1996 The day after the suspension
hearing, he agreed to represent Ruby Jean Walker in a bankruptcy action and
he was paid $475
on Apr 16, 1996, $300 on Apr 25, 1996, and $100 on May 1, 1996 . Looney took
no action on this case.
Apr 17, 1996 Looney was retained to
represent Jerri Simmons- Asmussen in an adoption matter. He was paid $630, but
he never filed any
paperwork in this matter.
Jun 12, 1996 Looney was indicted by
the Grand Jury in Lubbock, TX for Tampering with Government Records. His bail
was set at $5,000;
however the record does not reflect any arrest or prosecution of this charge.
Jan 12, 1998 Looney resigned at age
41, from the practice of law in lieu of discipline, after about 16 years of
practice. He was represented
at the hearing by his older brother, Paul C. Looney, who practices law at 11767
Katy Freeway, Suite 740, Houston, TX .
Feb 28, 1998 Looney filed for Chapter 7 for non-business debts
Jan 31, 2006 Looney charged in Hadley, MA with Forgery of Check, Larceny & Utter False Check.
May 18, 2006 Looney arrested for Domestic
Violence in Granby, MA . Charged with assault and battery with dangerous deadly
weapon
(shod foot), Intimidation of a witness, kidnapping, and using a motor vehicle
without authority, as well as simple assault and battery.
May 20, 2006 Hampshire Gazette
District Courts In Eastern Hampshire District Court Friday before Judge W. Michael Goggins :
LOONEY, Jack C., 48, of Granby (MA),
pleaded innocent to charges of kidnapping, assault and battery with a dangerous
weapon (shod foot), assault and battery, witness intimidation, and using a motor
vehicle without authority; continued to May 23.
Jul 6, 2006 Hampshire Gazette
District Courts In Eastern Hampshire District Court
Sentenced to jail
LOONEY, Jack C., 48, Granby, was
found guilty on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (shod
foot) and assault
and battery; sentenced to 2 years in the Hampshire County Jail and House of
Correction; six months to be served direct; also sentenced
to three years of probation; found not guilty on a charge of using a motor vehicle
without authority; had charges of kidnapping
and witness intimidation dismissed.
Jul 6, 2006 Hampshire Gazette
Granby man jailed for assault on roommate
HADLEY - A Granby man who in May
was charged with beating his female roommate, then forcing her to stay in bed
and refusing to take her to the hospital while she suffered from broken ribs
and a fractured pelvis, was ordered to spend six months in jail Wednesday.
Eastern Hampshire District Court Judge Nancy Dusek -Gomez sentenced Jack C.
Looney, 48, of Granby (MA), after he was found guilty
Wednesday on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (shod foot)
and assault and battery.
She sentenced Looney to two years in the Hampshire Jail and House of Correction, with six months to be served and the balance suspended while he is on probation for three years.
Charges of kidnapping and witness
intimidation were dismissed. Looney was found not guilty on a charge of using
a motor vehicle
without authority.
Jul 27, 2006 Looney attended a hearing
before the Hampshire (MA) Sheriff’s office to determine his initial classification
while incarcerated. It was
determined he would continue to remain in medium security, and to continue in
(psychiatric) treatment. He signed this document on
Aug 1, 1906 , with his name Jack Clinton Looney, and over the letter “I”
he placed a small flower.
Aug 3, 2006 Hampshire Gazette
Woman says court system makes her a victim again
NORTHAMPTON - A Granby woman who
was held hostage in her apartment for hours said she was ''revictimized'' by
a criminal justice system
that forced her to attend a hearing she didn't want to attend.
The system that I experienced was
very disempowering, Shelley Janiczek Woodson said in a recent telephone interview.
Woodson, 42, suffered broken ribs and a fractured pelvis when her roommate and
longtime friend, Jack Looney, hid the telephones in the
clothes dryer and beat her on May 16. They were ending a romantic relationship.
Looney, 48, then forced her to stay
in bed, refusing to bring her to the hospital for treatment for injuries she
suffered. Police said he moved
her from room to room, for about five hours while she asked to be taken to the
hospital. Eventually, Woodson convinced Looney to bring her to Cooley Dickinson
Hospital.
''It was a very, very traumatic thing,'' she said during the interview. ''I
feel lucky to be alive.'' But what came next, she said, was also traumatic.
''I endured several court proceedings and meetings, during which I had to not
only face the person who assaulted and terrorized me,
but had to endure assaults on my character by his public defender,'' she wrote
in an email to the Gazette.
Looney was convicted July 5 of assault
and battery with a dangerous weapon (shod foot) and assault and battery. He
was sentenced
to two years in the Hampshire Jail and House of Correction, with six months
to be served and the balance suspended during
three years of probation. Prosecutors dismissed charges of kidnapping and witness
intimidation.
As part of the criminal court proceeding,
Woodson had requested restitution from Looney, but after his lawyer demanded
a hearing
on the issue Woodson decided she didn't want to fight over money because going
to court was too difficult for her.
It was then, she said, that she began to feel the system was hurting her all
over again. She said a prosecutor told her she didn't have a choice
about whether she wanted to go to the hearing.
Woodson said she was told that if she chose to skip the hearing a warrant would
be issued for her arrest.
''That would be a very, very, just unbelievable event that the commonwealth
would spend taxpayer money pursuing a victim of a
violent crime,'' she said.
Efforts to reach First Assistant
Northwestern District Attorney Renee Steese were unsuccessful.
Woodson had planned to skip the restitution hearing Wednesday - ''I'm just going
to take a stand'' - but changed her mind after
her attorney told her that police would likely arrest her at work. Woodson,
a psychotherapist, decided such an incident could be
disturbing to her clients.
But because of a mix-up in scheduling,
Looney was not taken to court and the hearing was rescheduled to Sept. 22. Woodson
said
she'll likely go to that one, too.
The criminal justice system claims to be focused on empowering victims, she
said, but she believes that is not what happens.
''At every step in the legal process,
my efforts to make my own decisions about my own life were thwarted by the
commonwealth,'' she said.
For instance, Woodson, in consultation
with her therapist, chose to maintain phone and mail contact with Looney.
''I want to hear what he has to say and gain some understanding about what happened
to me,'' she said.
But the judge ordered her to have no contact (the order was later rescinded).
''I'm an adult and I don't need the
commonwealth to tell me with whom I can communicate,'' Woodson said. ''They
treated
me like a child in need of protection.''
Aug 23, 2006 Hampshire Gazette
Mental evaluation is ordered in assault case
NORTHAMPTON -- A Granby man convicted
of assaulting a woman he lived with was ordered to undergo a
mental examination Tuesday.
Jack Looney, 48, was convicted in
Eastern Hampshire District Court July 5 of assault and battery with a dangerous
weapon (a shod foot) and assault and battery for kicking and pushing his roommate,
Shelley Janiczek Woodson, in the home
they shared on May 16.
Woodson initially claimed that Looney
also held her captive after injuring her, but Looney denied the allegation and
charges of kidnapping
and witness intimidation were dropped.
Woodson said that she suffered a
fractured pelvis in addition to a broken rib. Looney's lawyer, Alan Rubin, said
there was no evidence
that her pelvis had been fractured.
Woodson told the Gazette earlier
this month that the District Attorney's office had forced her to go forward
with a restitution request.
But Elizabeth Katz, an assistant Northwestern district attorney who at one time
handled the case, said that was unlikely. As a matter of
policy, she said, ''if a victim tells us they don't want restitution, we don't
ask for it.''
At the restitution hearing in court
Tuesday, Rubin asked that his client be ordered to undergo a mental competency
evaluation. The case has
been rescheduled to Sept. 7.
Oct 18, 2006 Looney discharged from Hampshire House of Correction in Northampton , MA .
Nov 7, 2006 Hampshire Gazette
Jack C. Looney, 49, of Granby , was
arrested Sunday on the charge of domestic assault and battery on his girlfriend
after police made to
a well-being check at his home about 11:40 p.m.
Jan 11, 2007 Hampshire Gazette
In Eastern Hampshire District Court
Monday before Judge W. Michael Ryan: Looney, Jack C., 49, Granby, (MA), pleaded
guilty
to a charge of larceny over $250; placed on probation for two years ordered
to pay $3,613.77 in restitution, and to stay 50 yards
away from victim (Ms. Woodson); also had a charge of uttering a false check
dropped.
April 9, 2007 Looney discharged from
Hampshire House of Correction in Northampton, MA . He was released on probation
and returned
to Texas to serve out the terms of his probation. He resides today (2008) in
Lubbock , TX .
Oct 1, 2007 Looney is listed as a bass singer with The Lubbock (TX) Chorale.
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Following you will find document relating to Looney’s history, in no particular order.
