Unsolved in Ohio: Alicia Jackson

On December 2, 2010, a busy Columbus, Ohio, mother named Alicia Jackson, 25, left work and drove to her babysitter’s house to pick up her two-year-old son Jeremiah. She then made a stop at a local store before driving home. After arriving home, she placed Jeremiah in his high chair, turned on cartoons and started making dinner. Meatloaf was on the menu for the evening.

Eugene was taking classes at The Ohio State University to earn his Master’s degree. The couple had both attended and earned their undergraduate degrees from The Ohio State University. Alicia had already earned her Master’s degree. Once Eugene finished his degree, the couple and their son had made plans to move to Dallas, Texas, for Eugene’s new job. Alicia had already started networking to find herself work in Texas.

Alicia arrived home sometime around 5:30 p.m. She had placed Jeremiah in his high chair and found some cartoons for him to watch.

As dinner cooked, Alicia began reviewing her bills at the coffee table. Just as Alicia settled into her routine, someone knocked on the door. It’s believed that Alicia knew this person.

Eugene Wilson would arrive home from school and find Alicia deceased on her couch. Her killer had stabbed her over 30 times. Whoever killed this young woman wanted to make sure she didn’t survive. Thankfully, the killer didn’t harm Jeremiah. He was still in his high chair and oblivious to what had happened to his mother. Law enforcement concluded that Jeremiah must have witnessed his mother’s brutal killing.

Most likely, his age may have saved him. Had Jeremiah been older and able to talk, the killer may have also killed him to make sure there were no witnesses. According to law enforcement, the senseless brutality could mean Alicia knew her killer. This upcoming December will be the eleven-year anniversary of Alicia’s homicide. And it doesn’t appear anyone will ever solve this case.

When law enforcement began investigating Alicia’s murder, they couldn’t figure out why anyone would kill her so savagely. She didn’t have a questionable past that included any troubling incidents. As a child, she enjoyed dancing and playing the piano. She succeeded academically throughout her pursuit of education. She earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the Ohio State University.

Alicia was preparing to relocate to Dallas, Texas with her fiancé

It’s also believed she looked forward to her upcoming move to Dallas, Texas, with Eugene. Unfortunately, she wouldn’t live long enough to make it to Texas. She would spend her final moments of life in Columbus, Ohio. One detective who arrived at the scene said it was the worst crime scene he had ever seen. Authorities think the homicide must have happened after 7:00 p.m., based on texts between Alicia and her mother.

From the beginning, the police knew this homicide would be difficult to solve. The police had problems with the investigation from the beginning. For instance, there were no witnesses, no security cameras and no murder weapon.

Authorities also searched the area and local dumpsters for any discarded evidence. They found nothing. Robbery could have been a motive, since the killer stole two laptops and Alicia’s phone. But the killer left Alicia’s purse behind. It’s possible the thefts were just an afterthought. Perhaps the killer took the electronics because they were in plain sight. Or there was something on either of the laptops that could have provided a clue about the killer’s identity.

There were also no signs that Alicia had fought off her attacker. There wasn’t any damage inside the home that indicated a life-or-death struggle had ensued. Based on what I have been able to find out about this case, Alicia probably let her killer in. And the moment she turned her back on her killer, the killer likely surprised Alicia and attacked her from behind. Although this brutal slaying has garnered some media attention, it hasn’t received enough to catch the sadistic monster who stabbed Alicia Jackson to death.