Latest / Shades of Murder / 53: Bodies in Port Bolivar - Love & Betrayal in Texas

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53: Bodies in Port Bolivar - Love & Betrayal in Texas · Shades of Murder

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On the morning of March 7th, 2014, around 7:45 AM, 911
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operators received a disturbing call.
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It was from a clerk working at Fisherman's Cove Food Mart in
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Port Blvd. Texas.
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The guy who delivered Budweiser products to the store had gone
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behind the dumpster to dispose of some trash when he came
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across a horrific scene. He hurried back into the shop
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and told the man behind the counter that there were two
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bodies by the dumpster and that he should contact the police.
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He said that before he calls though, to please go and check
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to make sure they aren't just mannequins.
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The clerk quickly confirmed upon returning they were not
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mannequins. Who were these victims and who
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was the monster who had murdered them?
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And threw them out like trash. Hello and welcome to Shades of
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Murder. In this podcast, I discuss cases
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of murder from around the world and throughout history,
1:18
attempting to unravel the layers of darkness that help make
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humans kind of monsters. Please be forewarned that each
1:29
episode contains specific and at times very graphic and
1:34
disturbing details of the case. This show is not intended for
1:38
all audiences and listener discretion is strongly advised.
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Homicide detectives promptly headed to the location of Port
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Bolivar, a community on the northern shore of the Bolivar
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Peninsula that is separated from the island of Galveston, TX by
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the entrance to Galveston Bay. The route most people take there
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is via the ferry, which takes approximately 18 minutes.
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When officers arrived on the scene, they appeared to be one
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female and 1 male, both deceased.
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The first victim appeared to be shot in the head and the other
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had their head wrapped up in a sheet.
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The individual, believed to be a male, wore military style boots,
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dark jeans, and was wearing boxers underneath.
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When they removed the sheet, they realized that victim #2 was
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also a female. The second woman had been struck
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multiple times by a blunt force object to her skull.
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There was no sign of any sexual assault.
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It was obvious that rage had been present during the
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Commission of these two murders. Yet there was very little blood
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found at the crime scene. There was no blood spatter that
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you would expect from a gunshot wound.
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It was clear that the women had not been murdered at the
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location of the convenience store.
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Crime scene investigators went over every section near where
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the women's bodies were found, hoping to find a clue.
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There was a piece of a house, possibly window shutters, that
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were blood stained. Near their bodies was also a
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letter addressed to someone named Brittany Cosby with an
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address in Houston, which was about 50 miles away.
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Using the address on the letter, homicide detectives drove to the
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residence to see if a Brittany Cosby had lived there.
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Upon their arrival, they immediately observed that a
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window shutter was missing. The shutter appeared to be
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identical to the one located at the crime scene.
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An elderly woman answered the door.
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She identified herself as Annie Lee Cosby.
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The woman confirmed that yes, Brittany lived there and that
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she was her granddaughter. When detectives entered the home
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and looked around, they saw photos of the woman whom they
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knew now was one of the victims. Now they had to break the
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horrible tragic news to this feeble old woman, this 92 year
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old woman who was an amputee in a wheelchair, that her beloved
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granddaughter had been murdered. According to her, the day before
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the two women had left for work and that was the last time she
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had seen either one of them. The grandmother pulled at
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pictures of the two women on her phone who were a couple.
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She said Brittany's girlfriend was named Crystal Jackson.
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Shortly afterwards, an older man arrived at the house.
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He immediately asked what was going on.
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When officers asked if he was Brittany Cosby's father, the man
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confirmed that he was and then officers told him that his
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daughter was found dead. That man broke down in tears
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asking what had happened. The main officer, who was a
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father himself, sympathized with what the man must be
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experiencing. When asked what vehicle the
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women drove since the car was missing, it was described as a
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2006 two toned grey Kia Sorento. Officers asked Brittany's father
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if the couple had any known enemies, to which he simply
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stated no. When they mentioned to him that
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they noticed one of the window shutters was missing from the
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house, he claimed that he'd been that way for a while.
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Mr. Cosby stated that the Mexicans worked around the house
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and that Pepe, the yard man, would have been the last one to
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have seen the boards. When Galveston PD inquired with
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the clerk inside the convenience store if they recognize the
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victims, the person recalled maybe seen them a few days
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before. When detectives watched the
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surveillance footage of the convenience store, they saw a
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woman enter around the time it was believed the two women had
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been there. Both victims had been petite
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women and this woman on camera was not.
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No one else was seen on the video.
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When they viewed the camera footage of the parking lot, they
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hoped to see a vehicle in view, but unfortunately no vehicle was
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seen that fit the description. Their first lead had led to
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nothing. A BOLO was placed in the system
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and a search was conducted for Crystal Jackson.
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The results returned a license that positively identified her
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as being the second homicide victim.
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They obtained an address from her license.
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When an older man answered the door, he identified himself as
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Mr. Ivan Jackson, Crystal's father.
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That man told officers that Crystal and her daughter lived
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there with him and his wife. When he was told about his
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daughter's murder, he broke down sobbing right there in front of
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the officers telling them, and I quote, I told Crystal that
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Brittany was trouble. Crystal's father was a local
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preacher at a church, and he did not hide his unhappiness or
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disapproval about his daughter's sexual identity.
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Ivan Jackson was particularly unhappy that Crystal was
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involved with Brittany Cosby, although he never specified as
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to why he didn't like her. Ivan Jackson claimed that he'd
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been doing his best to accept it because he left his daughter.
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The man also owned a semi automatic gun.
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Crystal's father, Ivan Jackson, now appeared to be a strong
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potential suspect. Investigators second lead was to
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visit the yardman Pepe. When officers arrived at his
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residence, the man who identified himself as Pepe was
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much older and more feeble than they had expected.
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He walked with a cane. It was obvious that he was not.
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Their double homicide suspect. Brittany Cosby's aunt Ebony
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Mcdade happened to go on to Facebook before heading out for
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a concert that night. The same day the women's bodies
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were found, there were multiple messages from people on her
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Facebook page saying that they thought her niece and her
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girlfriend might be dead. Ebony went to the Channel 13
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website and was shocked to see the faces of her young niece,
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Brittany and her girl from Crystal plastered on the front
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page. She immediately called her
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brother James and said she was on her way over.
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Ebony was filled with sadness, confusion and rage when she
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arrived at the Cosby residence. She held her grieving brother in
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her arms tight, comforting him the best she could happening.
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Mcdade desperately needed to know who had killed her niece
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and her girlfriend. When investigators interviewed
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Crystal Jackson's father, Ivan, he said that he loved his
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daughter. He told detectives that he had
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done his best to raise her right, but somewhere along the
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way she had fallen to the wrong side.
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He simply stated to the police that he didn't like her changing
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her sexual orientation, but there was nothing he could do to
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change her. Ivan Jackson said that he knew
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that lesbian stuff would get her into trouble.
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It would be her end. He made it quite clear that he
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was not OK with her being gay, and then it was a point of
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contention and conflict between him and his daughter.
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Ivan Jackson remained a strong potential suspect in the eyes of
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law enforcement. Autopsy results returned on the
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two women's bodies. They revealed that Brittany
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Cosby had been struck five times on the back of the head with a
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blunt force instrument splitting her skull, and she had also been
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choked. Crystal Jackson had a gunshot
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wound to the side of her head with an exit wound.
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Detectives believe that whoever killed the women wanted to get
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rid of Crystal quickly. However, the brutal nature of
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the injuries Brittany had endured let investigators
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believe her death had been much more personal.
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This had them refocus their efforts on who held rage towards
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Brittany Cosby and why. Detectives began to investigate
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the route the perpetrators would have taken from Houston to Port
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Bolivar where the ferry had likely been used.
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They contacted the ferry manager who confirmed that on the
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evening before the bodies were discovered, a 2006 Kia Sorento
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had travelled on the ferry. The manifest stated that at 9:18
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PM, the Kia crossed over and that exact time the ferry
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surveillance shows a 2 tone grey Kia Sorento arriving.
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But officers couldn't see inside the windows to verify who was
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driving the vehicle. They went back to the footage
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and watched the time the Kia landed on the ferry at 9:13 PM,
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it was observed that the driver's side headlight was out.
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This could help them find the vehicle.
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Then, when the security guard was talking to the driver, the
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person suddenly stepped out of the car.
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The camera was too far away, unfortunately, to make a clear
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identification, but the person appeared to be male in build and
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height. The individual towered over the
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vehicle. Officers next interviewed the
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security guard at the ferry. She remembered that it was an
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older black man who had been well groomed.
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She also noticed that the man didn't seem to be familiar with
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the vehicle. The security guard helped
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officers sketch an image of the driver.
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Unfortunately, when the sketch was done, the image failed to
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match either Ivan Jackson or James Cosby.
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Police were completely lost on who they should be looking for.
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Then, officers decided to take a closer look at the autopsy
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report. It specifically said that
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Crystal Jackson had been shot with a high caliber firearm,
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which did not match the 25 caliber gun that her father,
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Ivan Jackson owned. At that point in the
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investigation, the police pretty much ruled him out as the
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perpetrator of this vicious double slain homicide.
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Detectives were growing increasingly more frustrated and
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they were stumped by who had killed these two young women.
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Every suspect and theory they came up with was shut down as
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soon as it came up and they were getting nowhere with a case.
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Officers learned that Brittany was employed at Starbucks.
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When they talked to her manager, they said she never showed up
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for her shift that day, which was very unlike her.
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Now. Detectives could work within the
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time window from the last time she was seen at her house to
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when her vehicle arrived on the ferry, so they began looking for
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any surveillance footage around her residence and the
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neighborhood. A local liquor store had
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surveillance footage that covered the street that Brittany
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would have travelled on. At 7:48 AM on March 6th, they
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see her vehicle drive past the camera.
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Then a white sedan that had been parked on the side of the road
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makes a sudden U-turn and follows the Sorrento.
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The vehicle was identified as a white Hyundai Sonata.
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But who was driving the car and why were they following these
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women? Around 12 hours later, at 7:43
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PM, what appears to be a Kia Sorento pulls up and parks at
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the same corner. The car had been coming from the
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direction of Brittany Cosby's residence and was now headed in
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the direction of Galveston. Detective Kilburn received
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evidence returned from the crime lab.
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It was a fingerprint that had been lifted from a piece of
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paper that had been wrapped around the blood spattered
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window shutterboard. The way it was wrapped around
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the board indicated that someone had been using it to carry the
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shutter. The left fingerprint was
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identified to be James Larry Cosby's, Brittany's father.
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At the very least, officers now realized that he was involved in
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the disposal of the two women's bodies.
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When homicide investigators arrived at the Cosby residence,
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James Larry Cosby was not there. He was attending a vigil for his
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daughter and her girlfriend. There was a caretaker at the
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house looking after Brittany's grandmother.
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Officers asked her if she had noticed anything unusual or
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strange lately that it happened at the house.
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The woman told them that she found a bizarre how the carport
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had been recently cleaned to the point of being spotless.
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As officers looked around the area of the carport, one of them
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noticed 4 bricks sitting at the end of the wheelchair ramp.
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This was puzzling to the detective.
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When he lifted the bricks, the cement was exposed and showed 4
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tiny drops of blood and investigators now entered the
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Cosby residence. They looked around the rooms and
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noticed some signs of a struggle having taken place.
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When they lifted the carpet, several large areas of blood
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were present. Pieces of carpet had also been
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strategically placed over the blood stains in an obvious
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attempt to conceal them. When luminol was sprayed in the
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living room, which had been made into James Cosby's bedroom, it
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lit up everywhere, showing where the blood had been.
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Homicide detectives went to the local church where the vigil for
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the two women were being held to bring in James Larry Cosby.
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Once the vigil had ended, sheriff's investigators
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approached Britney's father and asked him to come down to the
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station with them to answer some additional questions.
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When asked to describe his movements on March 6th, he said
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it was just an ordinary day. The two women had gone up or
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getting dressed for work and getting Zanaya ready for school.
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Then the women left, but Crystal's daughter was still at
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the house. He thought that maybe they had
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just run to the corner store or something and would return
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shortly. James Cosby claimed that he
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never saw either of the women return and that he was at home
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all evening long. Detectives point blank asked him
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where the vehicle was. He replied that he couldn't help
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them because he didn't know where it was.
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A buckle swab was taken and his cell phone seized.
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Cell phone records showed that James Cosby had called a woman
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by the name of Kimberly Pierce multiple times on the day of the
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murders. When Kimberly Pierce was brought
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in for questioning, she was driving a white Hyundai Sonata,
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the vehicle which appeared to be an exact match to the Sonata
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scene on the surveillance video. Kimberly Parrish confirmed that
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she was the one driving the Sonata that morning that took AU
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turn and followed the Sorrento. Kimberly said that she was in
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route to see James Cosby at his house that morning, but when she
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saw him drive past her in his daughter's vehicle, she turned
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around to follow him. She claimed that the two of them
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spent the day together, but then she left around 3:00 to pick up
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her children from school. Detectives had no reason to
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believe Kimberly Pierce had played any role in the women's
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deaths or the dumping of their bodies.
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One month passed without any additional movement on the
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investigation and FBI cell phone analysts reported to
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investigators that James Cosby's phone shot how his movements on
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the day the women disappeared took him from Houston, traveling
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down to the Bolivar Peninsula and then back up to the Ritz, a
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strip club in Houston. On April 17th, 2014, the vehicle
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had finally been located. The Kia Sorento had been parked
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at the strip club in Houston after the bodies have been
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dumped in Port Bolivar and was later towed by the club's owner
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to a lot. Police first tested the vehicles
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headlights. The driver said the driver side
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headlight was not working. Then officers open the trunk.
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Inside the Hatch of the Sorrento was a bloodbath.
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There was blood everywhere. By the luggage rack, officers
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discovered a bullet. There were fibers around the
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bullet that were consistent with the hair weave that Crystal
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Jackson had been wearing the day her body was found.
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The bullet was found on the trunk side of the backside,
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which indicated that the tailgate must have been opened
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when the bullet was fired. This LED homicide detectives to
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believe that Crystal Jackson was murdered outside the vehicle
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under the carport. Crime scene analysts also
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determined that cigarette butts left inside the vehicle matched
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the DNA of James Larry Cosby. Officers still needed one more
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piece to complete the puzzle. They needed to talk to Crystal
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Jackson's five year old daughter, Zanaya.
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According to Zanaya, after she got ready for school that
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morning, her mom told her to wait in the car.
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She put on her seat belt and waited for her mom and Brittany
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to arrive. As Crystal's five year old
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daughter, Zanaya sat in the back seat.
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Then she watched as her mom went back inside the house, but then
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she never returned. She sat inside the car, but then
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all of a sudden she heard a sound that came from outside.
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Zanaya told officers that there was a bad man there, so she hid
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so he couldn't find her. Then she heard as in a boom, as
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if someone was lasering someone. It was believed that while
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Crystal was putting Zanaya into the car, Brittany and her father
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had an altercation. The fight escalated.
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James Cosby lost it and beat his daughter to death.
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Crystal had suddenly re entered the house and witnessed the
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scene. She ran to the side of the house
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to escape him, but he caught up with her, shooting Crystal in
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the head. In June 2015, James Larry Cosby,
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then 46, was charged with capital murder for the first
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degree deaths of 24 year old Brittany Cosby and 24 year old
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Crystal Jackson. He pleaded not guilty.
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His murder trial would begin the following June.
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His defense counsel did their best to poke holes and conjured
21:31
out into the jurors minds. They pointed out their client
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had willingly sat with detectives speaking with them
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for more than six hours. James Cosby's attorney also
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addressed how the prosecution did not present any evidence as
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to where Crystal Jackson had been murdered.
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Attorney Greg Russell asked how the defendant could be convicted
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of capital murder when the requirements were not met,
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setting how there was no evidence of a murder weapon and
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there was no proof that the women have been killed during
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the same criminal transaction. Assistant District Attorney Paul
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Love stated to the jury that there was no known reason, no
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motivating factor as to why the defendant murdered his daughter
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and her girlfriend. However, the evidence they would
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present to them would show how he had boxed himself into her
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corner during the investigation and the truth was revealed.
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The circumstantial evidence was very strong against James Larry
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Cosby and after a few hours, the jury returned with their
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verdict. They found him guilty of capital
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murder. Under the Capital Murder
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Sentencing Guidelines, he automatically received life
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imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
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A formal sentencing hearing where loved ones could provide
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impact statements to the court was later held.
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Crystal Jackson's father, Reverend Ivan Jackson, told the
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media that he, along with his wife and their church family.
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We're praying that James Cosby be given life without the
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possibility of parole. Noting how killing him would not
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bring either of the girls back, it was shared that Brittany
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Cosby was utterly devoted to caring for her grandmother.
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People said that she was generous and kind and would have
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helped anyone whether she knew you or not.
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For Brittany, it was all about the church, her grandma, her
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work, and of course, Crystal and Zanaya for the ID show.
23:41
See no evil. Crystal's father, Ivan Jackson,
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discussed how absolutely devastating it was to learn that
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he had been a suspect in his daughter's murder.
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They may not have seen eye to eye on her relationship with
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Brittany, but he loved his little girl dearly and it was
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the worst day of his life when he lost her.
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The only thing that kept him going that day and since then
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have been holding on tight to his granddaughter Sanaya.
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It is important to discuss this case through two different
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lenses. One, who the victims were and
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their likelihood of becoming a victim of violence.
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Secondly, who the offender was, the specific type of murder he
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committed, and what his motivation may have been.
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Brittany Cosby and Crystal Jackson were both young black
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gay women. Their age, race, and sexual
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identity placed them at an extremely high risk of becoming
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victims. They were both very vulnerable
24:47
to becoming a statistic of violent crime.
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Violence against the LGBTQ community has existed at least
24:56
since its documentation of recorded crimes aimed toward
24:59
them during the 1960s, when the movement really began to gain
25:04
momentum. Violent crimes across the
25:06
country have significantly declined in recent years, and at
25:10
least on the surface, tolerance and acceptance of the LGBTQ
25:15
community has greatly increased. Yet the crime data shows the
25:20
opposite to be true. The recent push back against
25:23
LGBTQ rights and protections and legislations has only escalated
25:28
the violence committed against them.
25:31
Hate crimes have greatly increased in the last several
25:34
years. The FBI reported that in 2020,
25:37
three 2402 incidents were reportedly related to sexual
25:42
orientation, which was up from 1947 incidents the year before.
25:49
Hate crimes have only continued to rise over the last four
25:53
years. Crime data shows that one in
25:56
five hate crimes are anti LGBTQ. Data collected from the 2022 and
26:03
2023 National Crime Victimization Survey showed that
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people who identify as LGBTQ are five times more likely to become
26:13
victims of violent crime than those who are non LGBTQ
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identifying. They are 9 times more likely to
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experience violent hate crimes. Non whites face an even higher
26:26
chance of being victims, with black LGBTQ individuals being
26:31
the highest risk group, followed by Hispanics and then whites.
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To put this in perspective, the rate of victimization for
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someone who is non LGBTQ is 21.1 per 1000.
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For those who identify as being LGBTQ, it is 106.4.
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Black LGBTQ identify individuals were victimized almost two times
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the amount at a rate of 204.8 per 1000.
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Hispanics were victimized at 120.8 and whites at 83.7.
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The National Crime Victimization Survey is different than crime
27:14
data statistics that are gathered by the FBI.
27:18
These surveys are conducted anonymously throughout
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households in the United States where any person who is 12 years
27:24
or older can participate. This includes reporting property
27:28
and violent crimes they experience, whether or not they
27:30
have reported them to the police.
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They are conducted by representatives of the US Census
27:36
Bureau, either by phone or in person.
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The reason why NCVS, or National Crime Victimization Survey and
27:45
similar methods for the analysis of crime data are so critical to
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understanding the serious risk the LGBTQ community in
27:53
particular faces is that many police agencies don't even
27:58
report these crimes. Further, what exactly
28:01
constitutes a hate crime varies from state to state.
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The reporting of data is wildly inconsistent from state to
28:08
state, leading to unreliable information.
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Alabama reported only 9 bias motivated incidents, whereas
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Kentucky reported 379, although both states are located in the
28:22
South and have similar populations and demographics.
28:26
Hawaii collects his own crime data, so they aren't even
28:29
included in the FBI report, but they claim to have only three
28:33
incidents. More than half of the country
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states reported less than 10 hate crimes that targeted LGBTQ
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identifying individuals, with four states claiming they had
28:45
none. 31 states also claimed they had none which targeted
28:50
trans or gender nonconforming individuals.
28:53
California reported the highest incidence of all.
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This is not a reflection of their having more hate crimes
29:00
against the LGBTQ community, but they are likely more transparent
29:04
with the data they record and receive since they have a higher
29:07
investment in protecting that community.
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The crime rate was highest in DC, which has a very large
29:14
community of LGBTQ people with an overall small population when
29:19
compared with larger cities. Seattle had the highest
29:22
incidence yet. According to the Bureau of
29:25
Justice Statistics, which has its own annual self reporting
29:29
survey on victimization, there are more than 200,000 victims of
29:34
hate crimes every year. Now whether Brittany Cosby and
29:39
Crystal Jackson were murdered for being gay is unknown.
29:43
This crime has been painted in the media as an anti LGBTQ crime
29:49
but I don't see any particular evidence that it was.
29:53
There are some news articles that state that some families
29:57
claim that James Cosby didn't like his daughter being in a
30:00
relationship with a woman and that he ridiculed her for it.
30:04
However, the information within most news sources surrounding
30:08
this case were so unreliable and inconsistent that I wouldn't be
30:13
surprised if they had mixed up James Cosby's statements of
30:17
disapproval with Crystal Jackson's father, Ivan Jackson,
30:21
as some had mixed up how the women had even been killed.
30:27
What is known is that James Larry Cosby committed paternal
30:32
philicide and it is critical to view the crime through this
30:36
specific type of family murder. In an attempt to understand the
30:40
motivation or reason behind it. The academic journal Forensic
30:45
Science International presented them first comprehensive
30:49
statistical analysis on philicide cases in the United
30:52
States. Looking at 32 years of data,
30:55
which included more than 15,000 arrests, they identified
30:59
characteristics and patterns of this particular kind of family
31:02
homicide. It found that similar to many
31:06
beliefs regarding crime, biased coverage and narrow studies help
31:10
to perpetuate stereotypes and false understandings.
31:14
The majority of cases covered in the media involving the act of
31:17
philoside are when a parent kills an infant or younger
31:20
child. However, the risk of phylicide
31:24
exists throughout a child's lifespan, and it doesn't just
31:28
disappear because they grow older.
31:32
Studies show that approximately 1 in five children murdered by
31:35
their parents is an adult. It was first believed that women
31:40
were overwhelmingly the offenders of infanticide to find
31:44
as killing a child under one years of age, but the data
31:47
showed that men were just as likely to commit the crime.
31:51
For children over one years old, but especially in cases where
31:54
the victims were adults, male offenders were grossly
31:57
overrepresented. They were the offenders and
32:01
78.3% of these cases. Regarding who the victims are,
32:06
male children have a slightly greater chance of becoming
32:09
victims of female children do, with males representing 58.3% of
32:14
the victims. In these cases.
32:17
Fathers who murdered their sons are the most common relationship
32:20
scenario, representing 29.5%. Mothers represent the offender
32:26
in 22.1% of adult filocyte cases.
32:30
Fathers who murdered their daughters were the rarest
32:33
relationship scenario at 18.1%. Based on the minimal degree
32:39
differences between these offender to victim
32:41
relationships, I think it is safe to say that sons and
32:45
daughters are pretty much equally at risk of being killed
32:48
by either their father or mother, if not both.
32:53
Contrary to popular belief, stepchildren face a
32:56
significantly lower chance of being victims of philicide.
33:01
Stepchildren only made-up 11% of all cases of philicide, and
33:07
especially when it came to crimes involving female
33:10
offenders. Analysis of these cases show
33:13
that stepmothers murder their male stepchildren in .5% of
33:17
incidents and .3% involve stepdaughters.
33:22
When you consider that 10 to 20% of children in the United States
33:26
live with a stepparent, this is an interesting and startling
33:31
fact. The prevalence of killing
33:34
methods greatly vary based on the age of the child.
33:38
By far the most commonly used method in the murder of children
33:41
was described as being personal weapons which involved the
33:44
beating, choking or drowning of a child.
33:47
In particular, for victims who were infants, this is how 69% of
33:51
them were killed. The older a child becomes,
33:55
different methods tend to be employed, but especially the use
33:59
of firearms for adult victims. Parents shot their children in
34:03
72.3% of cases. Studies find that men were way
34:08
more likely to employ a gun in the Commission of the ACT than
34:11
women were. What are described as contact
34:15
weapons, such as a bat or an edged weapon like a knife, were
34:19
the rarest type of method used. The average age of a parent who
34:24
committed adult phylicide was 51 years old, with half of the
34:28
parents between 41 and 60. The typology of offenders of
34:33
paternal versus maternal phylicide share some
34:37
similarities as they are both based upon Resnick's
34:40
classification. Just in case any of my listeners
34:43
don't recall or for those who aren't aware of what these
34:46
include, this classification system includes altruism, mental
34:51
state such as psychosis, unwanted child, spousal revenge,
34:56
and accidental philoside. Psychiatrist Scott later
35:00
developed a classification of different motivations or
35:03
triggers that may help to explain what led up to the
35:06
killing. These five categories of
35:08
triggers include abuse, mental state, retaliation, having an
35:12
unwanted child, and altruism. Unlike in almost all other kinds
35:17
of crime, especially those concerning homicide, where there
35:22
has been minimal research regarding females as violent
35:25
offenders, studies on male offenders of philicide are
35:29
extremely limited. What has been discovered,
35:33
though, appears to have important differences.
35:37
Scholars Bourget and Bradford were the first to classify
35:40
paternal philicide, which helped establish the importance of
35:43
gender differences in the crime. Similar to many women who commit
35:49
philicide, male offenders are frequently undereducated and in
35:53
a lower socioeconomic class. Studies also show that more than
35:58
half of male offenders suffer from major depressive disorder
36:01
or some degree of psychosis. Unlike women who commit fellow
36:06
side, however, male perpetrators commonly have criminal
36:09
backgrounds, including violent crimes and histories of
36:12
substance abuse. Fathers who murder their
36:16
children tend to use more violent methods than mothers,
36:19
specifically killing them through the use of firearms and
36:22
knives. The significance of major life
36:26
stressors have been recorded as being present in most cases of
36:31
paternal philicide, including financial stress or economic
36:35
problems, relationship problems such as the ending of a
36:38
marriage, and social isolation. Several cases also indicated
36:43
that the motivation stemmed from the need to control their
36:46
children's behavior. The motivation of maternal
36:50
felicide I have discussed before, but they tend to be more
36:53
altruistic in nature than not. That is, in the twisted mind of
36:58
the mother who kills her children, she believes, usually
37:01
via hallucinogenic command, that it is in the best interest of
37:05
the child for them to die. In stark contrast, the study
37:11
motivations of fathers who kill their children have shown that
37:14
they derive from a place of negative emotion toward their
37:18
life and their child. This kind of murderers often
37:22
rooted in rage, jealousy, relationship conflicts and all
37:27
around life's distress. They blame their children and
37:32
often the mother for their failures, their lack of
37:34
happiness, and all around dissatisfaction with their life
37:38
and act out in this rage. The crime is not necessarily
37:43
premeditated more by fathers than mothers, but when men snap
37:47
and murder their children, they often engage in much more
37:52
violent ways. In the case of Brittany Cosby,
37:56
it is difficult to apply a motivation or trigger to her
37:59
father killing her because the reason behind why he murdered
38:03
her is still unclear. This case has been placed within
38:09
the framework of an anti LGBTQ crime, but I am not certain that
38:14
it is. It is important to realize that
38:17
just because Brittany and Crystal were in a gay
38:19
relationship, it doesn't necessarily mean that this was
38:24
the primary reason they were murdered.
38:27
I am not sure if it was a factor at all.
38:31
In the documentary I Loved My Daughter, it has addressed how
38:35
it was Crystal Jackson's father who was the police's primary
38:39
suspect because he openly disapproved of her sexual
38:42
identity and especially her relationship with Brittany
38:47
Cosby. Not at any time during this
38:52
documentary was it even implied by her Aunt Ebony or anyone in
38:57
her life that Brittany's father had any issue with her being a
39:01
lesbian. The homicide detectives never
39:05
brought up this point and in fact discussed how they believed
39:10
James Larry Cosby was envious of his daughter's life, especially
39:16
her relationship. His motivation for killing her
39:19
was likely from a place of jealousy, rage, and
39:23
dissatisfaction over his own pathetic existence, rather than
39:29
over her being in love with a woman.
39:31
So who was James Larry Cosby? He was a convicted sex offender,
39:38
he was a career criminal with multiple assault and weapons
39:42
charges, and he was a worthless absentee father and son.
39:49
In 1994, James Larry Cosby was convicted of sexually assaulting
39:53
a 22 year old woman. He was given 10 years in prison,
39:57
for which he served his full sentence.
40:00
When he was released on parole in 2004, he violated rules under
40:04
the requirement of his sex offender status and was
40:07
subsequently sent back to prison.
40:09
He had only been released from prison since October of 2013.
40:15
James Larry Cosby was unemployed, leaching off his
40:19
elderly mother and daughter at their home in Houston.
40:23
One of the traits of studied psychopathy and similar violent
40:28
offenders has been parasitic behaviour.
40:32
These kinds of individuals don't want to earn anything for
40:34
themselves. They are not willing to work
40:37
hard in life or make sacrifices for others.
40:40
Rather, this type of person chooses to benefit from others
40:43
efforts rather than contributing.
40:46
I think James Larry Cosby was a psychopath in the most classic
40:50
antisocial definition. The initial reaction James Cosby
40:55
expressed in front of police when he heard the news about his
40:58
daughter's death was just one sign of his psychopathy.
41:03
He appeared shocked and feigned grief, crying, which was
41:07
witnessed by both his mother and the detective.
41:12
Forensic psychologists have noted that one of the telling
41:15
signs of being a psychopath is mimicking emotion rather than
41:20
having genuine feelings. On the night he was arrested,
41:24
James Larry Cosby had been witness giving an emotional
41:28
speech during a vigil for the women at a local Funeral Home,
41:32
according to ATV Station. Addressing the community
41:35
gathered there, he said in a quote.
41:38
You can't really put something like this into words.
41:42
James Cosby continued to play the role of a grieving father
41:46
even though he had brutally slain his daughter and her
41:49
girlfriend, drove around for hours with her bodies in the
41:53
vehicle, and then threw them behind a dumpster like garbage.
41:59
His words were meaningless because his actions after he
42:03
killed them truly revealed his inner monster.
42:09
He had no true feelings for anyone or anything to be able to
42:12
treat his daughter's body in such a disrespectful manner.
42:17
Here was this almost middle-aged man with a long rap record
42:22
recently out on parole, living with his disabled elderly mother
42:27
and his daughter who happened to be employed and was in a happy,
42:33
positive relationship. James Cosby had done nothing to
42:38
help her grow or prosper into the strong, beautiful woman
42:43
Brittany Cosby became. He was a loser and likely saw
42:47
himself as a victim in life, and a combination of these factors
42:52
made him snap and kill his daughter.
42:57
Only he and Brittany know what was specifically discussed.
43:01
That day though, culminated in her murder and that of her
43:05
girlfriends. Was he stealing from her or the
43:09
grandmother? Did he dare judge her and she
43:13
put him in his place? How is it possible that the
43:17
grandmother never heard or saw anything that day?
43:20
Was she not there that morning? No one heard Brittany struggle
43:25
and scream for her life. What about the neighbors?
43:29
No one saw him run out into the carport and shoot an innocent
43:33
woman in broad daylight. It was never addressed in the
43:38
documentary how after Zanaya witnessed the shooting of her
43:41
mother that day, how long did she stay hidden in SUV?
43:47
Did she remain in there all day while he hung out with Kimberly
43:51
Pierce for an alibi? There are many questions I have
43:57
surrounding this case that remain unanswered.
44:02
The lack of interest and care for LGBTQ victims and women of
44:06
color are reflected in this lack of information around these
44:12
women's murders. If it wasn't for this
44:15
documentary done by Idi would have been left with almost
44:19
nothing but holes in the investigation and presumptions
44:23
of motivation by the offender. Many of the news articles I read
44:29
even claimed that it was Brittany who was shot in Crystal
44:32
had been the one viciously bludgeoned to death, not the
44:36
other way around, which is how the women were killed.
44:41
What really struck me about this case?
44:44
Worst investigators. In countless cases and stories
44:49
of true crime. There are many criticisms
44:52
justifiably surrounding the incompetence, tunnel vision,
44:57
lack of integrity, and all around compassion shown by many
45:02
police officers. This case was the complete
45:07
opposite. It shouldn't be impressive to
45:11
read and hear about the amazing job the Galveston County
45:15
detectives did because that should be the norm.
45:21
Sadly, it is not. But in this case, the victims
45:26
were treated with equal respect and priority as anyone else
45:31
would have been. The investigators looked into
45:35
every possible lead and suspect. They used the limited evidence
45:41
they gathered to their advantage and took these two women's
45:46
deaths very seriously. They cared about searching for
45:52
the truth behind these two brutal, senseless murders and
45:57
bringing these women's killers to justice.
46:02
Brittany Cosby and Crystal Jackson were buried at Houston
46:04
Memorial Gardens in Purland. Crystal Jackson's father, Ivan,
46:08
was granted full custody of his granddaughter Zanaya.
46:13
The main homicide detective on Crystal and Brittany's case
46:17
created a very tight bond with the Jackson family during the
46:22
investigation and after sharing in their devastating loss.
46:29
He has maintained a strong connection with the family over
46:32
the years and even became Zanaya's godfather.
46:37
The love these two young women shared will forever be reflected
46:43
and the life of Crystal's little girl and those who loved them.
46:51
Thank you so much for listening to the Heartbreaking case of
46:56
Brittany Cosby and Crystal Jackson.
47:02
If you have any questions, comments, ideas for future
47:05
episodes, I would love to hear from you.
47:08
You can find my contact information in the episode
47:11
description. Until next time, stay safe and
47:19
watch over Shades of Murder happening in the streets next
47:25
door, especially inside your own home.
47:31
Shades of Murder is created, researched, written and edited.
47:36
Violeta Caldwell, original Music Stranger composed by stereo
47:42
code.