She tried to kick her ex out of her home. Days later, she was killed, family says.
Deborah Ana Jackson, a single mother to three girls, had a big heart, her family told The Charlotte Observer. They said it was this big heart that ultimately led to her death.
Jackson, 35, was found dead in her front yard in Denver, N.C., on Jan. 9. Her mother found her shot and killed that afternoon after Jackson missed school pickup, according to her sister and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.
The next day Anthony Herriott Jr., 30, was found dead in a pond behind the home. He was still in possession of the gun sheriff’s deputies believe he used to kill Jackson and then himself, Lincoln County Sheriff’s officials said.
Jackson’s sister, Elena Rogers, says her suspected killer was an on-again-off-again boyfriend. Each had daughters of around the same age from previous relationships.
The Observer attempted to reach two of Heriott’s relatives but did not receive a response.
Rogers said Herriott and Jackson’s relationship appeared abusive.
In December Herriott was in a rough place and needed somewhere to stay, so Jackson allowed him and his daughter to live with her for two weeks, Rogers said. When the two weeks passed she asked him to leave and he refused. Her sister says Jackson called police for help to get Herriott to leave her home.
But, according to Rogers, police told her sister that removing someone living in her home would require an eviction notice.
Days later, she was killed.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office did not respond to interview requests from the Observer and did not provide requested police reports for the shooting or for the call made by Jackson requesting police help remove Herriott.
‘Backbone of our family’
Jackson was a single mother to three girls, 7, 9, and 11. She was considered a fun mom and lived for her daughters, Rogers said.
One of the family’s favorite activities was going to the youngest girl’s dance recitals and watching her perform, and whenever she had free time Jackson would take them swimming or to a community activity, Rogers said.
“My sister was a very strong, independent, kind person, who always, despite being a single mom to three girls with a full plate, was always the backbone of our family,” Rogers said. “And she was always there for others when they needed it.”
She was a business owner who ran a transportation company and she worked on contracts with local businesses to schedule their deliveries.
She was spontaneous and would do things like hop in the car with a friend and go to Georgia. She was known for her terrible driving, for always having a smile on her face, and for being tough as nails, Rogers said.
“She’s not just a mom, she was my sister, she was a friend, she was a daughter,” Rogers said.
Rogers hopes her nieces remember their mother fondly for being strong and a light to those around her.
“I hope they remember her being fun and silly and I hope they remember her for being a hard worker,” Rogers said. “I hope they remember her for always having a smile on her face. No matter what she was going through, she could have had the worst day, and she would greet you with a smile.”
‘It’s ok to ask for help’
Rogers hopes her sister’s story helps others in abusive relationships to ask for help and to recognize toxic patterns.
She says her and her family don’t know the extent of Jackson and Herriott’s relationship but they wish she would have talked with them about it.
“I wish she had the resources to help her recognize that she was kind of in this cyclical pattern of abusive relationships, whether it was emotionally or physically,” Rogers said. “Had she had access to those resources, and had she not felt alone she wouldn’t have felt the need to be strong to take care of him or herself or feeling the responsibility to bear it all on our own.”
Her home and parents home are on the same property, Rogers said.
Before her death, Jackson’s parents asked if she would like them to ask Herriott to leave. But, Rogers said, Jackson said she would take care of it. Now her family talks about the what-ifs as they continue to mourn.
“A lot of people don’t recognize that they are in an abusive relationship or the extent of it until it’s too late,” Jackson said. “So again, I wish she had access to the resources to see ... how dangerous this could have ended, even though in her mind, she probably didn’t think that.”
Rogers started a gofundme for funeral expenses and has raised $15,181, as of Tuesday.
If you or a loved one needs help, the National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached 24/7 at: 800-799-7233.
This story was originally published January 24, 2023 at 9:38 AM.
