CHRIS MORELLI/THE EXPRESS The house where Jamie Jackson, who is accused of criminal homicide in the death of her 9-year-old nephew, lived along East Bald Eagle Street in Lock Haven.

JAMIE JACKSON

LOCK HAVEN — Just days after 9-year-old Anson Landon Mitchell Stover’s bruised and battered body was found in a home along East Bald Eagle Street, his biological aunt has been charged with homicide.

Jamie Lynne Jackson, 36, was charged Wednesday night by Lock Haven City Det. Richard Simpson with criminal homicide and two counts aggravated assault, both Class 1 felonies.

She also faces a Felony 2 count of endangering the welfare of children and misdemeanor counts of tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, abuse of corpse and concealing death of a child.

The police affidavit outlining the charges describe the boy’s body as having multiple bruises, injuries that appear to be from cigarette burns and abrasions.

Police discovered the boy’s body in a second floor bathtub on Monday, Nov. 30, at Jackson’s residence in the Lock Haven Gardens apartment at 657 E. Bald Eagle St.

The discovery was made after Jackson’s father, Hugh Jackson, called police after receiving a frantic call from his daughter, who told him “something terrible had happened and she needed his help,” according to the affidavit.

Jackson’s father told police he had not spoken to his daughter in three years until that day and said she “was hysterical on the phone and was difficult to get information from,” the affidavit said.

Jackson’s father provided her name and described how to get to her residence, which he said “was in ‘section eight’ housing,” the affidavit continued.

Jamie Jackson adopted Stover and his siblings about three years ago after their biological mother passed away, according to what police were also told.

The criminal complaint, filed through District Judge Keith Kibler’s office by Det. Simpson, offered further details:

“At approximately 3:25 p.m., Hugh Jackson phoned a second time, and it was agreed that officers would meet Hugh Jackson at the residence, which was found to be located at 657 East Bald Eagle Street, Lock Haven. Upon arrival, Officer A. Fisher and Officer G. Fischer approached the residence and found Hugh Jackson and Jamie Jackson in the doorway, hugging.

“Officer Fisher proceeded to the second-floor bathroom and discovered an obviously deceased minor male child in the bathtub, fully clothed, with visible injuries to his head and neck area.

“At approximately 3:45 p.m., (Det. Richard Simpson) received a phone call from Officer Fisher, advising what he observed. (Simpson) arrived on scene at approximately 4:15 p.m. and proceeded to the second-floor bathroom where the deceased minor male child was located. (Simpson) observed that the minor male child had injuries to the head and neck area. (Simpson) interviewed Jamie Jackson at City Hall at approximately 5:01 p.m. after she was advised of her Miranda Warnings.

“Jamie Jackson stated that she had discovered (Stover) on the evening of Nov. 28, 2020, in his bedroom on the second floor of the apartment. Jamie Jackson stated that (Stover) had clear, plastic tape around his neck area while laying naked on the floor. Jackson stated that she located scissors and cut the tape from (Stover’s) neck and that (Stover) was unresponsive but breathing and had fluid coming from his mouth. Jackson stated that she put clothing on (Stover) and then carried him, placing him in the bathtub on the second floor.

“Jamie Jackson stated that she checked on (Stover) periodically, telling him to “stop faking it.” Jackson stated that throughout checking on (Stover) never responded or moved. Jackson stated that on the morning of November 30, 2020 is when she realized that (he) was “probably not okay.” Jackson stated that she touched the face of (Stover) and he was cold and hard. Jackson stated that after placing him in the bathtub, she returned to his bedroom to shampoo the carpets and clean his entire room. Jackson stated that she disposed of the plastic tape that she claimed was around (Stover) neck, laundered (his) clothing from inside his bedroom and disposed of items while cleaning the bedroom and other areas of the residence. Jackson stated that while (Stover) laid in the bathtub, she slept, took a shower, ate, and cared for the other five (5) children in the residence. On one occasion, Jackson stated that she walked into the bathroom and asked (Stover) if he wanted some pizza, to which he did not respond.

“Jackson acknowledged that she failed to contact emergency medical services or law enforcement at any point and time in the twenty-four (24) to forty-eight (48) hour time-period that (Stover) remained in the bathtub. Jackson stated that she did not observe any significant injuries to (Stover) the she felt were life threatening.

“Jackson stated that she had been having long-term issues with (Stover’s) behaviors including frequent urination and defecation in various areas of the residence other than the bathroom. Jackson expressed a great deal of frustration over (Stover’s) behaviors, stating that his behaviors were the reason that she and her children were no longer residing with her long-term paramour in Elkland, Pennsylvania.”

An autopsy was conducted on Dec. 2 at Lehigh Valley Cedar Crest Hospital where it was discovered Stover had significant bruising and abrasions on his “head, neck, torso, legs, feet, arms, hands and back, all in various stages of healing. (Stover) also had several marks on his body which were consistent with cigarette burns … abrasions of the skin behind the ears” and injuries to his buttocks and groin, court documents said.

Stover also had a “a significant amount of bleeding on the brain and also visible injury to the optic nerve of both eyes consistent with significant head trauma … had what appeared to be blood in his spinal fluid,” court documents said.

Jackson agreed to a follow-up interview at 4:20 p.m. at city hall in Lock Haven where Simpson told her what he’d observed at the autopsy earlier that day.

“Jackson was unable to provide an explanation for the source of the injuries suffered by (Stover),” the affidavit said.

Jackson was taken into custody that evening and arraigned by District Judge Keith Kibler on Thursday morning.

She was denied bail and remains in the Clinton County Correctional Facility.

The investigation is ongoing. Police did not say in their affidavit where the victims siblings and Jackson’s own children were taken.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Lock Haven City Police at 570-893-5911, the Clinton County Detectives office at 570-893-4141 or provide information online at www.clintonDA.org.