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WEST BOUNTIFUL — A Taylorsville man is accused of placing a tracking device on his estranged wife’s car, following her to West Bountiful where police say he waited in a parking lot for hours and then shot the man she was with more than a dozen times, killing him.
Jake Thomas Jackson, 31, was charged Wednesday in 2nd District Court with murder and aggravated kidnapping, first-degree felonies; 16 counts of discharge of a firearm causing injury, a second-degree felony; and discharge of a firearm and stalking, third-degree felonies.
On Friday, about 5 a.m., Zachary Todd Carson, 50, was with Jackson’s estranged wife in the parking lot of a Lowe’s home improvement store, 350 N. 545 West in West Bountiful. Carson was dropping off the woman whose car was in the lot.
As she was walking toward her car, Jackson approached his estranged wife “angrily” and started arguing with her about being with Carson, according to charging documents. Carson attempted to intervene.
“The defendant pulled out a handgun and shot Zachary Carson in the chest. Mr. Carson fell into the driver’s compartment of his vehicle face down. The defendant proceeded to shoot at Mr. Carson’s back 17 more times,” the charges state.
Jackson then demanded that his estranged wife drive him away from the scene, according to police. But she was able to get into her car and lock the door.
“(Jackson) pounded on the passenger side window with his gun as he tried to get into her vehicle. (He) pulled on her door handle so hard that the handle broke. (The woman) was able to escape by driving away and she dialed 911,” according to the charges.
The woman later told police that Carson had been helping her with divorce paperwork. The pair had met at the parking lot the night before and had left together in his vehicle.
According to charging documents, the woman also told investigators that she believed Jackson was tracking her, “and that is why he was waiting for her in the Lowe’s parking lot. Officers searched (her) vehicle and located a tracker hidden on (the) car that would allow someone to track her vehicle’s location at all times,” the charges state.
Surveillance video from Lowe’s showed Jackson driving around the parking lot about 2 a.m. until he found her car, and then waiting for three hours until she returned with Carson, the charges state.
After the shooting, Jackson was located several hours later on U.S. 191 near Moab where a standoff with police took place.
“Moab police officers spiked the defendant’s tires, disabling his vehicle and they ordered him to exit. (Jackson) refused their commands and barricaded himself in his vehicle for hours. (He) was forced to exit his vehicle after officers used chemical munitions. Moab police officers searched (Jackson’s) vehicle and located multiple firearms, knives and a bag of ammunition,” according to the charges.
Prosecutors believe Jackson may have been trying to flee to New Mexico. He allegedly called his father as he was fleeing from police. His father told detectives “that his son was sorry for what he did and that he would rather kill himself than go to prison,” the charges state.
Prosecutors have requested that Jackson remain in the Davis County Jail without the possibility of posting bail pending trial.