RACINE, Wis. — 41-year-old Terry Jackson, the man accused of killing Racine mother Brittany Booker and launching a fugitive investigation for him across five states, was charged with 23 criminal counts, including first degree intentional homicide on Thursday.
While in court, officials set bond at $10 million for Jackson.
A criminal complaint released Thursday charged Jackson with the following counts:
- 1st-Degree Intentional Homicide Felony A, Use of a Dangerous Weapon
- Kidnapping/Carry w/o Consent
- Possess Firearm-Convicted of a Felony
- Bail Jumping-Felony
- Bail Jumping-Felony
- Bail Jumping-Felony
- Attempt 1st-Degree Intentional Homicide
- Use of a Dangerous Weapon, Domestic Abuse Assessments
- Attempt 1st-Degree Intentional Homicide, Use of a Dangerous Weapon
- 1st-Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety, Use of a Dangerous Weapon
- Stalking - Result in Bodily Harm, Domestic Abuse Assessments
- Bail Jumping-Felony
- Bail Jumping-Felony
- Bail Jumping-Felony
- Bail Jumping-Felony
- False Imprisonment, Use of a Dangerous Weapon
- Domestic Abuse Assessments
- Strangulation and Suffocation, Domestic Abuse Assessments
- Substantial Battery-Intend Bodily Harm, Domestic Abuse Assessments
- Intimidate Victim/Use or Attempt Force, Domestic Abuse Assessments and Use of a Dangerous Weapon
- Bail Jumping-Felony
- Bail Jumping-Felony
- Bail Jumping-Felony
- Bail Jumping-Felony
- Bail Jumping-Felony
Racine police announced Jackson was taken into custody in Chicago on Sunday, May 22 . The United States Marshal Service conducted the arrest operation in Chicago. When officers arrived at the residence where Jackson was believed to be, they saw him in the window with a firearm. Following a brief standoff and negotiations, Jackson was taken into custody without incident, Racine police said.
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*WARNING: The following contains graphic details from a criminal complaint filed against Terry Jackson*
According to an amended criminal complaint, on Feb. 21, officers were dispatched to a Racine hospital for a report of an assault. Officers spoke to a victim who says her injuries were caused by her former boyfriend, identified as Jackson, who she lived with. The victim also said she was previously assaulted by Jackson a week prior, the complaint says. The victim said she and Jackson allegedly agreed after the first assault that if she did not report it, he would move to Illinois. She didn't and he moved.
The victim shared that on Feb. 20, she drove to Illinois to pick up Jackson and he drove the vehicle back to Racine. She began to feel uncomfortable because he was driving the wrong way. The complaint says Jackson was aware she was going to leave the relationship. Jackson then allegedly parked on the street, took her phone, and questioned her if she was speaking to someone else. He then began to physically beat her and threatened her with a knife. He said if she told anyone, he would slice her "from one side to the next," according to the complaint. The victim said she briefly lost consciousness due to her injuries but believes the incident lasted about three hours.
On Feb. 27, a police officer responded to a Racine bar for a reported assault. The same victim and a second woman, identified as Booker, say they were beaten by Jackson and ran to the bar for help. The complaint says Booker was on the ground in the bar and heavily bleeding from the back of her head.
The victim stated Jackson attempted to kill her a week ago and she returned to her home with Booker to get her belongings. She believed Jackson was not at the home and it would be safe to return.
However, Jackson returned to the home and that is when he attacked both the women with a hammer while attempting to kill them, according to the complaint. Booker had her two-year-old daughter with her at the time of the incident.
Booker told police she got a knife from the kitchen and tried to call 911, but was unable to unlock her phone because she was holding her daughter. According to the complaint, Jackson hit Booker with the hammer in her face and head. Booker then ran to a neighbor's porch, but Jackson followed her and continued hitting her there. Booker said Jackson made comments similar to "I'm going to kill you" during the assault.
On April 24, Racine officers were dispatched to a home in the 1300 block of Villa Street in Racine for suspicious circumstances. Upon arrival, officers were informed Booker lived at the home with her six children, aged between two and 13. Booker's oldest child told police he woke up and discovered his mom and her car gone, according to the complaint. The child said he found blood in her room. He said the last time he saw his mom was around 2 a.m. and the children could not get a hold of her.
Officers watched the recordings from the home's doorbell cameras and a man was seen moving under the camera, as if he was trying to avoid being seen on camera. At 5:30 a.m., Booker can be seen leaving the home with the man, identified as Jackson. The complaint says at one point, Booker is seen turning back towards the door, but Jackson said for her to "go" or "move." The complaint continues that the two got into a car and Jackson made Booker drive.
During the investigation that morning, the complaint says the first victim was in another jurisdiction filing a report that she believed Jackson had kidnapped Booker from her home, the complaint says. She also had access to Booker's cameras and received a motion notification on her phone and reported it to the Milwaukee Police Department.
Inside Booker's home, police found a bloody towel inside the front door, and blood on Booker's bed, sheets, and pillow case, as well as blood leading into the dining room, the complaint says. Police also learned that the night of Booker's disappearance, she slept in one of her kid's beds. The child's nightgown also had blood on it, the complaint says.
The oldest child told police that his mom's phone was showing a location near 15th and Park. An officer responded to the scene and found a bloody I-Phone and phone case. Booker's vehicle was then found in the 500 block of 13th Street. Booker was found dead in the driver's seat of her car. An autopsy revealed Booker had multiple blunt force injuries and a single gunshot wound to the head.
The complaint says, based on the GPS coordinates of Booker's phone, it is believed Jackson took Booker from her home and made her drive around in her car, making her look for Jackson's ex-girlfriend.
Officers were able to track the vehicle Jackson drove to the area of Booker's home by several video surveillance cameras. The car Jackson drove to the home was found in the 5600 block of Byrd Avenue. The owner of the car admitted to allowing Jackson to use her car on April 23 and April 24. The owner said Jackson woke her up early on April 24 and said he needed a ride to his mom's house in Chicago. The complaint says she drove him there.
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Previous coverage:
- 'This case is not going cold': Brittany Booker's father speaks about search for daughters killer
- Racine police share new pictures of Terry Jackson wanted in homicide of Brittany Booker
- Brittany Booker's family grieves first Mother's Day without her
Jackson is connected to the Sunday, April 24 incident involving Booker. Around 9:30 a.m. officers were called to Villa and 13th in Racine for a missing person complaint. An investigation determined it was actually a homicide, and Booker was the victim.
Booker's home doorbell camera captured some of the final moments before her death. She was seen reluctantly walking out of her home with Jackson.
At the family’s request, TMJ4 News is not showing the video.
“It was like, my daughter looked back, like, ‘help me, dad.’ My daughter would have ran, but she took that for her kids, because she did not want him to go back in there and do something to her kids," said her father, Leonard Larry.
Larry was one of the first to know about Jackson's arrest. Racine Police told him on Sunday morning.
"Best day of my life. A long time waiting. And to wake up to a text, got him. It's the best feeling in the world," said Larry.
Jackson is believed to also be connected to an incident involving serious injuries to several people, including Booker, in February in Racine. Police said that incident led to Jackson having several warrants for his arrest, including for attempted homicide.
Officials said the fugitive investigation for Jackson spanned five states - Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Texas, and Arizona - before he ultimately returned to Chicago.
Prior to Jackson's arrest, three people had been arrested in connection to Booker's death.
Diamond M. Hood of Racine was arrested for harboring/aiding a felon in reference to Booker's homicide. Police then arrested Alicia K. Skyes and Carmelita L. Walker, both of Racine, also for harboring/aiding a felon in reference to the aggravated assault of Booker and another woman on Feb. 27.
Larry, with the help of family, has now cleared the last things of out his daughter's home. Her six children are now living with their grandmother.
"I'm upset about a lot of things. But it's over. They got him. Let's see what the system is going to do. Let's hope they don't fail me on that part," said Larry, who plans to attend every hearing related to Jackson's prosecution," said Larry.
As a way to honor his daughter's memory, Larry plans to hold a barbecue in a local park for the community.
"Bring your kids," he said.
This report will be updated shortly with details from the criminal complaint.
