‘Last Eviction’: Investigators Left Speechless After Chilling Discovery in Mississippi Mother’s Death Case

A retired teacher from Mississippi was brutally murdered by her son in a case that shocked even investigators. On April 4, deputies with the Adams County Sheriff’s Office responded to a welfare check at a home on Melanie Road in Natchez, where Lana Brown Bradley lived.

Authorities said the welfare check was requested by one of Bradley’s older sons after he was unable to reach her.

When deputies arrived, they found Bradley’s youngest son, Zachary Lavel Jackson Jr., 29, inside a downstairs bathroom. According to local outlet WJTV 12, investigators determined that Jackson had allegedly been attempting to dispose of his mother’s remains through the toilet.

Deputies reportedly noticed a “black substance” in the toilet that did not appear to be human waste.

As Bradley’s relatives arrived at the property, family members and deputies searched the home and surrounding wooded area for evidence. During the search, someone reportedly screamed, “It’s a head! It’s a head!” according to WJTV 12.

Investigators later enlisted the help of a plumber and allegedly discovered some of Bradley’s remains inside the toilet. Authorities said Jackson had dismembered his mother’s body, intending to flush some remains while placing others inside a suitcase.

Investigators charged Jackson with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, mayhem and tampering with physical evidence. He is currently being held at the Adams County Jail.

In an earlier statement, the Adam County Sheriff’s Office said that “due to the sensitive nature of this relationship and out of respect for the family, no further details regarding that connection will be released at this time.”

“This case began as a welfare concern but quickly escalated into a missing person investigation and ultimately a homicide,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

“Through rapid response and coordinated investigative efforts, deputies and investigators were able to identify the severity of the situation, secure the scene, develop critical information, and take the suspect into custody within approximately 24 hours of the initial call.”

Sheriff Travis Patten praised the coordinated response by deputies, investigators and the Special Operations Group, saying officers quickly recognized the situation was far more serious than a routine welfare check.

On April 28, Jackson waived his right to a preliminary hearing during a court appearance.

“This is by far the most heinous crime that I’ve ever witnessed in my entire life,” Patten told WJTV 12. “This is a type of case that follows you home.”

According to her obituary, Bradley enjoyed writing poetry in her free time and hoped to publish a collection of her work.

Her daughter, Zuri Brown, wrote on Facebook, “My mom found comfort in expressing herself through poetry and was planning to publish a collection of her work.”

Brown also shared a poem her mother previously wrote. “Perched on a branch Waiting… although flight is your potential, doubting success, afraid of even the wind, the sun that shines, just because He rose…”

“A state of utter self-disdain. Then one day, along drifts in a seed, planted right in the center of the soul, a flicker that grows into a fiery tornado, the heart is aglow.”