The Three Minute Man: The Story of a Small Town Sociopath

By Richard L. Douglass

March 12, 1985, Columbia, Mississippi, Police Station Dispatch Office, 8:58 PM "This is James Jackson at Red Carpet Motors. We've been robbed. My wife is hurt bad. I need an ambulance." Thus began, a yearlong investigation and prosecution into Mary Nell Jackson's killer, beginning with a crime scene containing no eyewitness, no murder weapon, very little physical evidence, and no motive. When the investigation began to focus on the husband, town and church, loyalties split . . . And when fate provided a clue, the question was whether this would be enough to prove murder against a man who represented the "model" church and community leader. The investigators and the prosecution had little choice but to use this clue, along with some unconventional investigation and trial tactics, to prove the truth to a jury and a small community torn by grief. This story is taken from the original files of law enforcement, the prosecution, the trial courts, and media coverage surrounding the death of Mary Nell Jackson. It is the inside story as told by the district attorney, Richard Douglass, who prosecuted a great deceiver, a man with a hidden second life . . . The Three-Minute Man.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 17, 2018
• ISBN: 9781641384537

Book preview

Chapter 1 The Town

The Town

Columbia, Mississippi, rests in the southwest quadrant of the state among the lazy rolling hills of Highway 98 and between the larger city of Hattiesburg and the Louisiana border. A quaint sign proclaiming Columbia, the City of Charm on the River Pearl directs travelers toward downtown. The Pearl River, spiraling down from Jackson, Mississippi, winds through much of Columbia but is mostly hidden by woods and fishing camps.

Columbia served as the temporary capital of Mississippi in 1821. The town—progressive enough to require its own twenty-eight-mile railroad—came to house one of the largest parachute factories in the United States, which still operates to this day. In the 1980s, lumber mills sprang up throughout Marion County, and wood products supplied materials for a furniture factory, a Georgia Pacific plant, and paper mills in surrounding townships. The town also provided a large workforce in the oil field and construction business.

In 1985, Columbia, the county seat of Marion County, had close to eight thousand residents. Activities and socializing gravitated toward the courthouse square. The courthouse itself stands as a sentry guarding the center of town. All streets entering the center of town run directly to this beautiful old structure built in 1902. Atop the courthouse is a large domed four-sided clock that still works most of the time, and the hourly chimes can be heard for blocks.

The courthouse square included the sheriff’s office and jail, an annex building for chancery (family) court, government offices, the district attorney’s office, and the circuit courtroom. The sheriff’s office and jail joined the courthouse, and this location allowed sheriff’s deputies quick response for assisting the Columbia Police Department with town emergencies.

Fridays and Saturdays brought residents to the center of town to shop, pay bills, and visit. Across from the courthouse, The Rankin Company—a department store—bought mortgage notes from the banks, and while people shopped for clothes, they could pay on their house or car notes.

Two large live oak trees framed the courthouse entrance facing Main Street. Some of the limbs of the oaks swept low, and ladies hung clothing for yard sales conducted on the courthouse lawn. Farmers parked their trucks at the curb surrounding the courthouse and sold fresh vegetables on their tailgates. Shoppers could pick up all kinds of produce in season. This congestion slowed traffic downtown, but people didn’t seem to mind. This pace of life just seemed to make visiting easier.

The atmosphere in downtown Columbia was almost family-like. Walmart had not yet invaded Columbia, so most of the stores were locally and family owned. A shopper could step just off Main Street at lunchtime and sit down at the Round Table, an authentic country restaurant. The revolving tables sat eight or ten people, and the food was true Southern cooking: fried chicken, pork chops, and fresh vegetables, with the kind of deserts that would rival a church social. Of course, there was always ice-cold sweet tea, and the socializing was free. After a large meal, many people sat and rocked on the large front porch, finishing up on the stories, which began during the luncheon or supper.

Columbia produced its favorite sons, Walter Payton, the great Chicago Bears running back, and Hugh White, a two-time governor for the state. But to most locals, the most important commodity produced was town talk. Of course, in 1985, there were no cell phones, texting, or e-mail, so the latest episodes of daily life were shared by landlines or face-to-face. Like many small towns, most residents were more interested in the lives of each other than state, national, or international events. Any local occurrence out of the ordinary became an item of interest, comment, and debate. In many ways, this character of the town strengthened the bonds among the citizenry.

Also, like most Southern towns, religion pervaded almost every aspect of its citizens. Social functions for both adults and children radiated from houses of worship. Women’s groups met weekly to discuss missions, charities, Bible studies, and children programs. Men met often as deacons, trustees, and church governing bodies. Churches offered after-school programs, choirs, vacation Bible school, summer camps, trips to water parks, church-sponsored sports competitions, and of course, Sunday school. Religious interactions cemented community unity.

However, church participation does not ensure protection from the dark side of communities. Sometimes, church membership is used as a cover-up for a life hidden from most of the public. This circumstance is not new or unique to criminal investigations, but it certainly proved to be quite problematic in the Jackson case.

On the night of March 12, 1985, Columbia experienced one tragedy, one life, and ultimately one death—which tested relationships of town loyalties, friendships, and Christian fellowship. The full examination of these relationships took a year to complete. It was a very hard year for Columbia, and some of the hurtful feelings surrounding the Jackson case were never fully erased.

It wasn’t as if Columbia was a stranger to violence. In the late ’70s, a man gunned down a police officer on Main Street. In January of 1984, two men who were suspects in a string of house burglaries murdered a sheriff’s deputy.

In the early ’80s, drugs began making their way into the community; and with the movement of the drug culture, related crimes sharply increased. In 1985, a man murdered two people whom he believed were giving the sheriff information about his narcotic business. After this double murder, information coming to local law enforcement through informants slowed considerably. Although the alliance between the sheriff’s department and town police department often aided crime scene investigations, authority issues sometimes became complicated by the use of manpower, which crossed departmental lines.

The tragedy of March 12, 1985, became a test of relationships among the citizens of Columbia, the members of The First Baptist Church of Columbia, the law enforcement, and the prosecution.

Chapter 2 The Church

The Church

In 1985, First Baptist Church of Columbia, the largest church in Marion County, had celebrated its hundredth anniversary just two years before. In fact, of the nearly eight thousand residents of Columbia, almost two thousand were on roll as members—nearly one-fourth of Columbia’s population. Of course, not all attended regularly, but five hundred were regulars in Sunday school, and sometimes more attended the morning worship service.

First Baptist, located just one street over from Main Street, encompassed an entire neighborhood block. The church had educational buildings, music suites, libraries, offices, and a sanctuary that could accommodate a thousand people. Church outreach included a countywide Thanksgiving dinner that drew guests from the surrounding counties.

At Christmas, a twenty-seven-foot singing Christmas tree adorned the sanctuary with platforms constructed within the branches of the tree and lights decorating each level, all the way to the top. Children from preschool through the sixth grade filled the tree, each child caroling from the branches; and parents, grandparents, and others, from all over the county, filled the sanctuary to hear the little angels sing.

First Baptist, like many other churches, participated in outreaches through team visitation. Team members met briefly at the church on a Tuesday night, had a light meal, and then went out for visitation to the homes of prospective members. Sometimes these visits also included checking on shut-ins and hospital patients. Wednesday night prayer meetings included music, prayer concerns, a brief message by the pastor, and sometimes a business meeting. This custom was meaningful not only to First Baptist but to new families who had recently moved into the community.

On March 12, 1985, it was business as usual for the Tuesday night visitation teams. (It did not end that way.)

Dr. J. Roy McClain, the pastor at First Baptist, was always referred to with the J. in front of the Roy. Although small in stature, his physique reflected his years in football and sports. He was a dead ringer for Hank Stram, the famous former football coach of the Kansas City Chiefs and the New Orleans Saints. His quick wit, small kindnesses, and commanding voice made him a charismatic and popular leader. In 1985, he had already completed twelve years’ service with First Baptist, preaching the message of a caring and loving God, unlike many of his contemporaries who preached hell’s fire and damnation.

My family and I did not move to Columbia until the end of March of 1985, so we were not members of the church on March 12, 1985. However, Dell and I felt close to J. Roy having attended his church in Pearl, Mississippi, when I was in law school. J. Roy conducted the funeral service of our first child, and although the funeral was miles away from Pearl, J. Roy made the trip to Laurel, Mississippi, to preach the service.

First Baptist had at least a dozen other employees, including a minister of education, minister of music, minister of youth, two secretaries, a kindergarten director, and her teachers, an organist who also functioned as a secretary and a full-time maintenance worker. Part-time employees included a pianist, maintenance personnel, a hostess for Wednesday night supper, and her helpers. Although the staff shared in the responsibilities of the church, it was usually the pastor who shouldered the greater burdens. However, fate does not always allow for burdens to fall only on the shoulders of the one in charge.

Sonny Meadows, the minister of music, used humor to relate to people. This characteristic was not just a skill; it was his nature. His musical ability coupled with his affable and easy manner gave life to all the choirs. Especially good with children, he often wore funny hats, wigs, false noses and ears to lead the kindergarten choirs. The children, of course, thought he was hilarious, but I remember one time, when a little girl proclaimed to her mother that it was shameful the way other children made fun of Sonny’s deformities.

Sonny’s wife, Lynn, was a quiet, diminutive woman with strawberry-blond hair, pretty features, and a sparkling smile. She sang in her husband’s choir.

Lynn possessed an appealing innocence, believing strongly in her religion and in a goodness of her fellow man. Her purity coupled with her intelligence gave Lynn a strength that was evident to most of her friends and members of the church. (Though it was not her choice, Lynn became a star witness for the prosecution, and it was the quality of her faith and the support of her loving husband, Sonny, that allowed her to shoulder this terrible responsibility.)

In 1985, Lynn worked as bookkeeper for Red Carpet Motors, and her boss was James T. Jackson Sr.

Chapter 3 James and Mary Nell Jackson

James and Mary Nell Jackson

James T. Jackson Sr., who stood over six feet, was slender with a somewhat pale or pasty complexion. On March 12, 1985, he was forty-nine years old. His dark-brown deeply receding hair seemed to accent the angularity of his thin face and jutting jawline. His bushy eyebrows and ever-present dark-rimmed glasses gave his deep-set dark-brown eyes a somewhat sinister appearance.

He was always well dressed, even dapper. Many described him as being sissified because of his soft, effeminate voice. Once he accompanied his wife, Mary Nell, to pick fresh vegetables on a friend’s farm. James, dressed in a three-piece suit, watched from the porch as the others worked in the garden gathering onions, tomatoes, and squash, which Mary Nell later canned.

James earned a living in automobile sales, and his astute business sense and intellect were very impressive. He was able to commit to memory facts and costs of competing car models, readily quoting their disadvantages. James worked for fifteen years with the Chevrolet dealership in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, before he, Mary Nell, and son, Johnny, moved to Columbia in 1968.

Law enforcement records do not reflect why the family moved to Columbia, but in 1967, James was required to appear before the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi (Hattiesburg). He entered a plea of no contest to the offense of violating section 7201, title 26, United States Code: Evasion of Income Taxes for the calendar years 1962, 1963, 1964, and 1965. His sentence included a fine of $6,000 ($1,500 for each offense). The imposition of jail time was suspended, and he was placed on probation for three years. Jackson was on federal probation when the family moved to Columbia.

James went to work in the Columbia Chevrolet dealership, and the family’s first house in Columbia was located at 2001 Orchard Drive, for which they paid $25,000. They remodeled it and insured the house and contents for $60,000. Shortly after purchasing the house, James and Mary Nell purchased and incorporated the Columbia Chevrolet dealership, which at that time was owned by Mary Nell’s brother, Glen Lane. The corporation, now named Red Carpet Motors, Inc., surprisingly listed young Johnny Jackson as the president, James as secretary-treasurer, and Mary Nell as a member of the board of directors. Mr. Lane remained with the business as an employee.

From June 8, 1971, through August 11, 1971, someone made three unsuccessful attempts to burn the house at 2001 Orchard Drive. James’s brother-in-law discovered the first attempt when he dropped by the house on June 8. Johnny Jackson discovered two separate instances where the fire place nozzle caused gas to fill the house; once in the later part of June of 1971, and a second time on August 11, 1971. In all three cases, natural gas was intentionally allowed to escape into the house through the open gas valve in the fireplace. In each case, the protective cap covering the nozzle of the gas line was removed and the gas was turned on. Each incident was reported to the fire marshal. The investigations revealed that in each case, all doors and windows were locked at the time of the discoveries and there were no signs of forced entry to the home. Each report listed the incidents as attempted arson.

Then on September 10, 1971, the Jackson family home was rocked by a gas explosion. Household furnishings were blown into the front yard and the entire housing structure caught fire. No one was home at the time.

The house was listed as a total loss for insurance purposes but enough of the structure remained standing after firemen extinguished the fire for the fire Marshall to make these findings:

1. The gas nozzle covering the fireplace valve was intentionally removed and the valve was open just as was found in the three previous arson attempts.

2. Investigators discovered the doors and windows were locked at the time of the fire and there was no evidence of a break in.

3. The point of origin of the combustion was on the second floor and the attic, not the fireplace, lending the investigation to conclude that a lighted candle or some flame of like nature was burning in the upstairs at the time of the explosion.

4. Only James, Mary Nell, and Johnny had keys to the house.

Investigators questioned all three members of the family. All three had alibis: Johnny was in school, and James and Mary Nell were at work. Both Johnny and Mary Nell gave written statements to the investigators, but James refused to give a full statement, oral or written.

Investigators requested that each one take a polygraph exam, and at first they all three agreed. Then before the exam could be set up, James spoke with an attorney, and the next day James put a stop to all the polygraph tests. Ultimately, the evidence proved insufficient for a criminal prosecution. Not having access to the insurance records, I do not know the outcome of the insurance claims.

The arson case had very little connections with the investigations into Mary Nell Jackson’s death in 1985, except for a few pointed factors. First, although Jackson possibly avoided a more extensive investigative entanglement when he took the advice of counsel and refused the polygraph, years later he ignored this lesson. Second, Jackson’s good reputation remained intact within the community; however, his actions piqued the interests of local law enforcement, and law enforcement does not forget. Third, Jackson’s success with the arson incident showed his predilection to break the law in order to get what he wanted, and it strengthened his belief that he could beat the system. Fourth (and perhaps most important), Jackson never indicated during the arson investigation that he suspected anyone of having a reason to harm either him or any of his family.

After the fire, the Jacksons acquired an older brick house, originally built by one of the town’s doctors. It was located in a more stately part of town, about three blocks from First Baptist Church. James and Mary Nell spent a great deal of time and money remodeling this roomy house. A large magnolia tree stood before the front entrance to the house.

The Jackson family joined First Baptist Church in 1968, and James and Mary Nell became immersed in its activities. James became a leader in the church, a good Christian man, and members were astonished by his ability to quote scripture verbatim. To most he was considered a pillar of the community—a successful businessman who often gave his Christian testimony.

People in the church trusted him with the job of Sunday school director, and later he was ordained as one of the active deacons.

Possessing a good singing voice, James joined the church choir. He attended rehearsals and accompanied Sonny Meadows on the piano at community revivals. James served on numerous church committees, including the pulpit committee that brought Dr. J. Roy McClain to Columbia. Many First Baptist members bought Chevrolets or Buicks from Red Carpet Motors.

Some Columbia residents, even some of his close friends, commented on Jackson’s unemotional and somewhat cold demeanor. Nevertheless, one friend said, Everyone knew James had a kind heart. He contributed to many charities around town and even provided the church staff with a van they could use at any time.

On March 12, 1985, Mary Nell Jackson was fifty-one years old. Her permed short auburn hair framed her sweet face and welcome smile, while her ever-present dark-rimmed glasses gave her the look of efficiency. She was not a large woman but seemed to make up for that in the size of her heart. Mary Nell Jackson’s demeanor was diametrically opposite that of her husband. She was warm and friendly to everyone. Some friends did admit that she had a temper, although seldom triggered.

Most people remember Mary Nell for her cooking with one of her close friends calling her a beautiful cook. She was always there with a casserole or dessert for a new member to the community or church.

She worked with the WMU (Women’s Missionary Union) tirelessly as church hostess, wedding planner, member of mission trips and church visitations. She always helped anyone in need with funds, food, or just companionship. Stories of her Christian life still live in the hearts and voices of the citizens of Columbia.

Pastor McClain characterized her in one word: caregiver.

She was truly one of the finest ladies that I never had the chance to meet.

Chapter 4 The Assault

Tuesday, March 12, 1985, 5:55 pm to 8:56 pm

The Assault

The remaining Chapters are divided not merely by subject matter but by time and dates. These two elements surface again and again during the assault, the investigation and the questioning before the jury. Almost every reflection about the truth and what really happened on March 12, 1985 involves times and dates.

Around 5:55 pm, on March 12, 1985, James and Mary Nell Jackson walked into First Baptist Church for Tuesday night visitation. Church teams filtered in and sat down for a previsitation meal. Participants received cards listing names and addresses of prospective church members, shut-ins, and members in the hospital.

James and Mary Nell teamed with Donald Lumpkin and his wife, Patty. Donald was the church youth minister. The team was assigned the visitation of two new Columbia residents. The couples finished their meal, made their visits, and then Patty followed James and Mary Nell to their home to pick up some food recipes. Nothing out of the ordinary occurred either at church, during visitation, or at the Jackson house during the time that Patty stopped by for the recipes. Patty was the type to have picked up on any kind of problems between Mr. and Mrs. Jackson, but she never reported noticing any problems.

At home, James, who wore a three-piece suit to church that night, removed his coat, vest, and tie. After Patty left the Jackson home, Mary Nell called James’s elderly mother in Hattiesburg while James settled down to read the paper. During the call, the second line on the Jackson phone rang. (The Jackson household maintained two separate lines in case James received a wrecker call for the dealership.) This call was from Mrs. Muriel Fisher, asking to speak to Mary Nell. James took the call and promised to give Mary Nell the message as soon as his wife got off the phone.

A true account of exactly what followed between 7:45 pm and 8:56 pm can be told only with some degree of speculation. Aside from a statement from Mrs. Fisher and a dispatch record of a 911 call, no one ever discovered the whole truth of the events occurring between 7:45 and 8:56 pm on March 12.

We do know what James claimed to have happened, for he related the story numerous times, but never exactly the same way. The reader can judge for him or herself what the truth is, for that is what this story is all about.

James later said he decided to return to the dealership that night to work on some sales taxes and do some bookkeeping. Just how long this had been planned, we do not know. Neither do we know why Mary Nell went with him that night, but it was not unusual for Mary Nell to help with the business accounting, even after regular business hours. We also do not know exactly what time the Jacksons arrived at the dealership that night. James gave different times in two different statements: 7:30 and 8:00 pm.

Regardless of whether the trip to the dealership was planned or not, Mary Nell accompanied her husband that night, and we do know that James gave his wife the message about Mrs. Fisher’s call because Mary Nell returned the call at approximately 8:00 pm. Mrs. Fisher believed Mary Nell called her from the dealership, but she wasn’t sure. It took only minutes for James and Mary Nell to drive to the dealership from their home.

James said his wife returned the call from the dealership and that she used the phone in the main office. He claimed to be sitting at a desk next to his wife during the entire phone conversation. This fact cannot be verified, so if James was not seated at the desk next to his wife when she was on the phone with Mrs. Fisher, then where was he, what was he doing, and was anyone else with him at that time?

Muriel Fisher was one of Mary Nell’s closest friends. She told officers that Mary Nell called her around 8:00 pm, and during the call, the conversation was light and cheerful. During this time, the ladies planned four separate weddings for the church. They finished talking around 8:30 or 8:35 pm. Patrick Fisher, Muriel’s son, verified this approximate time because he was at his mother’s house when the call was ended and he judged the time by a program on television.

Was there a conflict between James and Mary Nell during the call? Mrs. Fisher did not detect any type of problem. In fact, she had never witnessed a problem between the couple in all the years she had known them.

Red Carpet Motors (RCM) was a Chevrolet dealership as shown by the diagrams in chapter 8. The floor-plan was somewhat typical for a dealership in 1985. The entire front of the building was glass, allowing traffic to see into the showroom. The area where both James and Mary Nell were seated, the main office, also allowed a view