Noura Jackson

Case record: Noura Jackson

Noura Jackson (born March 17, 1987) was an American criminal convicted of committing matricide by murdering 39-year-old Jennifer Jackson in 2005.

Background

Noura Jackson was the only child of Nazmi Hassanieh and Jennifer Jackson. After the couple divorced, Jennifer had a full custody of Noura. Nazmi Hassanieh owned a gas station in southeast Memphis, where he worked at a Kwik Stop office. In 2004, Nazmi Hassanieh was murdered by a gun shot at his Kwik Stop office.

Jennifer Jackson worked as a bond trader and raised Noura alone. Family members and friends described a turbulent relationship between the mother and daughter, mostly because of Noura’s usage of drugs and disregard for education.

The offence

In the early hours of June 5, 2005, Jennifer Jackson was murdered in her bedroom. The killing involved stabbing more than 50 times. Jennifer Jackson was found naked, bloody and dead, with her body at the foot of the bed.

A coroner found no evidence of a sexual attack, but said Jennifer had been stabbed more than 50 times. Sgt. Tim Helldorfer characterized the killing as “rage killing” and said Jennifer was “riddled with wounds.”

Whoever killed Jennifer Jackson put a wicker basket over her head. Helldorfer said he had seen that kind of thing before and offered an explanation:

“[...] Somebody who doesn't want to look at the face; somebody who is close to the victim.”

Helldorfer also said:

Police believed Jennifer Jackson was killed in her home between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. Noura’s friends said they last saw her at a party around midnight.

Investigation

Investigators found that at 4:04 a.m. on June 5, Noura was seen on a video surveillance of Walgreens buying bandages for a cut on her hand, which she had not mentioned during her interrogation. At 4:20 a.m. she bought gas and at 5:00 a.m. she claimed to have entered her house and found her mother dead.

Police also found that Noura’s car had a bag filled with first aid products, including bandages and peroxide. Lt. Mark Miller and Sgt. W.D. Merritt questioned Noura’s explanation for the cut on her left hand and said it did not make sense to fall on a bottle with the back of her hand.

Helldorfer said Noura had been dressed in long sleeves early that June morning, and said this seemed strange because June in Memphis was “isn't exactly a cool month.” Noura told Richard Schlesinger that she was in long sleeves often and explained:

“You might see someone in a bikini or a t-shirt and I might have something that was long sleeve. It's just the way I dressed.”

Police considered the door into the kitchen/garage area to be staged. Helldorfer described a three-panel door with windows going horizontal, with the middle window broken out, and explained that “Up here makes no sense.” He described a hidden hinge lock on the door frame, stating:

“Somebody had to know this lock was here.”

Helldorfer also said the outside doors leading into the garage were locked and stated:

“Absolutely not. The doors were locked. The exterior doors were locked. There was just no way in.”

Investigators reported a gap in Noura’s cell phone activity between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m., which they believed corresponded to the time of the murder. Helldorfer stated:

“That cell phone was nonstop except for a limited time frame, which we feel was when the murder took place,”

Helldorfer described the investigators’ theory of what happened and said:

“I think they had a confrontation, verbally, earlier, and that was it... She just went crazy. Not losing her mind, but that rage, you know, it just kicked in.”

Investigators said they found unknown DNA on a bed sheet and that it was not Jennifer’s or Noura’s. Sgt. Tim Helldorfer said the investigators did not have an eyewitness or “the smoking gun” and described their concern about the lack of DNA and other evidence:

“I think the biggest concern everybody had was we don't have the eyewitness. We don't have the smoking gun and we didn't have the DNA,”

When investigators were asked about who did it, Noura said:

“I think we know who did it. We just have to find them.”

Police said they never established whose unknown DNA was. Merritt stated:

“We know there was some unknown DNA that was on a bed sheet. It could have been skin. It could have been sweat,”

Police never found the murder weapon or the bloody clothes Noura would have been wearing if she did this. They found drops of Jennifer’s blood on the front step and believed Noura dumped evidence away from the house. Merritt stated:

“Obviously, Noura had some type of item or something that was dripping as she was carrying it from the home,”

Corder argued there was no blood in the vehicle and asked questions about evidence removal.

Police said Jennifer was clutching strands of hair when her body was found. A preliminary examination showed the hair might be Jennifer’s but did not appear to be Noura’s. Corder argued that the hair could have belonged to the killer.

There was no DNA, blood, or fingerprints from Noura at the crime scene. Investigators said the only evidence they could say for sure was that the DNA found at the scene was neither Jennifer’s nor Noura’s.

Arrest

Noura Jackson was arrested on September 29, 2005, three months into the investigation, and charged with second degree murder.

Trial

The trial began on February 9, 2009 at the Shelby County Criminal Justice Center in downtown Memphis. The trial included more than 40 witnesses and nearly 400 exhibits, and was described as a two-week trial.

The jury deliberated for nine hours after closing statements and found Noura guilty.

Noura did not testify in her trial. She told Richard Schlesinger that in a presentence report she “maintain[s] my innocence.”

The prosecution presented a circumstantial case. Prosecutor Amy Weirich argued that Noura killed Jennifer as part of what she described as a “perfect storm” of personal issues. Weirich also told jurors that Noura’s attack was “rage,” and stated:

“It's a very personal attack,” “Jennifer was asleep and she snuck up on her and began stabbing her. I could see her rage building to a point where she could carry it out by herself very easily. The stab wounds to her face were just hate marks.”

Weirich also described defense difficulties tied to lack of forensic evidence:

“Sometimes science is a great thing, but with a situation like this, DNA swabs from the home and the fact that they didn't even find Noura's fingerprints in the house, I think it speaks volumes about how difficult it is to find scientific evidence,”

The defense was represented by Valerie Corder, who described the situation as difficult to reconcile without scientific evidence. Corder challenged Noura’s cut explanation and argued the state’s case relied on behavior while forensic evidence did not include Noura’s DNA.

Corder questioned the DNA expert, Qadiayyah Debman, about testing and said:

“DNA evidence is essential to solving crimes.”

In testimony, Corder asked about items tested and whether Noura’s blood or DNA was found. Corder and Debman exchanged:

Valerie Corder : DNA evidence is essential to solving crimes.
DNA Expert Qadiayyah Debman : Yes it is.
Corder : Within all the items that you tested, the pillows...the pillow cases... the sheets...the light switch, on none of those items did you find Noura Jackson's blood or DNA of any kind.
Debman : No I did not.

Corder challenged Crime Scene Investigator David Payment for handling evidence. Corder asked Payment about an item in the entry hall and Payment responded:

Valerie Corder : What is that in the entry hall? It's a cat isn't it?
David Payment : Oh, yes it is.
Corder : So a cat walked around the crime scene while you were in charge of it? Payment : Ah, yes ma'am...
Corder : So the cat may have left trace evidence? Payment : The cat may have digested evidence.

Corder also stated:

“When the scientific evidence excluded Noura Jackson as the assailant, it was ignored,”

Corder asked the court about whether evidence was analyzed, including loose hair found in Jennifer’s hands, and also questioned forensic analysis. At trial, Corder asked the DNA expert if loose hair from the right hand was analyzed and whether hair from the left hand was analyzed, and Debman responded “No” to both.

A defense attorney also argued that Noura’s nails were pristine and not bloody. Corder told Richard Schlesinger:

“What was significant in my opinion about that photograph is the pristine nails,”

Corder also said:

“My client's nails were not bloody. They were not torn. They were not chipped. They looked as if she had been handling paper instead of committing a brutal crime.”

Corder said other photos taken after the murder showed no injuries:

“She's photographed from head to toe and there are no injuries. There are no bruises... It doesn't appear that she was in hand-to-hand combat.”

Corder delivered closing arguments. Corder described the investigation as incompetent and stated:

“The brutal ugly truth is this was a brutal, ugly, incompetent investigation,”

Corder then argued that jurors should not conclude Noura killed her mother. She said:

“Let's put everything on this side of the courtroom that does not indicate Noura Jackson killed her mother.”

Corder continued listing evidence she said showed no Noura blood:

“Basket, pillow, comforter: none of Noura Jackson's blood. Stepstool, bag, another pillow... bottom sheet, hoodie: none of Noura Jackson's blood,”

Corder concluded by asking jurors to return a verdict reflecting lack of forensic scientific evidence. She said:

“Ladies and gentlemen, we ask you to return the only verdict the real evidence, the forensic scientific evidence justifies and that's not guilty of any charge.”

Prosecutor Amy Weirich made a closing argument and asked Noura where she was. Weirich also said:

“That's all we're asking, Noura!”

Weirich described the mental image she said played over and over in jurors’ minds and referred to Noura as an 18-year-old enraged person who was out of control:

“It's the picture of an 18-year-old enraged, out of control Noura Jackson snapping. It is the perfect storm that is brewed. It is the volcano that has erupted. It is the spring that has sprung.”

The jury rejected premeditated first-degree murder.

Cindy Eidson testified for the prosecution about conversations with Jennifer. Eidson testified that Jennifer and Noura had a heated argument about Noura’s drug use and party lifestyle one week before the murder. Eidson said Jennifer told Noura:

“You can either go to boarding school or move out. I'm sick of it. You're 18 years old and you're still in 11th grade, and partying all the time, and you've got - and I've just had it,”

Noura’s uncle Eric Sherwood testified that Noura seemed unusually interested in what she might inherit if Jennifer died. Sherwood testified to the content of conversations. When asked by the prosecution how the conversation came up, Sherwood said:

“Noura asked Jennifer how it all worked.”

Noura responded to Richard Schlesinger:

“How convenient for me to be asking about life insurance a week before my mother's murder,” and “I don't know.”

Sherwood also testified, and Noura responded:

“Are you calling your uncle a liar?” and “Yes. And that's hard to do because,” she said with a pause, “Umm, I love him.”

A friend, Kirby McDonald, testified that she overheard Noura curse her mother at a party just hours before the murder. McDonald testified Noura said:

“My Mom's a bitch and she needs to go to hell,”

Witness testimony also included accounts of Noura’s explanation for her cut on her left hand. Caroline Giovanetti testified that Noura said she cut it on a beer bottle at the Italian Fest. Regina Hunt testified that Noura said her cat was stuck in the garage and she cut it trying to get the cat out. Grace France testified Noura claimed:

“Grace, any doctor would tell you it was a burn. I burned it cooking macaroni and cheese,”

When asked if she told other people different stories, Noura said:

“No. What I told the police is what happened,” and “Forensic evidence doesn't lie. None of Noura's DNA is at the scene,”

The trial also included questions about Noura’s statements to police regarding her activities after the murder. Sergent Connie Justice interviewed Noura, and Justice said Noura told her she cut her hand at a community festival the night before the murder and said the back of her hand was covered with a piece of white medical tape. Justice said:

“It had not bled through, because all I saw was the top of it and no, I did not see any actual blood.”

Later, Sgt. Justice stated Noura said she purchased some cigarettes and rode around.

Sgt. Miller described phone call behavior involving the Jackson house phone and Noura’s cell phone. Miller said he believed Noura accidentally picked up the house phone and then called Schifani from her cell phone.

Additional witness testimony included Joe Cocke, who said he lived across the street and that Noura woke him at 5 a.m. and said:

“My mom, my mom. Somebody's breaking into my house!” Coke testified he grabbed “my pistol,” ran with Noura back to her house, and said: “And Noura went in front of me... she went in right in front of me and I found that odd because somebody was breaking into this house.”

Genevieve Dix testified that she hugged Noura and Dix said Noura just stood there with her sweatshirt pulled down to her knuckles:

“I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her. And she just stood there,” and “She had her sweatshirt pulled down to her knuckles.”

Prosecutors’ witnesses included discussions of Noura’s relationship with her mother and Noura’s alleged lack of grief. Attorney Genevieve Dix read a victim-impact statement. Dix stated:

“The horror of it all is only heightened by the fact that Noura has never shown any remorse, never shown any grief,” and “It seems that she has no compassion, no sorrow, no regrets. She did not take so much as a moment to mourn her mother’s death. Rather, she was impatient to get back to an amoral life of drugs and partying.”

Pastor Mark Irvin also testified during the trial. His testimony included statements about being broken up with Jennifer and calling Jennifer on the night of the murder. Irvin said:

“He was the most controlling, manipulative person that I have ever met in my whole entire life. And he scared me,” and Irvin stated in questioning that: “During this point, were you broken up?” Mark Irvin : “We were.” Prosecutor : “Had it been a violent break up?” Irvin : “Not in any way. And that's the truth.”

Irvin also stated that on the night of the murder he claimed he was at home 90 minutes away and said:

“Before I even possibly even heard it ring I just said, 'It's too late to call.'” and: “So he said he hung up and went to sleep.”

Corder argued that there was “no verification” of Irvin’s claimed timeline and highlighted relationship turmoil.

Sentencing

After the jury found Noura guilty of second-degree murder, she was sentenced by Judge Chris Craft to 20 years and 9 months in prison with no possibility of parole. Sentencing occurred on March 27, 2009.

At sentencing, Randolph Reeves, described as a cousin of Jennifer Jackson, said:

“Justice was served today,” and: “I hope she (Noura) can learn from this, but she has taken a lot away from us. It’s a double tragedy for our family, but she made bad choices and she has to live with that.”

Judge Chris Craft stated during sentencing:

“Noura killed the only person who really loved her,” and: “All she wanted was to be free and have her money. Her mother wanted her to go to college. It’s just a tragedy that this happened, but no one could control her.”

Corder asked for a minimum sentence of 13 years and argued for rehabilitation and youth. The judge rejected a minimum sentence request and also rejected the state prosecutors’ maximum of 25 years recommended by state prosecutors. During sentencing, Noura was credited with three years for time served while awaiting trial.

Noura was sent to Mark H. Luterrell Correctional Center in Memphis.

Appeals

After sentencing, a motion for a new trial was filed based on alleged trial errors and inadmissible evidence. The judge denied the appeal on July 17, 2009. Noura filed another appeal on September 7, 2011. Her lawyer, Valerie Corder, claimed that Noura was a victim of a “Win at all costs” trial.

Outcome

Noura Jackson was convicted by a jury of second-degree murder and was sentenced to 20 years and 9 months in prison with no possibility of parole.

Aftermath

Noura Jackson was investigated and found guilty for drug use in Tennessee prison. After morphine was recovered from Noura, she was sentenced to 10 days in solitary and a $4 fine.

Noura earned $0.25 per hour working at the prison laundry. Since August 2010, Noura had been disciplined three times.

Other details

Noura’s arrest and case received widespread attention, and the story was covered in popular culture through a 48 Hours Mystery documentary titled “My Mother’s Murder,” which aired in April 2010.

Noura’s trial included discussion of the possibility of inheritance if she had been acquitted. The record described that if she had been acquitted, Noura would have stood to inherit her mother’s estate, valued at about $1.47 million. Noura also faced arguments about the motive, including anger about her mother not liking her boyfriend, her mother’s desire for Noura to stop using drugs, and her mother’s refusal to give her money left by her father, who had been killed about a year earlier in a holdup.

During the 48 Hours Mystery coverage, Noura described a 911 call. In the exchange, Noura stated:

“Someone broke into my house! My mom is bleeding!” and also told the dispatcher: “No! No, I just got home.” When asked if her mother was breathing, Noura said: “No! She' not breathing, she's not breathing, she' not breathing... I need an ambulance. I need an ambulance right now!”

The dispatcher asked for clarification and said:

“We're getting an ambulance on the line, don't hang up.”