A 17-year murder investigation culminated in the conviction of an Inglewood man accused of killing his wife in 1994.
On Friday, April 13, 2012, a jury found Andre Jackson, 46, guilty of first-degree murder for the strangulation death of his wife Marie Singleton-Jackson. Singleton-Jackson was a 33-year-old mother of two boys.
The case began when Singleton-Jackson was reported missing on Nov. 11, 1994. Jackson reported she had gone jogging at the beach. Her Saab was found five days later on Vista Del Mar north of Imperial Highway near Dockweiler Beach and her bound body was discovered in the trunk of the vehicle.
Circumstantial information obtained during interviews early in the investigation pointed to Jackson as the suspect, as his story fell apart under the scrutiny of homicide investigators, according to Inglewood police.
It took years of interviews and forensic testing of physical evidence to ready the case for prosecution, police said.
The collaborative and methodical work of the Inglewood Police Department, Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and the FBI resulted in a formal charge of murder. Jackson was arrested in 2007.
Investigators focused on a drop of blood on the Saab’s hood, and skin found under Singleton-Jackson’s fingernails. Scientific testing eventually connected Jackson to the car and body of Singleton-Jackson.
Investigators determined that Jackson strangled his wife in their garage on Hazel Street, and then placed her body in the trunk. He dressed her in a jogging suit and parked the Saab at the beach.
Jackson’s trial lasted six weeks, but jurors took only three hours to find him guilty. Jackson’s sentencing hearing is set for June 4, 2012, where he is likely to receive a sentence of 25 years to life in prison, according to Inglewood police.
