Mendocino County Man Sentenced to Life Without Parole For 2020 Covelo Killing— Also Committed Murder as a Juvenile

After delaying his sentencing for six months, murder defendant Jameson Wolfgang Jackson ran out of excuses late Wednesday morning and was sentenced to life without parole (LWOP) – plus an additional 32 years to life – in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR).

Defendant Jackson, age 36, formerly of Redwood Valley and Talmage, was convicted most recently by jury in August 2021 of murder in the first degree and attempted murder in the first degree.

The jury found true a special circumstance alleging that the defendant committed the murder by firing a handgun from inside a motor vehicle. The jury also found true the special allegations that the defendant personally and intentionally fired a firearm causing the death of the first man, and personally and intentionally fired the same firearm in an attempt to murder a second man.

The law enforcement agencies that developed the evidence used to convict defendant Jackson were the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office, the California Highway Patrol, the Round Valley Tribal Police Department, the California Department of Justice forensic laboratory, and the District Attorney’s own Bureau of Investigations.

District Attorney Eyster also extends a special thank you again to Pure Gold Forensics for their speedy DNA work on the case.

- Advertisement -

The attorney who prosecuted the case to verdict and argued for today’s sentencing outcome was Assistant District Attorney Dale P. Trigg.

Mendocino County Superior Court Judge Keith Faulder presided over Wednesday’s sentencing proceedings.
Unfortunately, as some may remember, these are not this defendant’s first violent convictions.

In 2001, Jackson was convicted and sentenced as a juvenile for the robbery/murder of Joan LeFeat, a Brooktrails shop owner.

Jackson’s co-defendant in those violent crimes, Christopher Matthew Coleman (then also 15 years old), was certified to adult court, convicted, and ultimately sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison.

Coleman, now age 36, remains housed in a CDCR state prison facility in San Diego County serving his life sentence. Online state prison records indicate Coleman will be eligible for parole consideration in December 2023.
While Coleman was certified to adult court, a local judge denied the prosecution’s efforts to also certify Jackson to adult court.

Instead, Jackson was allowed to remain in juvenile court, was convicted of murder, and sentenced to serve his time in the California Youth Authority not to exceed his 25th birthday.

Jackson was paroled by the state authorities just after his 23rd birthday in 2008, having served only 7 years for his involvement in the LeFeat robbery/murder. Jackson then timed out on his parole in August 2010 when he turned 25.

Jumping forward to 2022, family members of Mrs. LeFeat addressed the court Wednesday morning in support of defendant Jackson being forever ineligible for parole and never again being allowed outside the walls of the California state prison system.