For Tasha.

My friend told me about this last week and it just bothers me. Being into criminal justice I often become fixed on certain cases, and this one hit hard considering it was so close to home in VA. I didn’t know this girl, but now I know her story and it has left a spot in my heart..

From Free Lance Star

Date published: 5/7/2008

By Ellen Biltz

Stephanie Thomas couldn’t make it to her sister’s trailer Monday night when Latasha Nicole Thomas called for help.

But today, she spent the morning at the trailer where her sister died, picking up the pieces of memorabilia that she will have to remember her by. Stephanie Thomas, 21, said her 23-year-old sister, who prefers to go by Tasha, was “a very goodhearted person, would do anything for anyone and kept a smile of sunshine.”

Tasha Thomas died Monday night when her boyfriend, Aaron Poseidon Jackson, 24, shot her in the head with an AK-47. Jackson also shot to death the couple’s two children, Aaron Neptune Jackson and Nicole Aaron Jackson, 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 years old.

The shooting happened about 9:20 p.m. in the family’s trailer on Walt Way in Falmouth.

Stephanie Thomas today said that her sister and Jackson just recently started going through turmoil in their relationship, but she never expected abuse before Monday.

Monday afternoon, she said, her sister called to say she’d been pushed by Jackson into a Kerosene heater. That was just hours before the shooting. Though Tasha Thomas had left the relationship before, Stephanie said Jackson hadn’t reacted so strongly.

“The first time she left, he dealt with it,” she said. “He just recently got abusive.”

The younger sister also said she is shocked that Jackson could hurt his children because he always loved them.

“I’m not going to put down the type of father Aaron was,” she said. She said she believes the murders-suicide ultimately took place because Jackson wanted to be able to date other women, along with Tasha Thomas, but the woman told him she was moving out with the children.

 

Stephanie Thomas wrote on a piece of paper today, “The kids always were taken care of and would bring happiness to anyone. I love you all Jr., Nicole, and Latasha. I’ll see you in heaven.”

From WUSA9.com

STAFFORD COUNTY, Va. (WUSA) – Investigators say 23 year old Latasha Thomas called a relative twice on Monday-asking for a ride to get away from her abusive boyfriend.

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She arrived at the couple’s trailer in the Walt Lou Mobile Home Park too late to save her or her babies.

“Neighbors told her they heard gunshots about ten minutes before she got there,” Sheriff Charles Jett said.

Officers forced their way inside and found Thomas and 24 year old Aaron Jackson–the children’s father dead on the couch. Their kids-two year old Nicole Jackson–and her one year old brother Aaron–were in their cribs with critical
gunshot wounds to the head. Investigators say Jackson killed his family and then himself.

“Absolutely horrific, anytime a child’s involved.
But to have a scene of this magnitude is unspeakable.”

Richard Atchley manages the Walt Lou Mobile home Park where the couple had lived with their children for about six months.

He said there was never a hint of trouble.
until Monday, when Thomas asked to break her lease.

“I said you probably can. And she said she was going to move back to Alexandria with her family, and that’s the last time I talked to her,” Atchley said.

These murders bring the number of homicides in Stafford County this year to five. Four of the victims were children.

“This time, a family member reached out. Unfortunately, it was just too late,” Sheriff
Jett said.

A woman named Ashley Price showed up at the trailer park saying she had spent the entire weekend with Aaron Jackson in a romantic relationship. She says he called her hours before the shooting and was drunk.

A relative says the family has no money to bury “Tasha” or her babies.

Latasha Thomas Memorial Fund:
The money will be used to cover funeral expenses for Latasha and her children who hand no life insurance.

This is her Obituary:

La Tasha Nicole Thomas

Born: April 07, 1985 Died: May 05, 2008 La Tasha Nicole Thomas, 23, of Fredericksburg died, Monday May 5, 2008 at her residence. She was born April 7, 1985 in Charlottesville to Stoney Thomas and Edie Samuel Thomas.She enjoyed drawing, shopping especially for shoes, doing hair, going to Brocks and Grandpa Groovy’s. LaTasha had a big heart for children and enjoyed teaching at Almost Home. Above all else was the love for her two children. She was followed in death by her daughter Nicole Erin Jackson, and her son Aaron Neptune Jackson, Jr.. In addition to her parents, she is survived by her sister, Stephanie Marie Thomas of Catlett, one niece, and numerous cousins, aunts, uncles, family and friends. A funeral service will be held on Saturday May 10, 2008 at 2 p.m. at Culpeper Baptist Church, 318 West Street, Culpeper with Rev. Floyd Harlson officiating. A visitation will be held one hour prior to the service. Interment will follow in Hollywood Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Kelly Wright, Shawn Wright, George Wright, Charles Gant and Wallace Davis. Memorial contributions may be made to the Memorial Fund for Tasha Thomas & Kids c/o Navy Federal Credit Union, acct # 3014062867, P.O. Box 3000 Merrifield, VA 22119-3000. An online guestbook is available at www.foundandsons.com Found and Sons Funeral Chapel of Culpeper is handling the arrangements.

Watch the report:

http://www.wusa9.com/video/player.aspx?aid=59887&sid=71387&bw=