What did Donald Ray Jackson do? Prosecutor seeks death penalty for Kansas man accused of killing two sons

43-year-old Donald Ray Jackson Jr. has been accused of murdering his sons before escaping to Oklahoma. According to Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson, the prosecution will seek the death penalty for Jackson, who faces capital murder charges. This comes after Donald Ray Jackson Jr. allegedly killed 14-year-old Logan and 12-year-old Austin on October 24, 2020.

Authorities found Jackson in Beckham County, and he also had his two young daughters with him. Since Jackson didn’t say anything, the court entered a "not guilty" plea on his behalf, as per KCTV5. It has further been confirmed that a motions hearing is scheduled for October 30, 2023.

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Donald Ray Jackson allegedly shot his sons to death and fled the scene with his daughters

A tragic incident took place on October 24, 2020, at 14970 Hillside Road in Leavenworth, after Donald Ray Jackson allegedly killed two of his sons, and then fled the area with his daughters. Authorities found the bodies of the boys at their Leavenworth home after they failed to attend a soccer game.

Cops arrested Donald Ray Jackson near the Texas border after several hours.

As per KMBC, after the court entered a "not guilty" plea, Thompson said:

“The defendant can plead guilty, not guilty, or stand mute- also known as standing silent. Standing mute or silent means a defendant does not take a stance on being guilty or not guilty; they remain silent according to rights guaranteed by the 5th Amendment.”

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Investigators recovered shell casings from the house where the boys were allegedly killed

When cops located the defendant, they found that his daughters were unharmed. Prosecutors further revealed that they wish to pursue the death penalty for the defendant in this case, as per KMBC. The State Department of Corrections confirmed that Kansas hasn't executed anybody since 1965.

According to prosecutors, the case can go on for years, since Jackson's defense team has stated that they aren't ready to face a jury until 2025.

During the investigation, cops also recovered a .40 caliber handgun and believed that it could be the murder weapon used to kill the two boys. One of the boys was shot twice, while the other one sustained one gunshot wound.

Law enforcement officials further recovered shell casings from the house where the bodies were discovered. Although cops believed that Jackson kidnapped the girls, he wasn't charged with the same. The tragic deaths of the two children shocked the entire community.