Michael Jackson (murderer)

American murderer on death row

For the popstar, see Michael Jackson.

Michael Jackson

Born|  (1954-03-27) March 27, 1954 (age 71)

Los Angeles, California, U.S.[1]

Conviction| First degree murder with special circumstances
Criminal penalty| Death
Details
Victims| Police officer Ken Wrede
Date| August 31, 1983 (1983-08-31)
Country| United States
State| California

Date apprehended

| August 31, 1983

Michael Anthony Jackson (born March 27, 1954) is an American convicted murderer who was sentenced to death in 1984 for shooting and killing police officer Ken Wrede in West Covina, California in August 1983.[2] He is currently incarcerated in San Quentin State Prison.[3]

## Murder of Officer Ken Wrede

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Shortly after noon on August 31, 1983, West Covina Police Officer, 26-year-old Ken Wrede, responded to calls of an intoxicated man that was disturbing residents.[2] Wrede approached the man, who identified as 29-year-old Michael Anthony Jackson. Wrede attempted to handcuff Jackson until he lunged at him.[4] Jackson obtained a shotgun from Wrede’s patrol car and shot the officer multiple times. Before being shot, Wrede radioed for help. But by the time other officers arrived, Wrede was already dead, and the officers detained Jackson. Jackson was arrested and admitted to taking PCP-laced cigarettes earlier that day.

## Conviction

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During the trial, Jackson's lawyers argued that he might have been severely high, which made him not legally responsible for the murder. On May 21, 1984, Jackson was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to death.[2] Jackson still had some supporters who believed that he was not in his right state of mind when killing Wrede and that it would be cruel to him. On May 9, 2000, with Jackson's execution date approaching, the federal court of appeals concluded that if all available evidence had been presented during the trial's penalty phase, there was a reasonable chance that he might have received a sentence of life imprisonment. In a court hearing, judges criticized Jackson's lawyers for not mentioning that Jackson had been once diagnosed as schizophrenic, that the dose of PCP might render him legally not responsible for the killing.[4] Nevertheless, Jackson stayed on death row.

Since 2006, California has not executed a death row prisoner. Jackson, now 70 years old as of 2024, will likely not be executed.

## See also

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* List of death row inmates in the United States

## References

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1. ^ "THE BIRTH OF MICHAEL JACKSON". Retrieved 22 September 2021.
2. ^ a b c "PEOPLE v. JACKSON". Retrieved 22 September 2021.
3. ^ "These are the 737 inmates on California's death row". Los Angeles Times. 13 March 2019. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
4. ^ a b "Jury Again Urges Death for Killer of Officer". Los Angeles Times. 23 July 2002. Retrieved 22 September 2021.