An Oregon man's Guatemalan ex-wife has been charged in his murder and apprehended after nearly two years on the run.
The Coos County grand jury in May returned a secret indictment against Reina Gabriela Jackson, also known as Reina Gabriela Matute-Ruano, charging her with second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in her ex-husband Dr. Craig Jackson's August 2021 homicide.
Authorities believe two other unidentified men were also involved in Jackson's murder, according to local news.
"I was informed in the evening of June 14, 2023, that Reina Jackson was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service in Atlanta, Georgia, earlier that evening. Apparently, Ms. Jackson, unaware of the arrest warrant, had decided to return to the United States for some reason and was arrested when she entered the country on June 14, 2023," Coos County Sheriff Gabe Fabrizio said in a statement last week.
OREGON COUPLE ALLEGEDLY KIDNAPPED, TORTURED SIBLINGS FROM NEW YORK
Jackson died of a gunshot wound to the head. He was a family practice doctor, according to local news outlet KTVL.
Coos County District Attorney Paul Frasier told local outlet KPIC that authorities believe there are two other unidentified, male assailants involved in Jackson's murder. The attackers allegedly entered Jackson's North Bend home the morning of Aug. 2, 2021, and killed him.
"We believe that there were three people involved in the death of Dr. Jackson. We believe Reina Jackson is obviously one of those participants in the death. The other two are male individuals, and we've not been able to identify who they are at this point," Frasier said.
The DA also said the couple had just finalized a divorce.
Authorities believe Reina Jackson fled to her home country of Guatemala after Jackson died, and they issued a warrant for her arrest after the grand jury returned the indictment.
She was also arrested for allegedly violating the terms of her probation for a first-degree burglary charge – a warrant that has been outstanding since 2021.
Reina Jackson was apprehended in Georgia and is currently in custody at an Atlanta jail, according to Fabrizio.
