Trail To The Truth: Who killed Kevin?

CRISFIELD, Md. – Saturday August 19th, 2023, was just like any regular day for 34-year-old Kevin Jackson.

He spent that afternoon getting his daughter, Ivy ready for the upcoming school year, his dad, Keith Jackson tagging along.

“We took her school shopping and took her to the carnival, but it was just a normal day, leading up to the call,” Keith said.

The Call

That call came in in the early morning hours of Sunday August 20th. It was Keith’s daughter.

“She said, ‘dad, we gotta go identify Kevin.’ I said, ‘what do you mean?’ She said, ‘I have to go identify Kevin, the police want me to come identify Kevin.’ And she told me what had happened, he had been shot,” Keith said.

Kevin was shot while sitting in his car outside of his house in the Somers Cove community. The neighborhood that had just been quiet as people slept in their homes was now swarming with concerned residents and police.

“We did a large canvas of the neighborhood, trying to find any residential cameras, anyone that may have heard something or seen something,” said Maryland State Police Corporal Kyle Braightmeyer. “Being that it was late in the night, though, there wasn’t the same amount of foot traffic that you would have in broad daylight.”

Crisfield isn’t immune to gun violence. Two homicide cases, including Kevin’s remain unsolved to this day. That’s why Kevin’s mom, Terri Jackson, was against her son living in the area. Call it a mother’s intuition, but she did not want her boy, the youngest boy of three, hanging up his hat in Crisfield.

“I didn’t like Crisfield,” Terri said. There’s one way in, one way out, and then you know, too much gang affiliation down in Crisfield.”

But Kevin’s parents said he moved to the beat of his own drum. He decided to start a new life with his daughter in the city, calling Crisfield home for about four years. His dad lived in the county, which meant they got to spend more time together.

“I was glad to have him back in the area because he came from New York– he came back from Niagara Falls, New York,” Keith said. “I was glad to have him back.”

But Terri felt differently. While her son was living down there, she said he had some bad experiences, to a point that she started worrying for Kevin’s safety.

“He said, ‘I’m not going to run, mom,’ and I say, ‘It’s not running, just get out of Crisfield for a while.’ I just had that feeling and I said, ‘Boy, if you don’t get out of Crisfield, somethings going to happen to you.’ I couldn’t shake that feeling, and here’s the results,” Terri said.

Searching for a Suspect

Now, a little over two years later, police are still working to find who killed Kevin. Braightmeyer said they’ve followed up on leads, forensics testing and asked the public for help, hoping to garner interest, but they haven’t been able to find that missing piece that could complete this puzzle.

“We have hit sort of a roadblock where we need the public’s help in identifying these people; the public is around people more often, they see people sometimes, I only meet people for the first time during the case, where they might know them from grade school,” Braightmeyer said.

WMDT obtained never-before-seen surveillance footage of an individual pictured walking in Somers Cove, shortly after the shots rang out, wearing a white tank top and dark shorts, which they appear to be pulling something out of.

Braightmeyer said this person of interest could hold the answers they’ve been looking for.

“If the person who is on camera views them on camera, I would love to talk to them and have them be completely honest,” Braightmeyer said. “If they are in the wrong, come forward and help, because Kevin’s family is hurting, and I think the members of Crisfield and residents of that area would also like to know that this individual is off the streets, and it’s an isolated incident.”

The Journey to Justice

Two summers have come and gone without their son and the feelings are still the same for Terri and Keith. Losing Kevin had a ripple effect in their family.
Terri had to leave the Eastern Shore because the memories of her boy were too hard to face, and Keith still lives in the same community, and is still searching for the same answers.

The two hope that someone will have the courage to come forward so they can finally begin the healing process.

“I can’t describe it because there’s so many emotions,” Keith said. “I wouldn’t want anyone else to go through it. I wouldn’t want anybody else to go through it.”

“I have my good days, I have my bad days, but it’s been rough,” Terri added. “I really want to find out who killed him so my son can rest in peace, I really do. His soul, right now, is not resting in peace. It’s not, and mines neither.”

If you have any information on the murder of 34-year-old Kevin Jackson, Braightmeyer said yo9u can call him directly at 443-480-6818