Man convicted of killing ex-girlfriend, dumping her body at a truck stop in Las Animas County
LAS ANIMAS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Wednesday, a jury found an Aurora man guilty of second-degree murder for the killing of his ex-girlfriend back in 2018.
According to the 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office, 29-year-old Andrew Joseph Condon was convicted of killing LaBrea Jackson and dumping her body at an abandoned truck stop along I-25.
On December 23, 2018, the DA's Office says Condon used Jackson's phone to send her mother a text message to say she was on her way to pick him up. The couple was supposed to arrive at Jackson's parents' home in Westcliffe later that evening but never showed up.
Jackson's body was later found inside of a storage container at an abandoned truck stop near Ext 34 on I-25 in Las Animas County.
According to the DA's Office, the investigation revealed that Condon strangled Jackson sometime between Dec. 21, 2018, and Dec. 23, 2018, two weeks before her body was found. Additionally, cellular telephone data indicated that Jackson's phone pinged off of a tower near where her body was found on Dec. 23, 2018.
Investigators found her phone then pinged off towers in Texas. While in that state, police pulled Condon over twice for traffic infractions but there were no signs of Jackson in the car.
On Dec. 24, 2018, her mother called her daughter's apartment complex. A property manager opened the apartment and found there weren't a lot of personal items inside. That same day was when Texas State Troopers pulled Condon over, who was driving Jackson's car, and issued him a citation for drug paraphernalia.
Later that day, Condon was pulled over again by the Alvarado Police Department in Texas. The DA's Office said he provided officers with a stolen Colorado ID. He was ultimately taken into custody on multiple felony warrants out of Colorado unrelated to Jackson's murder.
At the time of his arrest on Dec. 24, 2018, officers found Jackson’s cell phone on him. Investigators also found that her debit card had been used in Texas.
On Dec. 26, 2018, Jackson's mother calls the Aurora Police Department and officially reports her missing.
December 26, 2018: Jackson’s mother calls the Aurora Police Department to officially report her daughter missing.
Her body wasn't found until Jan. 6, 2019. According to investigators, a man pulled into the truck stop and noticed a red plastic storage container with a human body inside. After calling the police, the Las Animas County Coroner positively identified the body as Jackson's.
“This was a horrific act of domestic violence that robbed two children of their mother, parents of their daughter, and a community of a beloved member,” Chief Deputy DA Andrew Steers said in a press release. “This verdict is the first step towards justice.”
Condon was found guilty of second-degree murder, tampering with a deceased body, motor vehicle theft, burglary 1, assault/strangulation, and felony menacing. A violent crime resulting in death was also used as a sentence enhancer.
According to investigators, court records indicate that Condon had a history of domestic violence incidents involving Jackson.
“This was a brutal and callous act of domestic violence that deserves a lengthy prison sentence,” District Attorney John Kellner said in a press release. “For anyone struggling with domestic violence, please reach out for help. We’re here for you.”
Available resources:
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
Gateway Domestic Violence Services: 303-343-1851
