Naman Shrestha
When a mother of two named Ella Jackson vanished from her Kentucky home in 2019, the entire community became concerned about her well-being and whereabouts. While investigating her sudden disappearance, the detectives uncovered a series of witness statements and evidence that led them to the perpetrator. In NBC’s ‘Dateline: The Bluegrass Mystery,’ the entire ordeal and the investigation that followed are covered in a detailed manner with the help of interviews with Ella’s loved ones and the officials who worked hard to solve the case.
Ella Jackson Vanished From Her Home Under Suspicious Circumstances
Born in 1972 to Taira Gutieva, Ella Hans Diebolt Jackson was reportedly raised in Ukraine. Later, she relocated to Kentucky for more opportunities and to start afresh. During her first marriage to Jason Hans, who was a professor at the University of Kentucky, she gave birth to her son, Phillip Hans. However, when cracks began to appear in their relationship, the couple parted ways. However, she and Jason maintained a close friendship. In 2015, Ella met Glenn Jackson, whom she later married. Soon, she became a mother for the second time, giving birth to another son. On the professional front, the mother of two was a beloved English professor at Eastern Kentucky University.
Ella remained in close contact with her oldest son, Phillip, daily. So, when he couldn’t get in touch with her after October 20, 2019, he became concerned about her well-being. Two days later, on October 22, 2019, Phillip reported his 47-year-old mother missing from her home on Westwood Drive in Richmond, Kentucky. When the police got involved, they found Ella’s phone, wallet, car, pet dog, and her then 5-year-old son at her home. Months later, human remains were found in a secluded wooded area in Pulaski County. Due to the badly decomposed state of the remains, the medical examiner’s office used dental records and confirmed that they belonged to Ella Jackson. Although her death was ruled a homicide, the cause of death couldn’t be determined. However, the autopsy revealed a fracture to the skull.
Ella Jackson’s Blood Was Found in the Killer’s Vehicle
While searching for Ella Jackson in the early stages of the investigation, the authorities interviewed her family and friends, learning about her abusive marriage to Glenn Jackson. As per her relatives, she planned to take her youngest son and leave her husband for good. Reportedly, Ella also secretly recorded several altercations with Glenn and told her loved ones, including her ex-husband, Jason Hans, that if anything bad happened to her, her husband would be responsible. The suspicions about her husband intensified when the detectives learned that a few days before she went missing, she also met with an attorney and a domestic abuse worker to discuss the termination of her marriage.
The former honors instructor at Eastern Kentucky University had reportedly lost his job in February 2020. During his interview with the police, Glenn pretended to cooperate with them and claimed that Ella had asked for some space and time alone with their child. He told the detectives that when he returned home, she was long gone and had abandoned their son. As per his account, she had a pattern of disappearing and then returning. To gather physical evidence against him, the authorities executed a search warrant on the couple’s home on Westood Drive and their respective vehicles.
Upon processing the trunk of Glenn’s car, they found a large amount of blood using luminol. In the trunk, they also discovered a knife that reacted to luminol. When tested, the blood was found to be Ella’s. Armed with enough evidence, the police then arrested him on April 24, 2020, and charged him with murder, tampering with physical evidence, and abuse of a corpse. About a week after his arrest, Ella’s remains were discovered near his lake house in Pulaski County.
The Killer Was Brought to Justice Years Later
In February 2026, Glenn Jackson entered an Alford plea — acknowledging that there was enough evidence against him to convict him, yet still maintaining innocence — to first-degree manslaughter, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with physical evidence. During his sentencing hearing a couple of weeks later on April 21, a recorded statement from Glenn and Ella’s son was played, in which he stated, “She should have been here to watch me grow up. She should have been here for my childhood, my teenage years, my future. Glenn took all that away. He took away her future and he took away the future I should’ve had with her.”
Ella’s ex-husband, Jason Hans, also took the stand and stated, “I would never describe what happened in this case a justice. Our experience with the legal system has repeatedly left us, Ella’s family, filling victimized all over again. Not because we expect unmitigated vengeance or an eye-for-an-eye, but because thus far, it has felt as though Mr. Jackson’s comfort, convenience, and liberty have been valued more than Ella’s life.” One of her cousins, Victoria, also joined the hearing virtually from Ukraine. She said, “There was something rare about her, the way she carried herself, the way she connected with people, the way she spoke. It all felt graceful, warm, and full of life.” Ultimately, Glenn was sentenced to 14 years in prison for his gruesome crime.
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