Viswa Vanapalli
In June 2005, a then-18-year-old Noura Jackson arrived home to find her mother, Jennifer Jackson, viciously stabbed to death. It was a devastating blow to the teenager, who had already lost her father, Nazmi Hassanieh, more than a year prior. ABC News’ ‘20/20: Deadly Daughter’ focuses on what happened to Jennifer and speculation regarding her murder being connected to her ex-husband’s. So, if you’re curious to find out more, we’ve got you covered.
How Did Nazmi Hassanieh Die?
Nazmi Hassanieh was originally from Lebanon and was born in January 1961. He was a former Army captain who eventually moved to the United States. Nazmi then married Jennifer Jackson, who gave birth to Noura Jackson. But the two divorced sometime after her birth. At the time of the incident, the 43-year-old had reconnected with Noura, and they had been in constant touch, texting and calling.
Sometime after 10 pm on January 26, 2004, the authorities rushed to a convenience store in Memphis, Tennessee, owned by Nazmi. Inside, they found him shot to death in what seemed like a robbery. The killer stole cash from the register, and the office appeared to be ransacked as if he were looking for something specific. The authorities dove right in, but the investigation was as straightforward as it initially appeared.
Who Killed Nazmi Hassanieh?
The authorities acquired the surveillance video from the store that provided some more clues regarding what happened. The killer came into the store around 10 pm, waving the customers off. Then, the killer took money from the register before heading into the office. The shooting was not captured on camera and Dana Frederick, the parent of one of Noura’s friends, said, “From watching the videotape of the murder, this was not a robbery. The person that murdered him was looking for something specifically in his office.”
The investigators believed it was an assassination, and it seemed like the killer made away with what they thought was the surveillance tape. At the time of the incident, Nazmi had been running a limousine company out of the store and was across the street from a strip club; the limo service drove people to and from the club regularly. At the time, there were rumors about Nazmi being involved in a prostitution ring; he was allegedly renting the limos out for the same purpose and had video evidence of clients in compromising positions.
Furthermore, there was speculation about the Los Zetas drug cartel using Nazmi’s limos to conduct drug deals. It was rumored that Nazmi had videotape recordings of such deals, which would mean his life was at risk. So it was possible that Nazmi was targeted to get those videotapes. After his death, Jennifer had taken control of his belongings, and according to a court filing, she had the tapes with her. In June 2005, Jennifer was stabbed multiple times in her home.
According to the authorities, Jennifer’s place was ransacked. This led some to question whether her death was connected to Nazmi’s and if one of his enemies killed her. One of Jennifer’s friends, Renea McMillan, said, “Who’s to say that he didn’t owe somebody money and they felt that Jennifer may have the money that they’re looking for?” However, the authorities maintained there was no connection between the two murders.
While Noura ultimately spent time in prison for her mother’s death, Nazmi’s case has remained unsolved. Robbery was considered the official motive, and the authorities maintained that they investigated all potential avenues, including the issues he had with his limo service. In 2017, the police urged people to come forward with any information regarding the case.
Read More: Jennifer Jackson Murder: How Did She Die? Who Killed Her?
