‘Cold, deliberate and heinous’: 17-year-old will spend decades in prison for killing young Blackfoot mother

BLACKFOOT — A teenager who pleaded guilty to shooting and killing a 30-year-old mother in her Blackfoot home has been sentenced to at least 24 years in prison.

Bobby Grant Jackson Jr., 17, pleaded guilty to one felony count of second-degree murder for killing Rebecca Rivera in January, as part of a plea deal.

On Wednesday, he was sentenced to 60 years in prison, with 24 years fixed and 36 years indeterminate, by 7th District Judge Daniel Clark.

“I’ve been doing this a long time, with a lot of cases of similar nature,” Clark said. “This is as cold and senseless a homicide as I have ever seen.”

Jackson was arrested on Oct. 23, hours after Rivera was found shot to death inside her trailer home near 1159 South Broadway in Blackfoot. The 17-year-old was accused of stealing a gun from his employer earlier in the day and was linked to the crime after witnesses told police he was in the neighborhood.

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‘She was ended right there, and it’s not fair’

During Wednesday’s hearing, family members were permitted to give a statement to the court describing how Rivera’s death had affected them.

The first was a written statement from Rivera’s 10-year-old daughter, read aloud by another family member.

The girl wrote that since the tragedy, her life has fundamentally changed. She said her mother was always there for her, helped her with makeup for competitions, and supported her in cheerleading, gymnastics, school and for birthdays.

“Those everyday moments meant everything,” Rivera’s daughter said. “She won’t be there for prom, graduation or my wedding. She will be missed every day.”

The girl said she had since quit those extracurricular activities and was forced to move and change schools.

Rivera’s father, Victor Zamora, spoke next. With the assistance of an interpreter, he told the court he hasn’t yet come to terms with what happened to his daughter.

He said he and Rivera worked at the same job and often shared meals. The time since her death has been difficult for him, he said, because he still sees her there.

“I had a good daughter. She good daughter. She didn’t hurt. She got along well with everyone,” Victor Zamora said. “Not having her is very painful for me. It hurts way too much.”

The final statement came from Rivera’s mother, Gloria Zamora, who described finding her daughter’s body. She said she went to the home after learning her granddaughter had not been picked up from school.

As she entered the house, Gloria Zamora said she noticed it was unusually quiet. She didn’t hear the TV that was typically on, or any music playing.

She told the judge she found Rivera’s body on the floor in her bedroom. As she got closer, she discovered a pool of blood.

“Seeing my daughter there, I immediately asked, ‘What happened to you?’ I grabbed her cold hands and her small face, covered in blood,” Gloria Zamora said. “I said to myself: ‘Who could be capable of killing my daughter, who didn’t hurt anyone?’”

She said Rivera did not deserve a death like that, where she wasn’t even given a chance for survival.

“She was ended right there, and it’s not fair,” Gloria Zamora said.

As several of Rivera’s family members struggled to hold back tears during the statements, the teen who killed her stared straight ahead, showing no emotion.

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‘He’s still a kid’

When it was his turn to speak, defense attorney Jordan Crane recommended his client serve a minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and 30 years indeterminate, with the caveat that Jackson serve a portion of that sentence in the custody of Idaho’s Department of Juvenile Corrections.

“Twenty-year fixed is essentially Bobby’s entire life before this, all over again, plus another quarter of his life,” Crane said.

He said that since being in juvenile detention, Jackson has been in a sort of isolation. This split sentence would provide the teen with a buffer to help him adjust before being sent to the adult prison, the attorney said.

Crane also pointed to his client’s extremely difficult childhood. He said that since age 3, Jackson’s life has been filled with violence. He told the court Jackson was physically and sexually abused and had lived on the streets since age 11.

“When you look at all of that, when you look at the early age, the body’s here. His cries for help have gotten louder, louder and louder. Unfortunately, they’re ignored,” Crane said.

He said his client has remorse for killing Rivera, and that one can see evidence of that in Jackson’s choice to plead guilty instead of having the case drag on for years.

‘Calloused behavior merits a lengthy prison sentence’

However, Bingham County Prosecutor Ryan Jolley told the court that although Jackson’s childhood may have been difficult, that does not soften the heinous nature of the crime.

The shooting was not motivated by an argument, as there was no prior connection between Jackson and Rivera, Jolley said. And the crime cannot be blamed on drugs or alcohol, he added, saying Jackson was sober when he shot the woman.

Jolley said Jackson was also aware Rivera had a daughter because when she refused to give him a ride, she told him she needed to pick her up.

“He decided to put a bullet in her brain,” Jolley said. “That sort of calloused behavior merits a lengthy prison sentence.”

Jolley recommended that Jackson receive a 27-years fixed and life indeterminate, meaning Jackson would serve 27 years before being eligible for parole.

Jackson’s comments

Before being sentenced, Jackson was also given the opportunity to make a statement to the court and the victims.

“I do not understand the pain or sense of loss you feel for your daughter, but I do understand how loss affects people,” Jackson said. “A mother and father should never have to bury their child, let alone have a kid take him away from them, as I’ve done to you.”

The teen said he understood that what he did was wrong and, despite once saying he had no remorse for his actions, he does have remorse for shooting Rivera.

“I took the life away from someone, but it was more than that — (it was) someone who I had absolutely no reason for killing, someone who is now gone because I don’t know how to manage my own feelings and how to act on impulse,” Jackson said.

He told the judge he grew up without a father, had a mother who had to fill both parents’ roles, and that he moved around constantly. He said he took part in violent acts, joined a gang, sold drugs and lived on the streets.

“I’m truly sorry for my actions, and I take full responsibility,” Jackson said.

Judge’s remarks

Referring to the mentions of Jackson’s past, and referencing the teen’s psychological evaluation, the judge said there is nothing there that explains or justifies what he did to Rivera.

Clark said, theoretically, Jackson could serve time at a juvenile correctional facility for other charges. And then once a defendant turns 18, the adult sentence is suspended.

He pointed out that Idaho law states that a juvenile found guilty of an adult crime shall be treated as an adult unless the judge determines otherwise. But he said that would not happen in this case.

“The court cannot make any such finding on this today,” Clark said, “nor am I inclined to do so.”

Speaking to the victims, the judge said he has the same question as Rivera’s mother: Why? But he does not believe there is an answer.

“You’ve been heard — certainly touched me,” Clark said to Jackson. “I’m also well aware of the fact that a sentence can be fashioned to make some effort to make the victim whole. This is a case I can’t do that, and it weighs heavily.”

Clark said he also took Jackson’s criminal past into account before handing down the decades-long prison sentence and lifetime of probation. That history starts with a few minor juvenile crimes, with every subsequent offense getting more violent.

Rivera’s murder “was cold, deliberate, and heinous,” Clark said. “This court’s response must be equally deliberate.”