Crime
Jury Convicts Tulare Man Just 116 Days After He Murdered Spa Employee
The Constitution includes the right to a speedy trial.
Jacoby Jackson, 33, is scheduled for sentencing on Aug. 30. (Tulare County SO)
Jacoby Jackson sought that right and now he stands convicted of murdering a Tulare spa employee during a robbery on April 9 of this year.
A Tulare County jury found Jackson, 33, guilty of murder, arson, and other charges on Wednesday just 107 days after his April 18 arrest — and 116 days after the homicide.
The Tulare County District Attorney’s Office announced Jackson’s conviction in a news release on Thursday.
He is scheduled for sentencing on Aug. 30 and faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.
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LA Woman Murdered at Spa
On April 9, Tulare firefighters and police officers responded to 7 Day Spa on North K Street. They found a 57-year-old woman, Xiuqun Yuan, of Los Angeles, with signs of strangulation and bruising to her face and neck. She remained unconscious from the time she was found until her death days later.
According to court records, detectives relied on investigation and video surveillance footage to identify Jackson as the last person in and out of the business. He was there for nearly two hours, and smoke billowed from the spa after Jackson was seen on video leaving with a towel over his head.
Detectives also said that Jackson was seen unsuccessfully attempting to enter a nearby car with Yuan’s keys.
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Arrested Near Ceres With Stolen Car
Authorities arrested Jackson nine days later near Ceres after finding him driving a stolen car.
Jackson has a prior strike offense for bank robbery, the DA’s office said.
Assistant DA Jessica Weatherly prosecuted the case, which was investigated by Tulare Police Department detective Eric Wilson.
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