Jerry Terrell Jackson, 30, was executed Thursday night at Greensville Correctional Center for the 2001 rape and murder of 88-year-old Ruth Phillips.
Phillips was a seamstress and a widow who moved to Virginia from New Hampshire at her son Richard’s request so she would be safe.
However, Richard Phillips found his mother dead on August 26, 2001.
Authorities said Jackson broke into Ruth Phillips apartment to rob her. When she awoke and found him rummaging through her purse, she offered him anything if he would leave. Instead, he put a pillow over her face and raped her. Authorities said Jackson fled in her car and used the $60 he stole from her apartment to buy marijuana.
Jackson was Virginia’s first inmate to be put to death using a revised, three-drug cocktail. He was pronounced dead within four minutes of the two intravenous lines being inserted in his arms.
Although Jackson had no last words, he recently said, “I'm sorry Mrs. Phillips lost her life due to something that I done. I'm sorry that he lost his mother.''
Neither Phillips nor members of his family witnessed the execution, but he did say it was long overdue.
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Jerry Jackson was pronounced dead at 9:14 p.m.
