The April 4 call led them from a cleaned house to a locked bathroom and a wooded search, deputies say.
NATCHEZ, Miss. — Deputies sent to check on a retired teacher April 4 found no immediate sign of her, then followed evidence through her home and property in a case that ended with her son charged in her killing.
The Adams County Sheriff’s Office says the call began with a family member’s concern for 62-year-old Lana Brown Bradley. Relatives had been unable to reach her, and her oldest son asked deputies to go to her Melanie Road home. Within hours, what started as a welfare check became a missing-person investigation, then a homicide case. Bradley’s youngest son, Zachary Lavel Jackson Jr., 29, is charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, mayhem and tampering with physical evidence.
The first turn came when deputies entered the home and noticed conditions that did not match a normal welfare call. Sheriff Travis Patten said officers smelled cleaning chemicals throughout the house. He said the floor was slippery and appeared to have been cleaned. Bradley was not found in plain view, and the older son told investigators the cleaning seemed unusual, especially because Jackson was believed to be the person cleaning. The concern shifted from whether Bradley needed help to where she was and what had happened before deputies arrived.
The second turn came from inside a bathroom. Deputies heard splashing behind a locked door, according to Patten. When the bathroom was opened, Jackson was inside. Deputies saw a dark substance in the toilet, and investigators later said it was connected to Bradley’s remains. Patten said the substance did not appear to be ordinary waste and immediately changed how officers treated the room. A plumber was later called to remove the toilet so investigators could check for evidence in the plumbing. Authorities have said the evidence supported the charge that Jackson tried to dispose of parts of his mother’s body.
The third turn moved the search outside. Deputies did not stop at the bathroom because Bradley had still not been fully found. Patten said deputies and family members searched the area around the home, including wooded land. Family members went one way while deputies searched another. During that search, someone yelled that a head had been found. Officials have also said body parts were found in a suitcase. The location of all recovered remains has not been fully detailed in public statements, and authorities have not released all forensic records. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation assisted as the search grew more complex.
By the time Jackson was arrested, investigators had built a case that alleged both a killing and a cover-up. The murder counts accuse him in Bradley’s death. The mayhem charge is tied to what authorities say happened to her body. The tampering charge centers on the alleged cleaning, hiding and disposal of evidence. Patten said investigators believed the acts after the killing were not random. He said the condition of the home, the bathroom evidence and the search discoveries showed an effort to make Bradley harder to find. Jackson has not been convicted, and the charges remain allegations unless proven in court.
The timeline before the welfare check remains less complete. Authorities have said Bradley’s oldest son had not been able to contact her for two days. They have also said the middle son was at work when events at the home drew police attention. Patten said Bradley had feared for her safety and was planning to evict Jackson. He said Jackson allegedly threatened her the day before deputies found her dead. Officials have not released a complete account of Bradley’s final known movements, the exact time she died or whether any formal eviction filing had already reached a court.
Mental health has been mentioned by family members but has not changed the charges announced by authorities. Patten said relatives described Jackson as mentally unstable. At the same time, the sheriff said Jackson appeared to act with calculation. Investigators are likely to examine both claims as the case proceeds. A defense attorney could seek a mental health evaluation, and prosecutors could use the evidence-gathering timeline to argue that Jackson understood what he was doing. No public court record reviewed in available reports gave a final answer on Jackson’s mental state, and no trial date had been set.
Bradley’s identity deepened the shock in Natchez. She was a retired educator and a longtime member of the Adams County community. Officials described her as respected and beloved, and local reports said former students and neighbors were shaken by her death. Her family also remembered her writing, including poetry. The sheriff’s office said it withheld some details early to protect the family and the investigation. As more information became public near the end of April, the case drew attention beyond Mississippi because of the allegations about dismemberment and attempted disposal of remains.
The case moved from investigation to prosecution when Jackson appeared in court and waived a preliminary hearing April 28. That court decision sent the case toward the grand jury. A grand jury will decide whether the evidence supports formal indictment on the charges. Prosecutors may present witness statements, forensic findings and evidence from the home. Defense lawyers will have later chances to challenge evidence, seek hearings or raise issues tied to mental health, search procedures or the exact charges. Officials did not announce a next court date after the waiver.
Several important facts remain unknown. Investigators have not publicly released the full autopsy findings, the exact cause of death, a complete evidence list or a detailed minute-by-minute timeline. They also have not said whether anyone else was questioned beyond the early investigative phase. Patten has said more information could be released when it does not harm the case. For now, the known timeline starts with family worry, moves through the welfare check and ends in a pending criminal case.
Jackson remained jailed Friday, May 22, while prosecutors prepared for the next step. The grand jury decision is the next public point in the case.
Author note: Last updated Friday, May 22, 2026.