CASPER — A 48-year-old Casper man who vowed “revenge” on an ex-girlfriend, then shot a crossbow bolt through her window, will spend up to eight years in prison.
Casey Jackson was sentenced Wednesday by Natrona County District Court Judge Daniel Forgey to four to five years in prison for possession of a weapon with unlawful intent and six to eight years for felony property destruction.
The sentences are to run concurrently. He was given credit for time served on reckless endangerment and stalking charges.
Jackson, who pleaded guilty to the charges in March as part of a deal with Natrona County District Attorney Dan Itzen, appeared in court in an orange jail jumpsuit and black Nike sneakers.
He told police he was “heartbroken” over a breakup with his ex-girlfriend and had texted someone he was “mad” and was going to do something that would be “in the news.”
It was after that he fired a three-bladed crossbow bolt through the kitchen window of the home where his ex-girlfriend was staying last September.
He’s ‘Remorseful’
Prior to sentencing, defense attorney Marty Scott asked the judge to consider suspending any prison sentence in favor of supervised probation for his client.
He admitted that Jackson “clearly has some sort of mental health issues,” adding that he “is remorseful for what he did.”
Scott said that if the court was not inclined to give his client probation, then he asked for two-and-a-half to four years for the possession of a weapon charge and four-to-six years on the property destruction.
Itzen argued earlier for the strong sentence and noted that Jackson was on parole when he fired the crossbow through the window where his ex-girlfriend was staying. He also said Jackson has an extensive criminal record.
“I believe this makes his 10th felony. Look at the number offenses he has with weapons,” Itzen said “He’s extremely dangerous.”
Court records show Jackson has had previous drug possession, assault and possession of a deadly weapon convictions.
‘I Will Find You’
Itzen recounted what was in a police affidavit that notes that after his girlfriend broke up with Jackson on Sept. 8 of last year, she received a text from Jackson two days later saying that he “was not afraid to go back to prison” and “you better answer me, or I will find you.”
Itzen said that on Sept. 11, Jackson was outside his ex-girlfriend’s home, and he texted her: “standing outside smoking, ha ha, easy.”
The police affidavit also states that Sept. 19, the ex-girlfriend received a text message from Jackson as she that day was going to court to get a protection order against him. The text said that “he would kill” her new boyfriend “and maybe her.”
Jackson also texted that “he had people watching the courthouse and that she was a ‘rat bitch’ and that he would kill people if she did not contact him,” the affidavit states.
The affidavit also recorded a text Jackson sent to his ex-girlfriend’s female friend that stated, “I will get my revenge … she is in deep, deep trouble, she might just want to leave town if she knows what’s good for her. I’m so mad, I’m gonna make it worthwhile, it will definitely be in the news.”
Itzen asked the judge for the four to six years on the possession of a weapon with unlawful intent charge six to eight years on the property destruction charge.
When it was his time to speak, Jackson told the judge that he had “anger” issues and that if he had the opportunity to apologize to his ex-girlfriend, he would.
“I was just heartbroken,” he said. “Never did I intend to hurt her.”
In addition to the prison sentence, Jackson was ordered to pay $1,500 restitution for the damages that his crossbow bolts made on the building where his ex-girlfriend was staying.
During the investigation, police found a second crossbow bolt stuck in the siding above the window of a downstairs apartment.
Dale Killingbeck can be reached at dale@cowboystatedaily.com.
