A Kent man has been sentenced to 28 years and 4 months in prison after pleading guilty to first degree murder in connection with a 2024 homicide in Auburn, according to the Auburn Police Department.
On Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, Calvin Jackson Jr. was sentenced after entering a guilty plea in the case stemming from the killing of a woman whose body was found near the 3700 block of West Valley Highway North.
Officers responded at about 2:20 p.m. on Feb. 14, 2024, to reports of a deceased female in a wooded area near the roadway. When officers arrived, they discovered the victim in bushes near the scene, police said.
Surveillance footage obtained during the investigation showed Jackson arriving in the victim’s vehicle. Video captured the suspect removing the victim from the vehicle, shooting her and dragging her into nearby bushes, according to police.
Earlier that morning, the victim had been reported missing out of Kent by her ex partner, Jackson. Detectives conducted multiple interviews during the investigation. During an interview with Jackson, detectives obtained digital evidence from his phone indicating his location at the time of the homicide. Detectives then responded to that location and located the victim’s vehicle, police said.
Investigators later determined Jackson had concealed himself inside the victim’s vehicle, waiting for her as she prepared to leave for work. After she entered the vehicle, he shot her through the front seat, according to police. Following additional interviews, Jackson confessed to killing the victim after a recent argument and learning of her new relationship.
Jackson was taken into custody at about 7:40 p.m. on Feb. 15, 2024, and was subsequently charged with first degree murder. He later entered a guilty plea.
According to the Auburn Police Department, the case reflects the work of detectives and patrol officers who investigated the homicide and brought the case to prosecution.
