This classic episode of Dateline, airing on NBC on Monday April 15, takes us to Pembroke Pines, Florida, where a rookie detective, Donna Velazquez, reopens a 15-year-old cold case about the disappearance of young father David Jackson. Jackson, a 24-year-old divorced father, vanished without a trace in 1988, leaving behind a 5-year-old son, John.
The investigation into Jackson’s disappearance was initially led by Detective France Michaud, but it soon went cold, with no new leads for almost four years. However, in 2003, Detective Velazquez was assigned to the case and began digging into Jackson’s past. She discovered a complex web of relationships and a bitter custody battle over Jackson’s son, John.
The main suspects in the case were Jackson’s ex-wife, Barbara Britton, and her new husband, Michael Wolfe. Britton and Jackson had a tumultuous relationship, and Britton’s father, Harry Britton, allegedly disliked Jackson. Michael Wolfe, a former military police officer, married Britton just months after her divorce from Jackson.
It is alleged that Britton and her father wanted Jackson out of the picture so that they could have full custody of John. There were also claims that Jackson was abusive towards John, but these allegations were never reported to the police.
Michael Wolfe was arrested and convicted of Jackson’s murder in 2004 and sentenced to life in prison. Britton was also arrested and charged with murder but was released on bail after three years. She eventually pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact and was sentenced to two years of community control and eight years of probation.
The case had a profound impact on those involved, especially Jackson’s mother, Judy Carlson, who never gave up hope of finding her son. Despite the convictions, Carlson still believes that Britton was more involved in the murder than she admitted.
Dateline: Deadly Secrets airs on NBC at 1:00 pm on Monday, April 15, 2024.
