Mellisha Jackson

On a Tuesday evening in Graniteville, South Carolina, the life of a young mother and her baby boy were tragically cut short in a sudden burst of gunfire. Mel'lisha Jackson, a 26-year-old Black woman, was at her home in the Kalmia Apartments on December 17, 2019, with her one-year-old son, Elijah. Around 11:00 p.m., what should have been a peaceful night was shattered by violence that would horrify the community.

Security camera footage from a video doorbell captured three individuals running up to the back door of the apartment before opening fire into the residence. Inside, Mel'lisha was struck by the bullets and pronounced dead at the scene. Her son, Elijah, was critically wounded. According to an incident report, when deputies arrived, they found Mel'lisha lying face down while another person inside the apartment held onto Elijah, who was bleeding from his stomach. The baby was rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment, but his injuries were too severe, and he died shortly after arrival. A witness who was downstairs cooking at the time of the shooting reported hearing the shots and seeing Mel'lisha collapse.

The Aiken County Sheriff's Office immediately launched a homicide investigation. Investigators quickly determined that the shooting was likely gang-related and that Mel'lisha and her son were not the intended targets. The suspects were described as three Black males, estimated to be between 5'7" and 5'11" tall. The senselessness of the act left neighbors and the wider community in shock. One resident lamented, "I can't imagine why someone would want to kill a 1-year-old and the mom."

Days after the double homicide, authorities identified 18-year-old Thomas Anthony Henderson as one of the suspects and issued warrants for his arrest on two counts of murder. An extensive search involving numerous law enforcement agencies began. On January 4, 2020, following up on leads and tips from the public, investigators located Henderson at a home on Greene Street in Augusta, Georgia. He was taken into custody without incident in a joint operation that included the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office, Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, the ATF, and the U.S. Marshals, among others.

After an extradition hearing, Henderson was moved to the Aiken County Detention Center. During a bond hearing, Judge Donna Williamson detailed the numerous charges against him: two counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder, discharging a firearm into a dwelling, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. The solicitor noted that Elijah was in his mother's arms when he was shot. Citing Henderson as a risk to the public, the judge denied bond, ensuring he would remain in jail. The Jackson family requested and was granted a no-contact order against him.

As of a court hearing in July 2021, Thomas Henderson remained incarcerated at the Aiken County Detention Center, having been denied bond. The investigation into the murders of Mel'lisha and Elijah Jackson is ongoing, as two of the three suspects seen in the security footage remain at large. The Aiken County Sheriff’s Office continues to seek information from the public regarding the identities and whereabouts of the other individuals involved.

The case remains a painful memory for a family and community that lost a mother and her child to a brutal act of violence that was never meant for them. Authorities urge anyone with information to contact the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office at (803) 648-6811 or to provide information anonymously through Midlands Crime Stoppers.