BLACKFOOT, ID – A 16-year-old boy is facing a first-degree murder charge after allegedly stealing a handgun from his workplace and fatally shooting a woman in her mobile home, authorities said. The incident took place Thursday in Blackfoot, a city located roughly 250 miles east of Boise.
Rebecca Rivera, 30, was found dead by family members from a gunshot wound inside her residence on the 1100 block of Broadway Street shortly after 4 p.m., investigators said. Police quickly identified Bobby Grant Jackson Jr. as the primary suspect in the case.
According to court documents, Jackson had been working earlier that day at a hospital renovation site as a subcontractor. A colleague noticed Jackson was missing from the job for an extended period after asking to use the restroom. The coworker discovered his lunchbox, which contained a handgun, had been tampered with, and Jackson was no longer at the site.
Surveillance footage provided authorities with images of Jackson approaching the coworker’s truck and removing an item believed to be the stolen firearm. Officers said Jackson had been residing at a local halfway house while on probation for a previous armed robbery conviction.
Cell phone records traced Jackson’s movements to a gas station near the location of the murder, just down the street from Rivera’s home, earlier the same afternoon. Witnesses in the area told investigators they saw Jackson walking through the trailer park and seeking a ride.
Further investigation revealed the murder weapon was a 9mm handgun, matching the description of the firearm reported stolen from Jackson’s workplace earlier that day. Police said there was no known connection between Jackson and the victim prior to the shooting.
Detectives obtained an arrest warrant, initially for second-degree murder, and took Jackson into custody at a residence in Pocatello on Friday. During questioning, Jackson reportedly confessed to killing Rivera after she refused to give him a ride. Investigators said Jackson also claimed to believe that Rivera’s brothers were connected to the death of one of his friends.
Based on the evidence and Jackson’s alleged admissions, prosecutors upgraded the charge to first-degree murder and confirmed he would be prosecuted as an adult.
Jackson is currently being held at the 3B Detention Facility on a $1 million bond. Court officials have scheduled his next hearing for November 6.