Bio

Robert W. Jackson III was born on May 24, 1973. By 1992, Jackson was living in Delaware. He was 18 years old at the time of the crime. He was associated with Anthony Lachette, who was acquainted with one of Elizabeth Girardi’s children. According to court records, Jackson and Lachette planned a burglary because they wanted money to buy marijuana.

The selected target was the Hockessin, Delaware home of 47-year-old Elizabeth Girardi. Lachette knew the house because of his connection to the family. The plan was to enter the home while no one was inside, steal property that could be sold, and leave before anyone returned.

Murder Story

On April 3, 1992, Robert W. Jackson III and Anthony Lachette went to Elizabeth Girardi’s home in Hockessin, New Castle County, Delaware. They broke into the residence through a rear or porch door while Girardi was away.

Once inside, the two men collected property from the home. The stolen items included jewelry, rare coins, compact discs, a camera, and other belongings. They placed the property into paper bags and left the house through the same area where they had entered.

As Jackson and Lachette were leaving, Elizabeth Girardi returned home and encountered them near the driveway. Lachette dropped the stolen items and ran away. Jackson stayed behind. He went to a nearby shed, took an ax, and confronted Girardi.

Jackson struck Girardi with the ax multiple times. Court records state that he killed her after the burglary was discovered. Later accounts also state that after hearing her moan, he struck her again. Girardi died from the injuries inflicted during the attack.

The police investigation eventually led to Jackson and Lachette. A bracelet taken during the burglary was sold to a pawnbroker, and that sale helped connect investigators to the crime. Lachette later pleaded guilty to reduced charges of second-degree burglary and conspiracy. He testified against Jackson at trial.

Jackson was tried in Delaware Superior Court. On March 30, 1993, he was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder, second-degree burglary, second-degree conspiracy, first-degree robbery, and three counts of possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony.

On April 28, 1993, Jackson was sentenced to death. He also received prison sentences for the additional offenses. In 1994, the Delaware Supreme Court affirmed his convictions but vacated the death sentences because of an error during the penalty phase. The case was sent back for a new penalty hearing.

A second penalty hearing was held in 1995. A new jury again recommended the death penalty by a vote of 11 to 1. On October 26, 1995, the Superior Court again sentenced Jackson to death. The Delaware Supreme Court affirmed that sentence in 1996.

Jackson continued to challenge his conviction and sentence through post-conviction appeals and federal litigation. His claims included arguments about trial counsel, witness testimony, alleged Brady issues, and Delaware’s execution procedures. The courts ultimately denied relief.

In the days before his execution, Jackson’s attorneys continued to maintain that he was not the person who killed Girardi and argued that Anthony Lachette was responsible. The courts declined to stop the execution, and Delaware Governor Jack Markell denied a request for reprieve.

Robert W. Jackson III was executed by lethal injection at the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center near Smyrna, Delaware, on July 29, 2011. He was pronounced dead at 12:12 a.m. He was 38 years old. Jackson was the first person executed in Delaware since 2005.