Murder suspect put gun to teen’s head before shooting her mother, Columbus police say
The man accused of killing his domestic partner during a dispute early Friday first put a gun to her daughter’s head when the 13-year-old interrupted the couple’s argument, police said.
Dexter Potts then shot Tanuska Jackson in the head in the Torch Hill Road apartment they shared, where Jackson’s four other children, ages 4, 8, 10 and 12, also were present, Sgt. Thomas Hill testified Tuesday during Potts’ preliminary hearing in Columbus Recorder’s Court.
Potts afterward called 911, at 12:23 a.m., told a dispatcher he’d killed his wife, left the gun in the bedroom where Jackson’s body lay and met patrol officers outside, Hill said.
The single bullet that killed Jackson also wounded Potts, between the thumb and forefinger of his left hand, so he was treated in the hospital before police arrested him Saturday on charges of murder and aggravated assault, the detective said.
The fatal shooting ended what Hill described as a troubled relationship, noting Jackson’s 13-year-old daughter told police the couple fought constantly.
“She said that her mother and Mr. Potts routinely argued..... She made a mention that one reason she looks forward to going to school is that it gives her a break from the arguments at the house,” Hill testified.
On the night of the shooting, the teen was in an adjoining bedroom when she heard the couple fighting, and walked into the master bedroom to find Potts atop her mother on the bed, as Jackson pushed both his hands away, the girl told police.
When Potts saw the teen, he released Jackson, grabbed the girl by the throat, held her against the wall and put the gun to her head, Hill said: “At that time, she said he told her to get out of the room. She said her mother called out to him, ‘Leave her alone!’”
The teen ran back to her bedroom, and heard a gunshot about 30 seconds later, the detective said.
Jackson, 31, was pronounced dead in the bed at 1:30 a.m., authorities said.
‘I killed my wife’
“I killed my wife,” Hill said Potts told him during an interview at police headquarters Saturday, after the suspect was released from the hospital. But Potts claimed the shooting was an accident, Hill added.
Potts, 25, was not married to Jackson, and police do not believe they had any children together, the detective said. But they had been together for about a year, and had shared the Torch Hill Road apartment since November or December, Hill said.
Explaining what started the dispute, Potts told investigators he’d visited a friend on Southside Court earlier Friday, expecting Jackson to pick him up, but his phone battery died and he couldn’t reach her, so he walked home, Hill testified.
When he got to the apartment, Jackson took his phone, put it on a charger and started scrolling through his messages, Potts told Hill. “He said that’s been an issue with him and her,” Hill said, adding Potts had a previous relationship that involved a 3-month-old child, and Jackson had just found out about it.
That sparked the argument that led to the slaying, Hill said, adding Potts maintained the shooting was accidental: “He just repeatedly said, ‘Yes, I killed her, but it was accident and I did not intend for the gun to go off.’”
Potts was not present for his hearing Tuesday. Public defender Robin King said he was on “suicide watch” in the Muscogee County Jail, meaning he’s being monitored to ensure he does not harm himself.
Judge Julius Hunter found probable cause to send the case to Muscogee Superior Court, ordering Potts to have no contact with Jackson’s family. He’s being held without bond.
About 10 people from the victim’s family were in court. They declined to speak with reporters afterward.
Also present for the hearing was District Attorney Mark Jones, who afterward said the shooting was no accident.
“I talked to the family. They’re obviously very upset, and they wanted me to make clear that this isn’t some accident killing,” Jones said.
Witnesses have reported hearing Potts threaten to kill Jackson before, the prosecutor said.
“Even the week before, we’ve got a witness saying she heard him say to Ms. Jackson, ‘I’m going to kill you,’ and then sure enough a week later, she ends up dead with a gunshot in the head,” Jones said. “That’s no accident. It’s murder.”
Area victims of domestic or family violence can get help by calling the Hope Harbour shelter crisis line at 800-334-2836 or 706-324-3850.
This story was originally published March 9, 2021 at 11:42 AM.