04/22/2026
Jackson Found Guilty of First Degree Murder
Boone, NC – On April 21st, 2026 a Watauga County Jury found Alexander Matthew Jackson guilty of First Degree Murder for his role in the shooting death of Michael Ross after a weeklong trial. In February of 2024, Alexander Matthew Jackson was taken into custody after fatally shooting Ross, in the driveway of his residence off of NC Highway 194 North. Ross and Jackson were business partners in a landscaping and remodeling business in Watauga County.
The jury trial began on Tuesday, April 14th, 2026. The State called multiple witnesses and presented 83 items of evidence, including security footage detailing the encounter. On April 21st, 2026, Mr. Jackson was found guilty by a Watauga Court jury of first-degree murder.
After the jury returned the verdict, Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Ted McEntire sentenced the defendant to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
“My office remains committed to seeking justice for victims and their families,” District Attorney Seth Banks said in a statement. “I would like to thank Assistant District Attorneys Jasmine McKinney and Kimberly Robb for their hard work in presenting this case to the jury. I would also like to thank the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations for their efforts over the course of this investigation. Finally, I would like to thank the individual jurors in this case who diligently went about their work of gathering the facts and speaking the truth.”
