Creek County Family Of Mother Who Killed Herself, Young Son Left Devastated

Instead of getting ready for the holidays, a Creek County family is preparing to say goodbye to two loved ones, killed in a murder-suicide last week.
Deputies say Jennifer Dickerson killed her 7-year-old son Jakob before turning the gun on herself inside their home northwest of Sapulpa.
                                
Jakob was a miracle baby, his grandparents say. They say his mother was told she couldn't have children. When she got pregnant, doctors suggested termination, but Jennifer refused and became mom to a healthy baby boy, Jakob.

J.R. and Sherry Dickerson are Jennifer's parents and Jakob's grandparents.

“I think that's part of what makes him special, he wasn't supposed to be here. What a blessing he was, I'll tell ya,” J.R. Dickerson said.

And his grandparents felt the same way about Jennifer.

“Jennifer was my rock,” her mom Sherry said. “She was my best friend,”

Sherry’s husband felt the same, “She was not just my daughter, she was my best friend.”. 

Jennifer, Jakob and his dad, who was Jennifer's longtime boyfriend, lived next door to her parents – who were Papa and Nana to young Jakob. The Dickersons say they were with their daughter and grandson all the time. 

“Every day I could hear him running from that front door and he'd be hollering, ‘Papa,’” J.R. said. “He was my buddy.” 

The couple says Jennifer, a stay-at-home mom, lived to take care of her son.

“Very involved. She was at every function, they'd actually offered her a job here, but turned it down (because she didn’t want to take away from the time she spent with Jakob),’ Sherry said.

Jennifer’s mom and dad say there was never any indication that Jennifer might commit suicide and there were certainly no signs she would hurt her son.

“She was the most dedicated mother I've ever seen in my life,” Jennifer’s dad said. 

But sometime last Tuesday she took her son’s life, then her own.
                
“Never seen a sign. We were planning Thanksgiving. We were planning Christmas,” Sherry said. “There was no sign. That's what makes it so hard to wrap my head around.”

Sherry says Jennifer told her Tuesday morning she was keeping Jakob home from school because he wasn’t feeling well. A little later, Sherry says her daughter texted saying she’d left a bag under her parent’s bed and that she loved them. Sherry says she responded, but never heard back.

“So I got to thinking something's wrong,” Sherry said.

She sent her son to check on Jennifer and Jakob, but the house was locked and no one came to the door.

“We all rushed home. I tried to get there and didn't make it in time,” said Sherry.

Sherry and J.R. say they found their daughter and grandson, lying in bed both dead from gunshot wounds. 

“There was a note, but it didn't explain anything,” Sherry said.

Inside the bag Jennifer referenced in that text message was a laptop with pictures, along with birth certificates and other papers, Sherry said.

“I don't understand. I'll never understand. I wished she'd left something to explain, but she didn't,” Sherry said. “Treasure that every moment you have with your family.”

Her parents are heartbroken, the days have been a blur ever since…but say they can’t be angry with Jennifer. Instead, J.R. says he’s more angry at himself and says he’s trying to understand what his daughter might have been going through.

“I'm supposed to protect her and him and I didn't do it, so I feel really guilty,” he said. “Even though I hate it. I understand why she didn't leave him behind. I don't think she could have left him, the devastation it would have caused.”

Jakob was a first grader at Keystone School. Days after his death, his family learned he'd been named student of the month for November.

“He was so involved. He was so loved by everyone here,” Sherry said.

His classmates released blue balloons for Jakob on Friday with hand-written notes attached to each one – messages that are now headed for heaven.

“It was fabulous. It was in Jakob's honor. It would have made him so happy,” said Sherry. 

Telling stories, reading and taking care of his dog, ducks and chickens were a few of Jakob’s favorite things.

11/16/2016 Related Story: Creek County Sheriff: Woman Killed Her Young Son, Then Herself

“He just got two ducks about a month ago that we was raising and he got six little chickens that he was raising,” said Sherry. “He loved animals. He was so compassionate.”
                
He also loved riding his 4-wheeler with his dad and spending time with his mom.

“One of the greatest pleasures is just seeing her face light up with Jakob. That was it. That made my whole life worthwhile,” JR said. “He was the light of her life.”

Just as Jakob and Jennifer...were the light of theirs. 

They'll always be in my heart. [I’ll] never forget them,” said J.R. “I just try to take one moment at a time, I don't even know about a day, just a little bit at a time and struggle through it.” 

Jennifer and Jakob will be laid to rest together. Their funeral is set for 2 p.m. Monday, November 21, 2016 at Broadway Baptist Church in Sand Springs.