Lincoln event aims to free a man spending life in prison after someone else confessed

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Everyone was invited to a letter writing drive in Lincoln on Monday.

It was aimed at freeing a man who’s been locked up for more than 20 years, even though someone else confessed to the deadly shooting that landed him in the Nebraska State Penitentiary.

Earnest Jackson was one of three people charged in the murder of an Omaha teenager back in 2000, when he was just 17.

Jackson was sentenced to life in prison and will not be eligible for parole until 2029.

Another teenager confessed to the shooting after Jackson’s conviction but claimed that it was in self-defense.

That teen was found not guilty, while a third person charged in this case was later acquitted.

Jackson has a chance at freedom years later, with a pardon hearing scheduled at the Nebraska State Capitol on Sept. 19.

Monday’s drive at Meadowlark Coffee was focused on writing letters to the members of the Nebraska Board of Pardons, made up of the secretary of state, attorney general and Gov. Pete Ricketts.

The letters everyone wrote urged the board to release Jackson from prison.

Stephanie Bondi, the community organizing leader at Stand In for Nebraska, said Jackson’s case is an example of injustice and how the system isn’t working.

“We need more people to be aware of how the system is actually working or not working, and we need to fix it,” she said.

Jason Witmer, a Lincoln man who attended the event, said the shooting 20 years ago was a tragedy but wasn’t a crime.

“20 years in prison for something somebody else confessed to. Nobody would believe that’s true, but here we have it right here in Nebraska,” Witmer said. “It’s not a speculation, us making leaps; it’s not a case of procedural default. So why are we having to fight for somebody’s life to come out of a prison system when we know what happened, and it wasn’t that person?”

A petition was also launched to help free Jackson.  It’s collected nearly 62,000 signatures.

There is also a website that explains further details about Jackson’s case and how to help.