Update (February 13, 2019): James Jackson was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for fatally attacking an elderly Black man with a sword in March 2017.
The Associated Press reports the avowed white supremacist pleaded guilty to all charges related to Timothy Caughman’s death in New York's Time Square, including first-degree murder with the intent to commit an act of terrorism and second-degree murder as a hate crime on Wednesday.
Jackson traveled from Baltimore, Maryland, hoping to start a race war. Caughman was attacked as he collected bottles from a trash can to sell. The 66-year-old homeless man was target practice for Jackson, who planned to start attacking interracial couples. He turned himself in hours after murdering Caughman.
Jackson was given the maximum sentence for his crimes, according to WLNY. The case marks the first time in New York state history that an offender was sentenced for first-degree murder as a hate crime.
“That is a sentence reserved for crimes which by their definition seek to divide, terrorize, and undermine our way of life and central values – values of racial equality, and the peaceful coexistence of all New Yorkers,” said district attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.
Vance read passages from Jackson’s racist manifesto during the sentencing hearing, reports the New York Post.
“This political terrorist attack is a formal declaration of global total war on the Negro races. They must be exterminated as quickly as possible,” Vance read. “By targeting Mr. Caughman, [Jackson] was launching an attack against all African Americans.”
Original: White supremacist James Jackson is expected to admit to killing a Black man in Times Square in 2017, but according to court documents he wants to wait until he stops taking pain medications for a leg injury.
As Blavity previously reported, James Harris Jackson, 31, stabbed 66-year-old Timothy Caughman to death on March 20, 2017, with an 18-inch sword. Shortly after the crime, he turned himself into the New York Police Department. In his confession, Jackson revealed his primary motive for killing Caughman was because he despised mixed race dating, specifically Black men coupled with white women.
Among other indictments, Jackson was booked on charges of homicide in the form of terrorism and homicide as a hate crime, per the New York Daily News.
Before the assault, CBS Baltimore writes the Army veteran had plotted on killing other Black men.
Now, nearly two years following the ambush, Jackson is refusing to acknowledge his crime under oath, claiming he doesn't "feel comfortable" making this decision while under the influence of pain relievers.
According to the New York Daily News, Jackson injured his foot on December 19 and reappeared in court on Friday. Court documents reveal Jackson wanted at least four to six weeks to heal his sprain and asked Judge Laura Ward for time away from the stand.
Caughman's close allies believe this is a ruse to prolong the sentencing.
"He's just making time go by," Carl Nimmons, a longtime confidant of Caughman told the New York Daily News.
Judge Ward instructed Jackson to return to court on January 23. If found guilty, The Independent reports Jackson is looking at life in prison without a possibility of parole.
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