SOUTH BRONX — The man accused of killing his mother while she slept and stuffing her body in a plastic bin was sentenced to 25 years behind bars on Thursday, but not before trying to take back his guilty plea.
Dee Jackson, 20, was initially charged with murdering his 34-year-old mother Tihesha Savage in 2012 when he was 16, but he later pled guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter.
However, just before Jackson was set to be sentenced on Thursday, he attempted to take back his guilty plea, saying he was not in the right state of mind when he agreed to it.
"I've been falsely accused and misrepresented," he said.
Justice Alvin Yearwood refused to reconsider the plea deal, stressing that he had asked Jackson several questions when they reached the agreement specifically to ensure that he was mentally sound.
"I didn't go through all that with you just to hear myself speak," Yearwood said. "I don't even like the sound of my own voice."
Yearwood sentenced Jackson to 25 years behind bars and five years of post-release supervision for killing his mother, describing what Jackson did as a "particularly heinous crime."
Jackson admitted to shooting his 34-year-old mother in the head and beating her with a bat to make sure she was dead in September 2012 after the two had gotten into an argument, officials said.
Her body was discovered on the morning of Sept. 26, 2012 by a dumpster near Macombs Road.
Police said Jackson and his mother had a history of fighting, and officers were called to their home in July 2011 when the two were heard having a heated argument, but no one was arrested.
Jackson's attorney Martin Galvin emphasized that Jackson had attempted suicide twice and been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. He described his childhood as one that was incredibly difficult and filled with sexual and physical abuse.
"I cannot recall a case where a man came from a worse background than Mr. Jackson," he said.
