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Who Was Ella Jackson & What Happened to Her? 2026 Update & Profile

Ryan Gill

Ella Diebolt Jackson was a 47-year-old mother of two whose disappearance from her Richmond, Kentucky, home in October 2019 became one of the state’s most closely followed homicide investigations. Friends and family remembered her as a caring mother who maintained close relationships with those around her and regularly stayed in contact with her children and relatives. Her sudden disappearance immediately alarmed those who knew her because it was completely out of character.

Born in Ukraine, Ella later built her life in Kentucky, where she raised her family. She remained close to her oldest son, Phillip Hans, and her former husband, Jason Hans, even after their marriage ended. Ella and Jason shared an amicable relationship focused on their son, and Jason would later become one of the strongest advocates for justice after her disappearance.

At the time she vanished, Ella had been married to Glenn Jackson for approximately six years. Together they had a young son who was just five years old. Glenn worked as a lecturer at Eastern Kentucky University, while the family lived in Richmond, about 30 miles south of Lexington.

Ella Jackson’s Disappearance

Ella was last seen in October 2019. Concern began to grow when her oldest son, Phillip Hans, realized he had not heard from his mother. Phillip spoke with Ella regularly and knew something was wrong when she suddenly stopped answering calls and messages.

Police were notified after Glenn Jackson reported that his wife had disappeared. He suggested that Ella may have voluntarily left the family and claimed she had disappeared before, only to return later. Investigators quickly found several details that did not support that explanation.

Ella’s cellphone, wallet and vehicle were all still at the family home. Most significantly, her five-year-old son remained there as well. Detectives found no evidence that Ella had packed belongings, withdrawn money or made plans to leave. Family members also rejected the suggestion that she would ever willingly abandon her young child.

A Marriage Showing Signs of Trouble

As investigators examined Ella’s personal life, they discovered evidence suggesting she had been preparing to leave her marriage before she disappeared.

Just days before she vanished, Ella met with a domestic violence advocate and also consulted a divorce attorney. Prosecutors later argued these meetings demonstrated that she intended to separate from Glenn Jackson.

Her former husband, Jason Hans, later revealed that Ella had expressed fear for her safety over several years. He described receiving messages and phone calls in which Ella said she was frightened inside her own home. According to Hans, she spoke about being dragged through the house, fearing for both herself and her young son, and worrying that the situation was becoming increasingly dangerous.

Those revelations gave investigators a possible motive and changed the direction of the investigation.

The Investigation Turns Toward Glenn Jackson

During interviews with police, Glenn Jackson provided differing accounts of what had happened to his wife. Detectives became increasingly suspicious as his explanations changed over time.

A major breakthrough came during forensic testing of Glenn’s vehicle. Using luminol, investigators discovered a large area inside the trunk that reacted as blood. They also located a knife that tested positive for traces consistent with blood evidence.

Prosecutors argued that the blood evidence showed Ella had been killed before her body was transported. The forensic findings provided investigators with the strongest physical evidence in the case and led to Glenn Jackson’s arrest in April 2020 on charges of murder, abuse of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence.

The Discovery of Ella’s Remains

One week after Glenn Jackson was arrested, investigators located Ella’s partial skeletal remains in a remote wooded area of Pulaski County.

The remains were found near property owned by Glenn Jackson. Women’s clothing was scattered throughout the area, suggesting efforts had been made to conceal or dispose of the body.

Because several months had passed since Ella disappeared, decomposition prevented the medical examiner from determining exactly how she died. However, investigators identified a significant fracture to her skull, and her death was officially ruled a homicide.

Although the precise cause of death could not be determined, prosecutors maintained that the evidence clearly demonstrated Ella had been murdered.

The Criminal Case

Glenn Jackson remained charged with murder for several years while awaiting trial. Prosecutors built a circumstantial case using the blood evidence from his vehicle, the discovery of Ella’s remains near his property, inconsistencies in his statements and evidence surrounding the couple’s troubled marriage.

The case was scheduled to proceed to trial in early 2026.

Instead, Glenn Jackson entered an Alford plea to first-degree manslaughter, abuse of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence. An Alford plea allows a defendant to maintain innocence while acknowledging that prosecutors possess enough evidence to likely secure a conviction at trial.

The plea agreement reduced the original murder charge but guaranteed a conviction and prison sentence without requiring Ella’s family to endure a lengthy trial.

Sentencing and the Family’s Response

In April 2026, Glenn Jackson was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

During sentencing, Ella’s family delivered emotional victim impact statements describing the lasting effect her death had on those she loved.

Her youngest son, who had been only five years old when Ella disappeared, submitted a recorded statement explaining that he had spent years believing his mother had voluntarily left for Ukraine because that was what Glenn had told him. Learning the truth, he said, made that deception especially painful.

Jason Hans also spoke about raising Ella’s youngest son following Glenn’s arrest. He described comforting the child with stories about his mother and watching him treasure one of Ella’s necklaces, often falling asleep while holding it.

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Jennifer Smith acknowledged that the plea agreement did not represent complete justice for Ella, telling the court that many questions about her death would likely never be answered.

Ella Jackson’s Legacy

Although Glenn Jackson was convicted, many aspects of Ella Jackson’s death remain unknown. No public account has established exactly how she was killed or what occurred during her final hours. Glenn has never admitted responsibility or explained what happened.

What is known is that Ella disappeared while preparing to leave what prosecutors described as an abusive marriage. Her body was concealed in rural Kentucky, her death was ruled a homicide, and years of investigative work ultimately produced enough evidence to secure criminal convictions despite the absence of a confession and the inability to determine an exact cause of death.

Today, Ella Jackson is remembered by her family as a devoted mother whose life was cut short before she could begin the next chapter she had been planning. Her case has become a reminder of the dangers faced by victims attempting to leave abusive relationships and the persistence required by investigators to solve complex homicide cases built largely on forensic and circumstantial evidence.

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