Eastpointe man who murdered mother, dumped body in drain sentenced Thursday

EASTPOINTE, Mich. (FOX 2) - An Eastpointe man who killed his mother and then dumped her body in a storm drain near her home last year was sentenced Thursday to several decades in prison.

Authorities said the victim, Samantha Guinther, contacted her son, Justin Jackson, in June 2023 because she was concerned for the safety of his children. Jackson then stabbed Guinther to death on June 18, 2023, and dumped her body in a storm drain at Erin Park, a condominium complex in Eastpointe.

Guinther was reported missing in September, and it remained an open missing persons case until residents in Erin Park smelled something off, leading to the discovery of her body in a drain in October 2023.

During sentencing on Thursday, Jackson sat expressionless and apologized for his actions.

"I’m terribly sorry for what happened. I’m very remorseful. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t wish that I could take it back," he said in court.

He was sentenced to 26 to 38 years for murder, 6 to 10 years for tampering with evidence, up to 5 years for concealing a death, and 2.5 years for lying to police.

Jackson, who is a father himself, will spend most of his son's life away from him while in prison – something that the judge pointed out to him in court.

"Unfortunately, your son has to bear those consequences as well of losing his father due to your selfish and petulant impulses that manifested in the worst possible way," the judge said.

After Guinther's body was found, Jackson, 27, was arrested and charged with murder, tampering with evidence, concealing the death of an individual, and lying to a peace officer. He was also charged in a separate case for possessing drugs.

Jackson pleaded no contest to the charges stemming from the murder.

Jacksons sister, Jessica, read a statement but couldn't finish.

"I told her, and everyone, that you would be the reason why she died, but they all said I was crazy. She gave you everything you ever wanted and needed," she said. "You never loved her because if you did, you couldn’t have killed her and threw her away like trash."

Jackson's attorney says his client had a traumatic childhood – including growing up with a father in his life – and believes time in prison will lead him in the right direction.

"Him being in this situation and being in prison allows him to get more help than he would’ve got if he were out," attorney Gary Kennedy said.

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