BLACKFOOT, Idaho — A 16-year-old boy has been charged with first-degree murder after allegedly shooting and killing a 30-year-old woman inside her trailer home in Blackfoot on Thursday afternoon.
The suspect, identified as Bobby Jackson, appeared in court Friday morning alongside his public defender, Jordan Crane, where prosecutors upgraded the charge from second-degree to first-degree murder following what police described as Jackson’s confession.
The Alleged Crime
According to court documents, Rebecca Rivera was found dead in her home at 1159 S. Broadway Street with a gunshot wound to the head. Officers discovered a shell casing on the bed but found no weapon at the scene. Rivera’s family discovered her body after her daughter called to say she hadn’t been picked up from school.
Earlier that day, police had received a report of a stolen firearm from State Hospital South, where Jackson was working as part of a remodeling subcontractor crew. The worker who reported the theft said Jackson had asked to use the restroom and never returned. Upon checking his work truck, he found his handgun missing from a lunchbox.
Security footage reportedly showed Jackson entering the truck and retrieving an object from the backseat. Later, surveillance video captured him at a nearby gas station and walking through the area near Rivera’s home.
Confession and Motive
After a manhunt, police located Jackson at a home in Pocatello, where he was arrested without incident. During questioning, investigators say Jackson admitted to shooting Rivera, claiming it was an act of revenge.
According to the affidavit, Jackson told detectives that he recognized Rivera and believed her brothers were responsible for the death of one of his friends. When Rivera refused to give him a ride, he allegedly said, “I’ve got a gun,” followed by “(expletive) it,” before firing.
When asked if the shooting was intentional, Jackson reportedly replied, “I put a bullet in her brain.”
Background and Legal Proceedings
Jackson was living at a halfway house in Blackfoot while on probation out of Twin Falls for a prior robbery involving a fake gun. Under Idaho law, juveniles aged 14 or older charged with serious felonies are automatically prosecuted as adults.
He is currently being held at the 3B Juvenile Detention Center in Idaho Falls on a $1 million bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 6 in Bingham County.
If convicted, Jackson faces life imprisonment. Federal law prohibits the death penalty for defendants under 18 years old.
Authorities emphasize that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
