Kent man sentenced for killing mother of his children
Published 2:52 pm Wednesday, February 25, 2026
A Kent man who murdered the mother of his children on Valentine’s Day in 2024 received a prison sentence of a little over 28 years.
On Feb. 19, for the crime of first-degree murder, a King County Superior Court Judge sentenced Calvin Jackson, 34, of Kent, to 280 months in jail, plus 60 months for a total sentence of 340 months.
Jackson’s charge stems from him fatally shooting the mother of his children, Anicia Howard, on Feb. 14, 2024, after sneaking into her vehicle and then shooting her when she entered her vehicle.
“This case reflects the dedication and persistence of detectives and patrol officers who worked diligently to bring justice to the victim and her family,” the Auburn Police Department stated.
Prosecutors asked the judge for the maximum sentence of 380 months — a little over 31 and a half years.
This sentence follows Jackson’s guilty plea on April 29, 2024, about nine months before he was sentenced. Defendants are usually sentenced within a few months after conviction, but Jackson’s sentencing was delayed multiple times. According to King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office spokesperson Casey McNerthney, the delay was due to Jackson firing his attorney after he pleaded guilty.
Details of the crime
On Feb. 21, 2024, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Jackson with first-degree murder, claiming he killed Howard with premeditated intent.
Jackson reportedly hid in Howard’s backseat after sneaking into her vehicle, prior to shooting her multiple times in the back through her seat, according to charging documents.
After allegedly shooting Howard, he transported Howard, driving her vehicle to a parking lot in the 3700 block of West Valley Highway North in Auburn. At the parking lot, he reportedly dragged her from the vehicle and fired a round into her face, killing her.
An autopsy conducted at the King County Medical Examiner’s Office found that Howard died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds to her head and torso. A majority of bullets struck Howard in the back, including one to the back of her head.
According to documents, Auburn Police officers discovered Howard after responding at approximately 2:24 p.m. Feb. 14, 2024, to a report of a woman lying on the ground motionless with a bullet casing next to her.
Officers located Howard hidden in bushes and foliage next to a commercial business complex. They removed a fabric covering her face and saw a gunshot wound to the right side of her face. Howard was the mother of Jackson’s children.
According to documents, on Feb. 15, 2024, upon request, Jackson voluntarily arrived at the Auburn Police Department and was interviewed. Jackson reportedly confessed to shooting Howard, documents state.
In an interview with police, Jackson reportedly said Howard asked him to move out multiple times in recent months, and four days prior to Howard’s death, he learned that she had started a new romantic relationship with a woman. Jackson reportedly described to police how he unlocked her vehicle at around midnight after leaving the apartment. At approximately 3:30 p.m., he returned, hid in her vehicle, and waited in the backseat for her to enter and leave for work.
According to documents, Jackson said that when Howard entered the car and put her purse in the back seat, he took her pistol from her purse and shot her multiple times. Documents state that he said he then drove her car to the 3700 block of West Valley Highway North in Auburn before dragging her body out of the car.
Jackson told officers that Howard was twitching after he dragged her body out of the car, and when he looked at her, it made him angry all over again, and he shot her for the last time. According to documents, he then took a Lyft home.
Jackson returned home to his and Howard’s children and Howard’s mother after the murder, according to charging documents. Jackson and Howard’s mother reported Howard missing to the Kent Police Department.
Jackson expressed concern to the Kent officer that Howard had failed to appear for work. However, documents state that Jackson seemed emotionless when speaking with officers the day of the murder. Jackson’s statements were corroborated by the physical evidence located on the scene, the video surveillance of the body dump and the autopsy findings.
The life of Anicia Howard
Howard leaves behind two sons, ages 10 and 9, according to her obituary in a funeral program posted online by Adams Funeral Services in Savannah, Georgia. A service was held on March 2, 2024, at St. Benedict the Moor Catholic Church in Savannah.
She was born on Aug. 10, 1989, at the Georgia Baptist Medical Center. She graduated from Bremerton High School and served in the U.S. Navy from June 8, 2009, until June 7, 2013. Before her death, she was employed as a daycare teacher.
“Her love for her boys, those two bright beautiful boys she brought into this world, was boundless,” Alyiah Burns wrote in a funeral program. “Anicia poured her heart into their upbringing, teaching them resilience, compassion and the importance of family. She was their rock, their confidante and their guiding star. As they grow, they will carry her legacy forward, drawing strength from the love she showered upon them.”
