Mom, Autistic Son Dead in Suspected Murder-Suicide; Note Said Bronx Mom was "Overwhelmed"

By: Edecio Martinez
Topics: Daily Blotter

Michaela Jackson with her son, Kenneth Holmes Jr. (Personal Photo)

NEW YORK (CBS/WCBS/AP) Police investigating the apparent murder-suicide of a woman and her 12-year-old son found a note from her saying she was overwhelmed in caring for the child, who was autistic.

The note was in the Bronx apartment where Micaela Jackson and her son, Kenneth Holmes, Jr., were found on a bed, both shot in the head, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said Thursday.

The bodies were discovered around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday by a relative who went to check on them after not hearing from them for a while, police said.

Police said the victims were found lying side by side and a 9-millimeter handgun was found near the mother's body. There were no signs of forced entry at their home in the borough's Morris Heights section.

The boy's father said his son was autistic.

Kenneth Holmes told the Wall Street Journal that he was no longer involved with the boy's mother but that they had an amicable relationship and he saw the boy every Sunday.

"He was autistic, but he had charm. He had a great smile," Holmes said.

He said the boy's mother worked as an administrative assistant at Montefiore Hospital and was recently promoted.

Neighbor Kenneth Titus said he would see the mother and son together around the building, and that they seemed to be close and have a good relationship.

"It never seemed like anything out of the ordinary," he said. "She looked like a good mother."

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by warriormotherof3 October 16, 2011 11:52 PM EDT: As a mother of three children diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum ages 5 and under - I can certainly sympathize with being overwhelmed. @newsteri "funny how the decision to have a baby eventually caused her death!" I am going to take a guess at this and say you have no children yourself. You bring these little miracles into your life with all these preconceive notions about how life will be; little league, football/cheerleading, soccer, dances, sleepovers, bestfriends etc. My children will never play sports, or have a bestfriend. They may never talk or move out of my home. I will never have grandchildren and cannot even leave the house with them without help.I love my children but this is not what I signed up for. Any parent in this situation can sympathize and have a whole lot of empathy. However, I am still their Mom and will act as such. I would never kill my children or myself, who would take care of them then??? But I also will not talk down about someone who was at the end of there rope and had nothing less to give. Just pray for not only those afflicted with autism but even more so for their caregivers. No one understands until they live it. God Bless us all, there must be a reward in heaven for this hell we live now.; Reply to this comment


by newsterI August 1, 2010 1:17 PM EDT: saying she was overwhelmed in caring for the child, who was autistic."

Funny how the decision to have a baby eventually caused her death!

"The bodies were discovered around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday by a relative who went to check on them after not hearing from them for a while, "

So no one next door heard TWO gun shots??; Reply to this comment


by Wildwood1966 July 30, 2010 3:32 PM EDT: how sad that she thought this was her only outlet - we are the biggest and supposedly the best country in the World and we can't help our own; Reply to this comment