She Killed Her Stepdad After Finding 100s of Her Nude Photos on His Laptop — The Jade Janks Story

he was never intoxicated or on drugs. I don't believe the negative statements. that the murderer made about Tom I don't. believe she murdered him for the reason. she said she did. it's a Killer's word against his and. he's not here to defend himself. a woman kills her stepfather after. discovering naked photos of herself on. his computer we go over the Twisted. story of Jay Janks welcome to sidebar. presented by law and crime I'm Jesse.

Weber. if you haven't heard of the criminal. case of Jay Jenks out of San Diego. California this is one we really need to. talk about this is the 39 year old. interior designer who is convicted of. murdering her stepfather Tom merryman on. December 31st 2020. the circumstances. surrounding why she did this and what. her defense was it's chilling it's. strange it is complicated and so we.

wanted to spend a little time focusing. on this case and what we're going to do. is a bit of a comprehensive review of. this story and as we get into it I'm. gonna play some moments from jang's. sentencing it's going to give you a. little bit of a better understanding of. who these two people are their. relationship and what really went down. with this horrible crime so first there. is Tom merryman the 64 year old. co-founder of butterfly farms in. Encinitas Tom was a son. a brother.

a father. a best man. a mentor. a business leader. entrepreneur excuse me. A co-worker and a best friend. Tom was only 18 months older than me. and I always looked in for advice. when I could not figure out life's. challenges for myself. you spoke regularly. after graduating from college.

and visited many times throughout the. years following I would either fly West. or he would fly East to wherever myself. and my family lived. spent a lot of time together. spent many holidays together. over the decades as well now also give. you a little bit more background on Tom. so court records indicated that he had a. very tumultuous relationship with his. ex-wife Jeanette B merryman with a. couple filing for divorce in 2002 2006. and 2008. there are two children there's.

cash who is the son of Tom and Jeanette. and then of course there is Jade and. Jade is Tom's stepdaughter. we actually heard a little bit more. about Jade from her biological father. Steve Janks during that sentencing. hearing my name is Steve jangs I'm Jay's. father. Jaden I left Texas and her mother. ranges around three months old I was a. single parent and responsible for. raising. the most beautiful happy little girl she.

received all the love a child could want. from friends and family. Jade has always been kind and loving to. humans and animals alike. she could not bear to see anyone hurt or. an animal abused she has grown up. she had found love of design and. business the various jobs she had she. excelled in and was loved by her. Associates. she had joined my Construction Company. when she was in her early twenties and. in no time developed.

my tile and stone Design Center I was. extremely proud father. she then branched out in her own. design business and thrived I held my. head high as she proved to be extremely. capable now what it seems from the. reporting is that Tom and Jade initially. had a great relationship Jenks seemed to. view merryman as a father-like figure. posting a tribute to him on Father's Day. just six months before his death he. would refer to Jenks as his daughter.

they even ended up as neighbors but this. is where the story takes a very dark. turn. one day when cleaning Tom's house Jade. allegedly discovered hundreds of nude. photos of herself on Tom's computer. including including one that was saved. as a screensaver. these apparently were photos that she. had taken years earlier they included. those that were taken with her then. boyfriend and this became a major point.

of discussion and factor in the case and. story. she's dealing with today is totally. unjust. firstly I can only imagine what she went. through when she found out that Tom her. stepfather a person she trusted. that she called Dad was a sick perverted. individual. I want the court to know my brother may. have possessed inappropriate photos. which is wrong.

but there was evidences such the killer. had little ethical or moral concerns. with disseminating inappropriate photos. of herself. in the Killer's own words Tom never. acted inappropriately. I want the court to know I'm disgusted. with the defense intimating Tom had. underage photos in his possession. following that I want the court to know. an ambitious journalist publish an.

article about how close Tom's business. was. to an elementary school it's disgusting. so like I said a lot of back and forth. on that but from here is when everything. changes because the prosecution argued. that once Jenks saw these photos she. plotted to kill Tom merryman and she did. just that about a week later. so deputy sheriff Lisa Brannon a. homicide detective with the San Diego.

County Sheriff's Office she testified. that jenk's friend Adam spiliac told her. that he received a call from Jenks on. December 31st and she said that she. found the photos and thought merryman. was obsessed with her and then she told. speliac that she murdered Merriman how. by drugging him with excessive amounts. of Ambien suffocating him and choking. him. now the official cause of death was.

ruled an overdose of these prescription. pills. here's the prosecution explaining a. little bit more of these graphic details. the honor what sets this case apart from. others is the amount of time dedicated. to planning Tom's death. captured in real time by the defendant's. smartphone. her thoughts her feelings her. deliberations all captured by her phone. from the moment she discovered the.

photos. she began planning. never reaching out to friends. never reaching out to family. never reaching out to Tom's landlord or. even to Tom to confront him. those were options she considered for. eight days and eight nights and she. chose against it and she chose murder. she made the personal choice of. murdering Tom. and it was captured on December 30th.

2020 at 1204 PM I struggled with moral. issues. yet I will not be looking over my. shoulder. so I made the call what does that mean. quote it means everything you think it. does. it means that she was going to lull Tom. into a false sense of security before. she sprung her trap. it meant that when she picked up Tom she. was going to make sure to appear loving. to the nurse Devin Ward.

it meant that she to secure his trust. she was going to buy him alcohol and. chocolates before she drugged him with. painkillers and sleeping pills pills. it meant that she was going to care for. him so that she could kill him. once he was knocked out sleeping and. helpless. she still could have pulled back. When Alan roach was telling her that he. wasn't coming she could have abandoned. her murder plot yes she continued. when Brian Solomon showed up and ran.

away after she asked him to strangle Tom. she could have abandoned it then but yet. she continued. she was implacable nothing could stop. her. especially not after Tom opened his eyes. only to see the world out through the. inside of a grocery bag or a pillowcase. or both. and we know Tom was waking up because. she said so in her own words. not during her testimony but in her text. messages. he's very aware right now.

I'm on my own. and when the drugs were wearing off. and the bag wasn't killing Tom fast. enough. that's when she got close and personal. and strangled Tom to death. so this is a case of cold-blooded murder. and torture and it was fueled by such a. really bizarre and disturbing account. that it was seeing these naked photos of. her whether it was anger or whatever it. was it's just really horrifying to think.

about. and deputies from the sheriff's office. they actually found maryman's body. during a welfare check the body was. found in a pile of trash in the driveway. area between Jenks and merryman's homes. remember they were Neighbors. now it doesn't end there because. prosecutors also argued that Jenks tried. to enlist people to help her that's. right first she tried to hire a fixer to. kill Merriman even though she says she.

wanted this fixer to merely act as. security or protection because her plan. was just to confront merryman about the. photos. however the cell phone messages in this. case really tell so much more after. picking up merryman Jenks apparently. texted this fixer quote I just dosed the. hell out of him. this was that she was planning to buy. materials to kill her stepfather. by the way. there's some other notable texts that we. have to read as well. lot came out during the course of this.

case there's quote he's waking up I. really don't want to be the one to do. this then there's I can't carry him. alone and I can't keep a kicking body in. my trunk. and then there's I am about to Club him. on the head as he is waking up yeah text. messages really not so great for a. defendant not so great in these kinds of. cases. well apparently the fixer couldn't help. so he sends out a friend to assist Janks. and prosecutors say that Jenks told this.

man quote I want you to strangle him and. then bring him into the house I'll take. care of the rest. that guy said nope and decided to not. get involved with all that so now back. to jinx's friend Adam spiliac. and as I mentioned he says that Jenks. confessed to him that she murdered. maryman and wanted him to get or to help. push merryman's body out of the car help. get out of the car the plan was to put. merryman in his bed to make it look like.

he had an overdose and again like the. other potential accomplices spiliac. reportedly refused to help and left and. then tipped off law enforcement. now we're going to get into what Jenks. ultimately told the jury about all this. but at one point she did say that she. tried to move merryman's body in a. wheelchair but he ended up falling in. the driveway and decided to just cover. him up with boxes and other stuff to. hide him a couple of days later we were. informed that Tom was dead and they rule. his death a homicide.

it isn't easy to describe what I went. through and what I felt inside after. receiving this news. I was numb to the news it was all too. surreal. this made no sense. this empty feeling went on for several. months. I want the court to know I live with the. guilt that I didn't do more to save my. brother on the day that he died at the. Killer's hands.

a decent person would have used those. hands to Save a Life by dialing 9-1-1. I wanted the court to know that these. things haunt me. why did she lie to me on the phone. did Tom struggle at any point or was he. too dosed. how much did he suffer in the hours he. had a plastic bag over his head.

how horrible is it to die in that manner. at what point did he know he was under. attack. why did the killer not take him to. emergency when she retrieved the. wheelchair. when the killer pulled My Dead Brother. from the back of her killing machine. that became his Hearst. was his skin cold to the touch.

when the Killer looks at her murderous. hands does she know now no the blood. won't wash clean. what sound did his body make when it hit. the ground. why did the killer treat my brother's. body like trash. imagine that's how you find your family. member. did that satisfy the Killer. why wasn't the killer charged with a.

piece of a corpse. why put us through all this. I want the court to know that rumors. leaked the killer while on the. million-dollar bail was telling anyone. who asked that Tom died of cancer. and as we covered the Jay Janks case we. have to talk about her defense because. she maintains she did not kill Tom. merryman in fact here is what she had to. say during her sentencing hearing came.

into my life when I was just a little. girl and exerted influencer in that. early stage of development when I was. still figuring things out. unfortunately that influence manifested. itself into appropriate touch coercion. Reckless Behavior and complete violation. What I now realize is years of. psychological manipulation. all this came crashing down on me when I. found hundreds of naked photos of myself. and his computer so shattered. and stop picking up the pieces and it's. my sincere so that over the next few. years I can put the pieces back inhale.

from this trauma I'm sorry I didn't act. the way I was supposed to that day I. think about it every day since and to. Tom's family I understand you hate me. for what you believe I did to Tom. however there's a lot more than you'll. ever understand. so a little bit hard to hear and she. speaks pretty fast but again she says. that there's more to the story and. essentially that she was a victim of. TOMS that her stepfather touched her and. manipulated her and coerced her but. she's saying that she didn't kill him so. really what is she apologizing for right.

well that brings me to Jay jang's story. so she took the stand and she testified. that merryman overdosed on his own. inside of her car after picking him up. from a medical facility where he had. been recovering from a fall she said she. reached out to people not to help. dispose of a body or kill him but when. he dozed off in her car she needed help. to actually move him into his house she. said that she decided to just let him. sleep it off and the next morning on. January 1st is when she went to check on.

merryman in the car and she said he was. dead. that he was cold. and she was afraid that she would be. blamed so she didn't call 9-1-1 Mark. Carlos the attorney representing Jay. Janks argued that merryman was a. substance abuser and that he died from. his own cocktail of prescription pills. and as I mentioned she said that she. used a wheelchair to move him but his. body fell in the driveway so she covered. him with all the boxes and materials to. hide the body until she could figure out. next stop next steps now again her body.

was his body was discovered there now. let's go back to those incriminating. text messages for a second because when. Jinx was pulled over by police she. texted that fixer that I mentioned the. person she tried to enlist to help with. the killing quote lose my number I'm. getting pulled over now Jenks maintains. that she wrote that just so the person. wouldn't get in any kind of unnecessary. trouble not that the fixer or she did. anything wrong. well here again is her attorney Mark. Carlos during sentencing speaking with.

the court case you understand this James. position she has maintained her instance. throughout this matter and continues to. do so and we'll just we'll move forward. through the appeal process something. happened on this evening and it had a. lot to do with her relationship with the. victim in this particular case uh there. is there was a lot of trauma and Jay. James early life we have outlined that. in our sensing memorandum for the court. there was some conduct between the.

victim and Miss Jenks in her teens early. teens as well as some incidents which. occurred after that and those would be. that those are the factors that. basically went into play on the evening. that Mr Berryman died you know Miss. Jenks reacted in a way that was. completely outside of the way she would. normally act she had as the court is. aware she had family members uh that she. should that she could have called she. had lawyers that she could have called. there's all kinds of people that she'd.

been called however she panicked under. under this uh this reaction to the. trauma that she had and as a result she. did things which made her appear to be. complicit in the death of Mr Merriman. she is moving forward at this point. trying to put her life back together. again she looks forward to at least. making herself valuable in the prison. system but once again will continue to. uh to pursue or appeal variously it was.

reported that after the trial Carlos was. asked by a reporter well how come you. you know during trial you didn't bring. up any of these abuse allegations that. your clients suffered at the hands of. the victim it's a fair question right if. Jenks was abused by Merriman shouldn't. the jury have considered that and Carlos. responded quote it's because Jade has. asserted she did nothing to cause the. death of Mr Merriman had she actually. caused the death of him that's something. that goes towards a manslaughter that's. provocation it's very interesting he.

said that because if their defense had. been okay she did kill him but she did. it because of sudden provocation you. know sudden anger you start like. basically lose control of yourself in. such a a heated and rage state or. something like that. perhaps there's understanding there. perhaps that Dynamic would be important. for the jury to consider her mindset. would have come into play and that could. have been a way to downplay a murder. charge ultimately to manslaughter but. that didn't happen here they said that.

she didn't kill him in any way so. everything that happened to her in the. past really should be considered for why. she panicked and tried to get rid of the. body at least that's what it seems. Carlos was trying to argue to the judge. before sentencing but again not that she. killed him. well all in all after all the evidence. was presented and after Jenks had the. opportunity to present her case the jury. didn't believe her and they convicted. her a first degree murder after trying. to get her friend Adam to move the body. and Stage it to look like an overdose.

she buried Tom in the driveway like a. piece of trash. and now she's attacking Tom. and her father as well. interprobation of your interview the. defendant said quote they Twisted so. many things about what I said. and both on cross and direct examination. she had ample opportunity to explain her. words. in those text messages. what she did.

and what was twisted about her testimony. was how she Twisted the truth. she Twisted the text message I just. dozed the hell out of him to he dosed. himself. and the jury rejected her Twisted tales. for the unreasonable and incredible. testimony that it was. now what's Twisted is the plot that she. hatched to kill Tom. where she decided to be Tom's judge jury. and executioner.

what's Twisted is dosing someone so that. they're defenseless and vulnerable. what's Twisted is suffocating someone. with a plastic bag over their head. watching them squirm as they gasp for. air. referring to them as a kicking body in. her car. what's Twisted is the defendant. strangling Tom with her own hands in the. back of her car. while he had a bag over his head and was. paralyzed from the dose that she gave. him.

and then we moved on to the sentencing. hearing where I've been playing all of. these clips from and during a sentencing. hearing the court is going to listen to. statements from both sides in. determining the appropriate punishment. and of course there were Victim Impact. statements from Tom Merriman's side. we miss and love Tom. I want the court to know that this. murder has affected many people. my nephew Tom's son is now without his. mentor and protector.

this judge is the most devastating. consequence of Tom's death. I am Gravely concerned about his mental. and spiritual health with the conditions. the killer placed on him. was that part of the plan. or did a drug adult lifelong Criminal. Mind not consider that fact. our aging mom has been kept in the dark. about the details of her son's death.

it's not an accomplishment to outlive. your children. she didn't deserve this judge. and at least one person relapsed due to. the Fallout of the Killer's actions. I want the court to know I have. continued pain and confusion. and my mental spiritual and physical. health has been affected I've lost. weight I've lost 90 minutes of sleep in.

the last two years. I continue to suffer. I want the court to know that my brother. Pat has lost his best friend. my brothers Tom and Pat were as close as. two brothers could be. a classic relationship. Pat is one of the strongest people I. know. he is still suffering. I want to know that I want the court to.

know that Tom didn't deserve to die by. the torture the killer put him through. I want the court to know the killer gave. my brother an undignified death. I want to court to know that the only. person that only a person Tom trusted. would have been able to do this to him. I wanted the court to know that the. Killer's Denial in the face of the. insurmountable evidence against her.

hurts me. the quick jury deliberations certainly. countered that she's a liar and we all. know it. you know people really spoke highly of. Tom Merriman they they talked about what. a great person he was how he was humble. he was kind how San Diego is a less. cheery Place essentially trying to rebut. The Narrative that was put forward by. Jenks and her team. and by the way in that realm to give you.

an idea of that this again is Steve. Jenks this is Steve Janks jjank's father. who maintains that she is being treated. unfairly. not for one minute I believe that Jade. premeditated planned or whatever. deliberately take a life. I do not believe her heart would allow. that. being the person I know her to be. she is my only daughter that I love. dearly. all I can say is this fight is not over.

I truly believe that an injustice has. taken place. this case was not not one on its Merit. it was one based on an oscar-winning. performance by the D.A a true a true. travesty. I can only hope that Jade has the. opportunity to be released through the. appeal process. where the facts are reviewed and. judgment is based on the reality not. assumption. or Diaz performance and the judge can. consider of course the people who speak.

on behalf of defendant side but just. going back to Tom Merriman's side there. was a strong push for Janks to receive. the harshest penalty judge Kennedy. please place this convict in solitary. confinement each New Year to assure us. that she's reminded of the pain that. she's caused Tom's friends and family. Jade Sasha Janks deserves the punishment. the state will impose on her she won't. be missed.

and this vicious travesty deserves the. full force. of our judicial social. and conscious retributions. My Hope Is that this murderer remains. constrained within the confines of our. prison system. for the duration of our natural life. and after hearing all of the statements. Superior Court Judge Robert Kearney laid.

down the sentence. she will be committed to the Department. of Corrections. for the term of the rest of her life in. prison with a minimum eligibility of. parole paid for 25 years from now. so in essence 25 years to life. 25 years to life. that is a long time she could. technically get out one day not clear if. she will. and in that thought we'll end the. discussion on Jenks with one more.

statement from Tom merryman's brother. Terence Merriman. judge I want the court to know that. we're blessed to get to see some of. Tom's mannerisms and habits in his son. he's also tough and compassionate. the killer couldn't snuff that. and I am grateful. Tom's son has a strong network of. cousins aunts and uncles to be there for. him should he need support. family will pull through.

judge I want the court to know that in. 7756 days. 1108 weeks. 255 months or 21 years I anticipate. hearing the killer admit to the truth. should she want a chance at parole. the killer will be 64. in 25 years. the same age Tom was when she killed him. and there you have it everybody thank. you so much for joining us here on.

sidebar please subscribe on Apple. podcast Spotify YouTube wherever you get. your podcast I'm Jesse Weber I'll speak. to you next time.