Deputies say a welfare check on Melanie Road became a homicide investigation within hours.
NATCHEZ, Miss. — A 29-year-old Natchez man is jailed without bond after deputies said his mother, retired educator Lana Brown Bradley, was found dead and dismembered during an April 4 welfare check at a home on Melanie Road.
Adams County deputies arrested Zachary Lavel Jackson Jr., Bradley’s youngest son, after investigators searched the home and nearby property. He is charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, mayhem and tampering with physical evidence. Sheriff Travis Patten said the case has shaken officers, family members and the wider Natchez community.
The welfare check began after Bradley’s oldest son reported that he could not reach her. Deputies entered the home and found what Patten described as signs that someone had been cleaning. “They could smell chemicals all throughout the house,” Patten said, adding that the floor was slippery and the condition of the home seemed unusual to family members.
Investigators said Jackson was found locked in a downstairs bathroom. Deputies later searched the home, the two-acre property and wooded areas near a bayou and creeks. A family member found part of Bradley’s remains outside, while deputies found other remains in a suitcase and after removing a toilet from the bathroom.
Patten said Bradley had gone to court the day before the welfare check as part of an effort to have Jackson removed from the home. He said family members told investigators they had concerns about Jackson’s mental stability. The sheriff also said he believed Jackson understood his actions, citing his education and the steps deputies believe were taken after the killing.
Bradley was remembered by officials as a respected and beloved member of Adams County. The sheriff’s office said patrol deputies, investigators and its Special Operations Group all worked the case. The agency said the charges were filed within 24 hours of the first call to the home.
Jackson remained in jail without bond, with his next court date set for April 28, 2026. The sheriff’s office said the investigation is ongoing, and officials have not released a final cause of death.
Author note: Last updated April 28, 2026.