Man Who Claimed Intruder Killed His Family Is Arrested

An Iowa man who claimed a masked intruder killed his parents and younger sister Tuesday morning has been charged with their murders. Police say Alexander Jackson called 911 from a Cedar Rapids home and said he had been shot in the foot while struggling with the intruder, the Gazette reports. The 20-year-old was treated in a hospital and taken to the Linn County Jail Tuesday night, reports the AP. He has been charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of 61-year-old Jan Perry Jackson, 68-year-old Melissa Ferne Jackson, and Sabrina Hana Jackson, 19. Police say the three bodies were found in different rooms of the home.

A criminal complaint states that Jackson told police he woke to the sound of gunshots and was shot while struggling with the intruder over a rifle that he had cleaned with his father the previous night, CBS 2 reports. Investigators said no sign of forced entry or any other trace of an intruder was found. The complaint states that Jackson denied shooting his family, but acknowledged that his father had recently told him he needed to find a job and move out. Bond was set at $3 million in a hearing Wednesday morning. (More Iowa stories.)