It’s been a long journey—over 30 years—since a father was tragically found murdered in his Hayward home. Finally, law enforcement has announced a significant breakthrough, pinpointing the baby mama of his children and her former boyfriend as the primary suspects in this cold case.
On Monday, Alameda County officials revealed that they charged 54-year-old Veronica Fonseca and 56-year-old Anthony Fox with murder and burglary relating to the shooting of Zachary Jackson back in 1993, finally bringing a decades-long probe closer to resolution.
The arrests took place amid rapid developments: Fonseca was apprehended in Queens, New York, and within just a couple of hours, Fox was taken into custody in Sioux City, Iowa. Interestingly, these two aren’t together anymore and both are now in local jails, waiting to be sent back to California.
Authorities suggest that Fox is the one who pulled the trigger, but both implicated themselves at the scene of the crime.
Despite the fact that someone blowed the whistle on these two last decade, progress on the case stagnant for years. It was only recently that investigators found new witnesses willing to come forward with crucial info. Detective Pat Smyth of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, who’s been leading this investigation, shared some insights, stating, “This showcases how showing courage and speaking up can really make a difference. I was just speaking with someone who had some golden nuggets of information that played a vital role in cracking this case.”
Family members of 30-year-old Jackson, who had not checked in for a few days, discovered him dead in his home on June 17, 1993. Authorities believe he had been killed three days earlier.
Initially, detectives suspected Jackson’s murder might stem from an ongoing disagreement he had with his landlord, as indicated by his friends, family, and neighbors. “That was the vibe we were picking up during discussions with those who knew him,” added Smyth.
The investigation took several twists and turns, even involving Fonseca, who had two children with the victim. At the time, Jackson had custody of their 4-year-old girl, while Fonseca had their 1-year-old son. Despite several talks with her, no suspicions were directed at her until very recently. “At that time, there wasn’t anything leading us to think she was connected to the crime,” Smyth explained.
Though there were indications of Fonseca’s involvement with Fox, the other suspect, investigators dropped the ball and didn’t question him in depth back then.
For a while, the case went silent.
Bouncing to 2014, new life was breathed into it when an individual contacted the sheriff’s office to relay they knew who the culprits were, duly naming Fonseca and Fox. However, as Smyth puts it, detectives faced “road blocks” which hindered progress.
It wasn’t until an anonymous tip came in 2021 pointing back at the same two suspects that momentum truly shifted. But true advancements? They only emerged this year when close attention was re-committed to voiding old barriers and inviting further collaborations. Smyth mentioned that officials traveled around the country gathering testimony from other witnesses; still, he chose to keep specifics about the newly introduced evidence and motives under wraps.
This collective effort included local cops from places as far flung as South Dakota, Kentucky, Louisiana, and New York, plus the California Department of Justice and the FBI’s Oakland office.
As Alameda County Sheriff Yesenia Sanchez noted, “Every agency involved has been pivotal in this procedure. While these arrests are progress, it’s just one step on a longer path we still need to tread.”
