It’s been over thirty years since Zachary Jackson was tragically found murdered in his home in Northern California, and now investigators have revealed they’ve made significant progress in the case. The two people they claim are responsible for his death have been arrested.
On June 17, 1993, the lifeless body of 30-year-old Zachary was discovered at his residence in Hayward, California. While he is believed to have been killed a few days earlier, his family only found him after days of not hearing from him. According to Detective Pat Smyth from the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, no one realized the gravity of the situation until it was too late.
Now the law enforcement rigs have locked on two suspects: Zachary’s former partner, Veronica Fonseca, and her then-boyfriend, Anthony Fox. They suspect that Fox was the one who actually pulled the trigger. “We firmly believe they were both present during the incident,” Smyth stated.
Remarkably, Fonseca was interviewed multiple times after the murder, but at the time, investigators didn’t have anything significant pointing to her involvement. “Back in 1993, we didn’t have the advanced methods we enjoy today. They relied heavily on eyewitness accounts and basic fingerprint analyzing, and DNA evidence was just emerging,” Smyth explained.
At the time of his demise, Jackson and Fonseca had two young children—a four-year-old daughter with him, and a one-year-old son under Fonseca’s care. Investigators chased various theories, including a potential argument with Jackson’s landlord, but these leads went cold.
Hope was revived in 2014 when tips naming Fonseca and Fox as persons of interest surfaced. However, this lead hit a dead end, producing little action. Just seven years later, in 2021, another anonymous tip reemerged, again naming the couple. This time, the tipster was willing to talk, but the investigation faced more than one roadblock.
Finally, earlier this year, an investigative plan was put into action, and thanks to renewed efforts from officials over the last few months, multiple witnesses came forward to share similar accounts. On November 6, the case took a dramatic turn.
Fonseca, now 54, was arrested at her residence in Queens, New York, while 56-year-old Fox was captured the same day near his home in Sioux City, Iowa. Both face serious charges, including murder and burglary, with added consequences for firearm use.
Although details on the new evidence that led to these charges are sparse—helping the prosecution is high on the investigators’ priorities—Smyth highlighted the significance of community involvement in cracking such old cases.
Alameda County District Attorney, Ursula Jones Dickson, commended the collaborative effort behind this arrest, stressing that closure is a necessity for victims and their families. “This case took over three decades to resolve, but remember, the charge of murder has no expiry date,” she remarked.
Fonseca and Fox are set to be extradited back to Alameda County to stand trial in the near future.
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