GUILTY PA - Laura Araujo, 23, found beaten & strangled, Philadelphia, 14 July 2014

Laura Araujo had only lived in the West Philadelphia rooming house for a short time, but it was long enough to convince her housemate that she had money, Philadelphia police say. The man who rented the room next to hers, Jerry Jakson, had seen her car - a 2011 Toyota RAV4 - and took it as an indication of her wealth, Lt. Walt Bell said Wednesday. Police believe Jakson had planned to rob Araujo, a 23-year-old graduate of the Art Institute of Philadelphia who was about to move from the house.

At some point before 5:30 a.m. Monday, police say, Jakson, 22, attacked Araujo at the rooming house on the 800 block of N. 40th Street, strangled and beat her. He wrapped her body in a blanket and stuffed her into a duffel bag, police say.

He then drove her car to North Philadelphia, police say, where he abandoned her body in a lot and left her belongings - packed into the car in anticipation of her move - strewn about her. Then, according to police sources, Jakson drove the car to South Philadelphia and set it on fire around 2:20 a.m. Monday — badly burning both his arms in the process, and leaving his cell phone behind.

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At Jakson's preliminary hearing yesterday, police read a transcript of his confession. Jakson blamed a woman who stayed at the house named Shaneka, who he says was responsible for all the heinous acts he's charged with. Cops didn't see her in any security footage, however. "We don't know that a Shaneka exists," homicide detective James Pitts testified.

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Jeremiah Jakson, who was charged with robbing and killing a young woman and leaving her remains in a vacant lot stuffed in a duffel bag in July, came to court yesterday wearing a shirt emblazoned with "Crime Pays."

"That's an interesting choice of shirt you wore to court," Municipal Judge Teresa Carr Deni said, sarcastically... But Deni wasn't finished, and later told Jalon he needed to follow up with the jail to find out why his client was allowed to appear in court wearing such a shirt, which she denounced as "unacceptable."

Generally, the preliminary hearing did not go well for Jakson, who was ordered held for trial for murder, robbery, abuse of a corpse, and related counts.

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The medical examiner’s report noted someone had tied the victim’s ankles, neck, torso and wrists with cords and divulged strangulation as the cause of death. The document added Araujo’s face suffered from blunt-impact-trauma wounds, her head had swelling and a hand featured puncture wounds.

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Lorenzo Araujo would have been forgiven had he railed at Jeremiah Jakson, cursed the day he was born, wished him a life of pain.

Instead, Araujo, 69, told Jakson that he forgave him and “hoped he found some peace in his life.”

And then the Oklahoma City psychiatrist took out a pen and a book of poetry he wrote reflecting on his daughter’s death – dedicated to “my daughter and her murderer” – and inscribed the book to Jakson before handing it to a sheriff’s deputy to give to him.

Jalon said Jakson accepted the book and had trouble maintaining his composure.

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Jakson was found guilty and sentenced Friday by Common Pleas Court Judge Glenn B. Bronson, who heard the case without a jury. Jakson waived his right to a jury trial in exchange for the prosecutor’s agreeing not to seek the death penalty.

The verdict carried a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole, but Bronson tacked on 62 1/2 years for robbery, burglary, and abuse of corpse, calling Jakson’s conduct “despicable.”

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