Dawn Jackson was convicted of fatally stabbing her step-grandfather Robert McBride, 69, in 1999 at his South River, Middlesex County home. Jackson continues to wait on a February 2018 clemency appeal to New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, the outlet reported.
A relative started this Change.org petition, "Help Dawn Jackson gain Clemency!" to put pressure on Murphy, whose office did not reply to a request for comment from the outlet. (Jhordin Jackson's petition also is addressed to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.)
Dawn Jackson, also known as Dawntrishia Wilson, has pleaded that she allegedly suffered years of sexual abuse by McBride and other relatives, according to the petition. She has served nearly 23 years of her 30-year state prison sentence but does not have a lawyer, the outlet said.
"I was defending myself the day of my offense – from once again being that timid little girl who was forced into incest – having sex and performing degrading sexual acts beginning at the age of five," Jackson wrote in a recent letter to MyCentralJersey.com.
"I am a woman – a survivor who is in great hopes of one day advocating for ‘all’ who have endured traumatic trials relative to mine; as well as the oppressions of abuse itself. My story continues. Sexual abuse goes on in this world every day," her letter said.
Jackson had hoped to be released from prison before her son, Michael Wilson, 32, died from cancer-- but unfortunately, he passed due to complications earlier this month, the outlet said.
Jackson has 10 children and 19 grandchildren, according to the Chenge.org petition.
Kim Kardashian West’s "The Justice Project" is a series on the Oxygen network.
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