More than 24 hours after finding out their journey to justice had once again come to a screeching halt, Carolyn Jackson said she and her family were still leaning on God for the strength.

That’s the same strength she has sought in the 21 months since the father of her children shot and killed one and attempted to murder another.

“These last 24 hours, I’ve just been thinking ‘what is going on?’” Carolyn said. “We’re still waiting to get justice for my son and my other son. These are my kids. They keep throwing up stuff to get the trial delayed, trying to get out of going to court. I wasn’t a very happy camper Wednesday morning. I know there are procedures the court has to follow, but this …”

Sammy D. Jackson, 45, was charged with murder and attempted murder after a November 2013 domestic violence dispute turned deadly in the family’s Goshen home. He is charged with the death of his then 18-year-old son Sammy Jackson Jr. and the attempted murder of his then 16-year-old son, whom he shot in the leg.

Carolyn said over the last few months she had thought of her late son and knows that he is still loved and his memory is still alive and well in the Goshen community where he was growing up.

“He’s still loved and his memory is still alive,” Carolyn said. “Right now, everyone thinks that Sammy won’t be able to go to trial and not get off, but I know we’re going to get justice for his death. I’m staying strong. I have God on my side. It’s not about my side of the family or his side of the family. Our family has God on our side. I know in due time, we’ll have justice. (My son) is going to be remembered. His death is not going to have gone down in vain.”

Carolyn said she couldn’t believe that now, after their 20-plus year marriage, the elder Sammy Jackson was trying to fall back on his mental state. Something she says was never an issue during their time as husband and wife.

“I was happy with what the state doctor had to say during the competency hearing,” Carolyn said. “He hit it right on the nail. Sammy held a job for 20-something years. He knows how to build porches. He built my porch. He is very capable of taking care of himself. It’s just a mind game he’s trying to play to get out of taking blame for what he did. He has to face that facts that when you do wrong you have done wrong. He’s not going to do that.”

Carolyn said that having been a mother of three, now of two, she is saddened her eldest child didn’t get to see his life unfold.

“This entire ordeal as a mother, me as a mother, I had three kids, now I only have two,” Carolyn said. “My Sammy, he doesn’t get to see his life. He doesn’t get to grow up like he wanted to and get what he wanted out of life. He didn’t get to graduate, go into the service and come back to see his brother graduate and watch his sister grow up. His dad is still walking around. He’s out still having a good time.”

Carolyn said through it all, she and her family had focused on getting justice for her late son and knowing that the man facing charges of murder and attempted murder was “more than capable.”

“We’re just focusing on that,” Carolyn said. “He knows that he’s not retarded. He hasn’t seen any mental health doctors except for the one that he’s been seeing now that he’s out on bond. He hadn’t gotten treated for anything back when I was married to him. He’s capable of seeing about himself and walking through the street. To me, that’s not someone who is retarded. We’re going to have justice. Sammy’s name won’t go in vain. He’s an angel in heaven. We’re still going to fight.”