By Kevin Jefferies
Hunt County – David Jason Jacks pleaded guilty yesterday in the double homicide of Hunt County residents Melanie and Bradley Daniel in 2003. The plea came as part of a deal that spares Jacks the death penalty and gives him life in prison. He also waived any rights to an appeal.
Family members of the victims agreed to the plea bargain because they felt the certainty of at least 40 years in jail before being eligible for parole was a better choice than the uncertainty of seeking the death penalty by trial.
Melanie and Bradley Daniel were found shot to death at their home along CR 3101 in October of 2003. Investigators interviewed nearby resident Jacks, who confessed to slaying the couple and led police to where he had hidden the rifle used in the murders. A video taped confession was also later made.