If you recall one of my previous articles, where I listed ten of my favorite true crime documentaries and docuseries (I hope you all loved that blog and watched some of my picks, by the way!), I mentioned a series by Piers Morgan called Killer Women. In this series, Piers interviews women who have been convicted of murder and received life sentences as a result. One particular crime covered in Killer Women caught my attention and really stuck out from the rest, though: Amber Wright and the murder of Seath Jackson. This horrific murder was pretty shocking, as it involved a twisted love triangle that ultimately cost 15-year-old Seath Jackson his life. What I find so fascinating about this case is the fact that, although the woman involved didn't directly commit a murder, she may have been the actual mastermind behind Seath's death. [Warning: This article contains graphic details of a crime scene]
Pictured: Seath Jackson (left) and Amber Wright (right)
Prior to his death, Seath was an ordinary teenage boy who lived in the town of Summerfield, Florida. His parents described him as friendly, outgoing, funny and popular with the girls. While in High School, Seath began a relationship with Amber Wright; Seath's parents didn't think much of her, as while she seemed to be a "typical teenager" to them, they definitely believed her to be manipulative. Amber and Seath's relationship was both toxic and short-lived, ultimately ending due to her infidelity. Upon discovering that Amber had cheated on him with 18-year-old Michael Bargo, Seath was visibly upset and even challenged him to a fight, which Michael accepted. Despite their difference in age, Seath apparently emerged from this confrontation victorious. During Amber and Seath's breakup, the two engaged in a nasty back-and-forth social media fight, with each of them posting incendiary things about the other for all to see. Shortly thereafter, Amber and Michael Bargo began a relationship.
Pictured: Amber Wright (left) and Michael Bargo (right)
One night, while Amber and Michael were at a friend's house, Michael was said to have stated the following: "We need to kill Seath Jackson...nobody likes him, we need to kill him." After some initial hesitation, everyone present agreed and they began to devise a plan. Supposedly, Amber was to lure Seath to her friend Charlie Ely's house, where the group would then shoot and torture him. As investigators later discovered, Seath almost made it out of this sinister plot alive, as he did escape Charlie Ely's house and nearly got all the way out to the road. However, Seath was then shot a second time and brought back inside before being dragged into the bathroom and shot one final time. After the third shot, Seath was dead. It was said that Michael Bargo then suggested that the group break Seath's kneecaps with a baseball bat, as he wanted to find a way to fit the body in a sleeping bag. Eventually, Michael got a hammer, broke Seath's kneecaps and also pulled his teeth out with pliers. Investigators say that Amber, Michael and others then burned Seath's body, treating the process as if it were a festive bonfire; they sat around jovially all night, drinking, partying and celebrating.
When Seath didn't come home that night or even call his parents, they immediately knew that something was wrong. Seath's mom knew that her son was always responsible enough to call and notify her of his whereabouts; when he failed to do so, she called the Police to report him missing. The next day, Seath's disappearance made local news and, while Amber Wright's brother (Kyle) and mother (Tracey) were watching, Kyle admitted to his mother that he knew Seath was dead and that he was involved. This prompted her to immediately call the Police; Kyle was one of six teens arrested for their role in the murder of Seath Jackson.
Pictured (Clockwise): Justin Soto, Kyle Hooper, Charlie Ely, James Havens, Michael Bargo, Amber Wright
During interrogation, each suspect was quick to throw the others under the bus. As a result, investigators were eventually able to piece the full story together in its entirety. Charlie Ely, Kyle Hooper and Justin Soto's roles were to ambush Seath at Charlie's house. Amber's role, meanwhile, was to lure him there; she texted Seath asking him to meet up at Charlie’s, a proposal to which Seath was apprehensive, as he thought Michael would "jump" him. However, Amber eased Seath's suspicions, telling him that it "would only be the two of us." Upon Seath's arrival, he was struck in the head and shot repeatedly, as stated earlier. The day after the murder, Michael, Amber, Charlie, Kyle, Justin and James dumped Seath's charred remains into 3 five-gallon paint buckets, carried them to a local rock quarry and disposed of them into the water. Two days later, each of the six suspects were arrested.
Although they were juveniles, each of the suspects involved were ultimately tried as adults. At separate trials, Amber Wright, Charlie Ely and Kyle Hooper were found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Justin Soto pled guilty and also received a life sentence, with James Havens receiving a ten-year prison sentence for being an accessory to murder. Michael Bargo was given a death sentence as a result of his crimes.
Despite Michael Bargo being the one who actually killed Seath Jackson, some argue that Amber played the biggest role in his murder. Many people have claimed that, without Amber's role and manipulation, Seath would still be alive today. However, regardless of who exactly the mastermind behind this murder was, the fact remains that this was a cruel, heinous and downright shocking crime committed by some heartless teens. If you'd like to explore this case in greater detail, you can watch episode 2 of Netflix’s Killer Women.
- Gabby