Auburn police discovered the lifeless body of a 34-year-old mother of two in bushes outside a commercial business center on Valentine’s Day, shot twice in the face and torso. The victim, identified as Anisha Howard, was found at 2:20 p. m.
after officers responded to a report of a disturbance. Investigators noted a spent 9mm shell casing less than 20 feet away and evidence that her body had been dragged from a vehicle. The lack of blood at the scene suggested she was killed elsewhere and dumped.
Anisha, a Navy veteran and daycare worker, lived in Kent with her two young sons, her mother Fay, and her ex-boyfriend Calvin Jackson. She was reported missing earlier that morning by Calvin, who told police she failed to show up for work. Her black Volkswagen Tiguan was also missing.
Officers found a cell phone in her pocket with missed calls from “Dad,” but no identification. They used her fingerprint to unlock the phone and confirmed her identity.
Detectives quickly focused on Calvin Jackson, 32, after speaking with Anisha’s mother Fay. Fay revealed that Anisha had asked Calvin to move out months earlier, but he stayed after losing his job. The relationship soured further when Calvin discovered Anisha was in a new romantic relationship with a woman named Lorie.
Fay described a massive fight between the couple just days before the murder, leaving Anisha shaken.
When police arrived at the apartment to deliver the news, Calvin remained oddly calm while Fay was devastated. Lorie, Anisha’s new partner, accused Calvin of lying about his whereabouts that morning. She said her mother saw him leave around 3 a.
m. and not return until nearly 7 a. m.
Lorie also noted Calvin seemed unbothered when word spread that Anisha was missing, while everyone else was crying.
At the police station, Calvin initially claimed he was selling marijuana at a bus stop from 3 a. m. to 6:30 a.
m. He agreed to hand over his phone for analysis. Detectives discovered a ride share app showing he was picked up near Lake Fenwick Park at 6:22 a.
m. and dropped off at his apartment. A search of the park uncovered Anisha’s abandoned SUV, with blood stains and multiple bullet holes in the driver’s seat.
Confronted with the evidence, Calvin confessed. He admitted hiding in the back seat of Anisha’s car as she left for work, grabbing her gun from her purse, and shooting her twice while she drove. He said he “blacked out” and later moved her body to the passenger seat, drove to the commercial center, and shot her again in the face when she twitched.
He then dumped her body in the bushes, abandoned the SUV at the park, and ordered a ride home.
Calvin also sent a text message to Anisha’s phone after her death, pretending to ask about a dryer repair. Detectives said this was an attempt to cover his tracks. During interrogation, Calvin cited anger and fear of losing his family as his motive.
“I was so angry, man. Just losing my family,” he said. He was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
Police later recovered the clothing Calvin wore during the murder from his apartment, matching security footage from the crime scene. The video showed him pulling into the parking lot, removing Anisha from the car, shooting her, and dragging her body into the bushes. On March 2, 2024, Anisha was buried with military honors in Savannah, Georgia.
Her sister described her as “a beacon of light, a force of unwavering love, and a reservoir of kindness.”
In February 2026, Calvin Jackson pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to 28 years in prison. The sentence, however, cannot undo the devastation left behind. Anisha’s two young sons are now left to grow up without their mother, a tragedy that unfolded on a day meant for love.
The case serves as a stark reminder of the hidden violence that can erupt from domestic turmoil.
