Ohio Amber Alert suspect sentenced to 23 years in prison in federal kidnapping case

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A woman who pleaded guilty to kidnapping five-month-old twin boys in Columbus nearly 18 months ago was sentenced Tuesday in federal court.

Nalah Jackson, 26, pleaded guilty to two federal kidnapping charges on Feb. 7 and on Tuesday was sentenced to serve the next 23 years in prison, per an agreement made between prosecuting attorneys and defense counsel. She was originally facing between 20 years to life in prison but a federal judge gave her the 280 month sentence.

In December 2022, Jackson was accused of stealing a running car outside of a pizza shop that had two five-month-old twin boys inside.

The twins’ disappearance triggered a statewide, and then regional, Amber Alert, and Columbus police named Jackson as their prime suspect shortly after the twins were kidnapped.

While one baby was found the next day near Dayton International Airport, the other baby was found in the abandoned car, approximately 175 miles west of Columbus, in a restaurant parking lot in Indianapolis. Jackson was arrested a few hours before the second infant’s discovery, north of downtown Indianapolis. Two women told NBC4 they set a trap for Jackson that led to police finding her.

One of the babies died a little more than a month after being recovered. An autopsy could not determine the manner of death, but the coroner found that an unsafe sleeping environment could have contributed.

Jackson also faced charges locally and out-of-state. In April 2023, she pleaded guilty in Franklin County court to receiving stolen property and theft in exchange for the reduction of a grand theft auto charge. Jackson also received a one-year sentence with 305 days suspended after being convicted of spitting on an Indiana deputy while being processed during her arrest.

The trial against Jackson was set to begin in Oct. 2023, but experienced delays after her defense team said it was sorting through "extensive discovery" spanning multiple states, including discovery related to Jackson's mental health.