Dateline NBC 2026.07.10 The Bluegrass Mystery

The two-hour broadcast examines the disappearance and murder of Ella Jackson, a Kentucky mother whose vanishing launched an investigation into the three men closest to her before evidence ultimately pointed to her husband.

Ella Jackson, 47, disappeared from her Richmond, Kentucky, home in October 2019. Concern grew after her oldest son, Phillip Hans, realized he had not heard from his mother, something he described as highly unusual. As family members searched for answers, investigators quickly began examining Ella’s personal relationships and the circumstances surrounding her disappearance.