Kriti Mehrotra
‘Dateline: Trouble at 7-11 Ranch’ is the chilling tale of how Jacob Henry Millison, aka Jake, was murdered in his sleep by his own family for the inheritance of a $3 million ranch. After his body – covered in a tarp and buried in manure – was discovered more than two years after the fact, his mother, Deborah Rudibaugh, confessed that she acted alone in killing him. But, due to a myriad of evidence and rising suspicion, Jake’s sister, Stephanie Jackson, and her husband, David Jackson, were charged and arrested as well. All of this, of course, made us wonder about Jake’s father, and if he, too, had a role to play in this twisted case.
Who Is Jake Millison’s Father?
Jake Millison and Stephanie’s father is Ray Millison. He and Deborah got divorced when the children were just 6 and 7-years-old respectively, long before the talk, or even the possibility of the inheritance arose. So no, Ray had no hand in his son’s disappearance and death. After he and Deborah parted ways for good, while he moved to New Mexico to start a new life for himself, she moved on to marry a rancher two decades her senior, Rudy Rudibaugh. And, it was his 700-acre land, in Parlin, Colorado, that Jake was killed over. In May of 2015, after Jake disappeared and his friends went looking for him, some people suspected, mostly because Deborah implied it, that Jake ran off to live with his father, but that was not at all the case.
One of his friends eventually phoned Ray to ask about Jake’s whereabouts. But, Ray admitted that he hadn’t heard from his son in weeks and that maybe, if things were this bad, they should look into filing a missing person’s report. Although they did, nothing turned up, not for two years. And then, when Jake’s body was found and Deborah confessed to killing him, Ray was heartbroken. He even backed up Deborah and told investigators that no matter how bad things got, he could never see her shooting her own child. Subsequently, when Steph was about to be convicted for her role in Jake’s murder, Ray requested a lenient sentence for her. He said that he has already lost a child and that he didn’t want to lose another one to the system.
Where Is Jake Millison’s Father Today?
Ray Millison, now in his 70s, still resides in New Mexico – in Ojo Feliz, to be exact. And, according to his Facebook profile, he is now married to an artist named Jessica Eve Ewing. He isn’t very active on his social media, but in 2019, for his birthday, he did ask his well-wishers to donate to the Wounded Warrior Project, saying, “For my birthday this year, I’m asking for donations to Wounded Warrior Project. I’ve chosen this nonprofit because their mission means a lot to me, and I hope you’ll consider contributing as a way to celebrate with me. Every little bit will help me reach my goal.” Ray’s familial past is unfortunate, yes, but as he himself had no hand in anything, we just hope that he has been able to move on from it with his head held high.
Read More: Where is Jake Millison’s Mother Today?
