48 Hours Post Mortem: Jade Janks and the Secret Nude Photos

Podcast: 48 Hours
Host: Anne-Marie Green (CBS News)
Correspondents: Tracy Smith, Sarah Pryor
Air Date: September 16, 2025
Episode Theme:
A deep dive into the complex, tragic case of Jade Janks—the stepdaughter convicted of killing her stepfather, Tom Merriman, after uncovering hundreds of explicit photos of herself on his computer. This episode dissects the evidence, motives, and key missteps in the case, exploring themes of betrayal, vigilante justice, and the blurred lines between victim and perpetrator.

Main Topics & Episode Structure

• [00:51] Quick case refresher
• [03:05] Mechanics of the murder
• [04:26] Jade and Tom’s relationship
• [05:30] Discovery of the nude photos
• [07:39] The crime scene & body disposal
• [10:33] The ex-boyfriend’s crucial 911 call
• [15:15] The "fixer" subplot & text messages
• [19:05] Fixer’s friend and overlapping witness stories
• [21:51] Prosecutorial strategy and Jade’s courtroom experience
• [24:45] Attempts to interview Jade and perspectives on victims
• [27:27] Tom’s friend’s view and final reflections

Episode Summary

Case Refresher & Shocking Discovery

[01:25–02:32]

• New Year's Day 2021: Police learn from Jade’s ex-boyfriend that she may have killed her stepfather, Tom Merriman.

• Merriman was found dead. Jade, an interior decorator, is arrested and charged.

• Trial twist: Days before the murder, Jade found hundreds of explicit photos of herself—taken when she was younger—on Tom’s computer, used as his screensaver and stored on multiple devices.

  “It was the most violating, just awful, gut-wrenching feeling ever.”
  – Jade Jenks (court testimony), quoted by Tracy Smith [02:24]

Murder Mechanics: Pressure, Drugs, and Strangulation

[03:02–04:26]

• Listeners’ top question: “How do you strangle someone and leave no marks?”

  • Strangulation requires surprisingly little force (as low as four pounds of pressure).
  • Death likely resulted from a combination of drug intoxication (mostly Ambien, among others) and gentle suffocation/strangulation.
  • Even state witnesses debated whether Ambien alone could be lethal.

  “The body wants to stay alive.”
  – Sarah Pryor [04:01]

A Complicated Family Bond

[04:26–05:30]

• Jade considered Tom more a father than a stepfather; he referred to her as his daughter.
• Jade’s mother and Tom divorced, but Jade helped raise her half-brother, solidifying their familial bond.

The Nude Photos: Discovery and Aftermath

[05:30–07:39]

• Jade discovered the photos while cleaning Tom’s home. She was horrified to find her explicit images (not taken by Tom, but by Jade or former partners) both on his desktop and laptop.

• She destroyed one hard drive and documented her find with photos.

• The defense claimed Tom organized the images obsessively, breaking them into folders by body part.

• Finding the photos traumatized Jade, leading to severe anxiety and paranoia.

  “She was vomiting. She said, you know, she couldn’t shower because she had those images in her head.”
  – Sarah Pryor [07:07]

Crime Scene: The Body in the Driveway

[07:39–09:01]

• Tom’s body was hidden under a pile of trash in an otherwise pristine neighborhood, missed by police at first because it was dark.
• The remains weren’t discovered until daylight, despite the scene being “like a bad day at the mall... How is a whole body in there that no one notices?” (Ann Marie Green [08:24])

Escape Plan Gone Wrong

[09:23–10:33]

• Jade’s intention seemed to be moving Tom’s body back into the house to make the death look like a drug overdose after a recent hospital discharge.
• If not for a call from her ex-boyfriend, the death might have gone uninvestigated.

The Crucial 911 Call

[10:33–12:36]

• Jade called ex-boyfriend Adam Ziplak, asking for help moving Tom’s body.

• Adam was torn about what to do but ultimately called police the next morning, triggering the investigation.

  “She said that she had possibly killed her stepdad. I don’t know if she really did this.”
  – Adam Ziplak (911 call) [10:42]

• The call delayed police action until much later in the day, leaving room for speculation about what might have happened otherwise.

  “If Adam didn’t make that call that brought on the welfare check, she could have gotten away with it.”
  – Sarah Pryor [11:36]

The “Fixer” and Suspicious Texts

[15:15–18:28]

• Jade also contacted an acquaintance, Alan Roach (“the fixer”), for help.

• Allegedly, Jade claimed she just wanted protection from Tom, not assistance in a crime.

• Texts between Jade and Alan turned out to be damning. Prosecutors argued they reveal her intent.

  Prosecutor: “At 3pm, you texted Alan, ‘He’s waking up, and I’m not sure how much longer I can control my temper.’”

  Jade: “True. I think, again, I was just panicking and trying to urge Alan to come over.”
  – Court exchange [17:19–17:40]

• Tracey reached out to Roach (now in Mexico), who declined to comment, stating “I only knew her for a week.” [18:45]

Testimonies from the “Helpers”

[19:05–20:18]

• Brian Solomon, Alan’s friend, showed up at Jade’s request but claimed he immediately fled after she asked him to help strangle Tom.
• Both Adam and Solomon, independent witnesses, relayed similar stories about Jade’s confessions and requests, strengthening the prosecution’s case.

Prosecution, Defense, and Courtroom Dynamics

[20:33–24:45]

• Prosecutors, Jorge Del Portillo and Teresa, worked as a team—Teresa holding Jorge in check to avoid making Jade appear more sympathetic than necessary.

  “They called it boxing him so that he couldn’t get too fidgety and too aggressive with her.”
  – Sarah Pryor [21:48]

• Both prosecution and defense acknowledged Jade’s sympathetic position, given Tom’s egregious invasion, but emphasized the law must be upheld.

  “No matter what Tom did, Jade can’t be the judge, jury, and executioner.”
  – Sarah Pryor [26:53]

• Jade took the stand, largely due to the need to explain her incriminating texts.

• Her own defense attorney was often tougher on her than the prosecutors, possibly aiming to engender sympathy.

  “He does need to ask her that question. Right. So, I mean, I think as a defense attorney, it makes sense to me better to say that he would ask her that question, so it would come from, you know, friendly fire. But it was aggressive.”
  – Tracy Smith [23:35]

Victimhood and Complications

[24:45–27:18]

• Jade declined to participate in interviews with 48 Hours, as did most of her support network.

• The reporting team underscores the case’s “multifaceted” truth and the simultaneous likability and unlikability of both Tom and Jade.

  “There’s not one right and wrong. There’s a lot of layers to it. And there’s a lot more to Jade and her life that I think we would be really curious about.”
  – Tracy Smith [25:15]

Tom’s Friends, Grieving, and Denial

[27:27–28:21]

• Tom’s friend, Pat Flanagan, struggles to accept the reality of the photos but can't disprove it.

  “I. I can’t disprove it. I find it. I. I don’t want to believe it.”
  – Pat Flanagan [27:34]

• Flanagan is left reconciling Tom’s secret actions with the public persona of his close friend and business partner.

Final Reflections and Takeaways

[28:21–29:39]

• Both correspondents reflect on the human messiness and non-binary nature of cases like this.
• Sarah Pryor stresses how the tragedy could have been avoided if Jade went to authorities instead of taking matters into her own hands.

  “This is vigilante justice, I guess you could say, at its worst. And it just shows you that, you know, you can’t take it into your own hands. Like, this is how it works out. You know, no matter what this guy did, no one deserves to be murdered and thrown away like trash.”
  – Sarah Pryor [29:14]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It was the most violating, just awful, gut-wrenching feeling ever.” – Jade Jenks (court testimony) [02:24]
• “The body wants to stay alive.” – Sarah Pryor [04:01]
• “If Adam didn’t make that call that brought on the welfare check, she could have gotten away with it.” – Sarah Pryor [11:36]
• “No matter what Tom did, Jade can’t be the judge, jury, and executioner.” – Sarah Pryor [26:53]
• “There’s not one right and wrong. There’s a lot of layers to it.” – Tracy Smith [25:15]
• “She is a victim. You feel for her. But as the prosecutor said to us, no matter what Tom did, Jade can’t be the judge, jury, and executioner.” – Sarah Pryor [26:53]

Closing Thoughts

This “Post Mortem” dissects a crime defined by deep personal betrayals and the tragic consequences of taking justice into one’s own hands. Both Jade and Tom are shown as deeply flawed—each in their own way a victim and perpetrator. The coverage underscores the ambiguity, emotional complexity, and enduring fallout that characterize so many real-life crimes.