Jason Jackson and Olga Kirshenbaum: 'Shocked' neighbors skeptical Brooklyn couple died in murder-suicide

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BROOKLYN, NEW YORK CITY: The aftermath of an apparent murder-suicide that police believe was carried out by a longtime resident who was well-liked by all left the residents of a Brooklyn street shocked and baffled.

Authorities said that Jason Jackson and his 34-year-old girlfriend Olga Kirshenbaum were found dead in their Park Slope apartment on Second Street close to Fifth Avenue on Wednesday, January 24.

Jason Jackson shot and killed his girlfriend

Kirshenbaum—dubbed 'the Money Whisperer' by her clientele—was a well-known writer and the proprietor of 'Rags to Riches Consulting', a firm that offered financial guidance to creatives and artists.

A report from police stated that both victims had been shot in the head. Jackson may have shot Kirshenbaum before killing himself, according to police, since a handgun was discovered next to his corpse.

Surprised neighbors and friends, who couldn't believe the happy-go-lucky cook would kill his beloved girlfriend of three years, much less himself, claimed that the building was Jackson's childhood home.

A close friend and next-door neighbor of Jackson's who would only go by Mook told the New York Daily News that "it couldn't have been him."

“I thought somebody did that to them,” he asserted. “Somebody snuck in there and did that. I said, ‘Nah that’s not Jay. Jay is always happy. There’s no way he would do something like that."

Relative discovered Jason Jackson and Olga Kirshenbaum dead

Around 1:00 am on Wednesday, January 24, authorities discovered Jackson and Kirshenbaum dead inside the apartment. After failing to contact the victims, a concerned relative discovered them dead, according to police.

When no one answered the door, the relative called a locksmith to open the apartment. There was no hint of domestic conflict, according to the police.

According to an NYPD spokeswoman, police had never before been called to the apartment to break up a fight between the couple.

Jackson was characterized by his neighbors as a kind, smiling man who would happily welcome them and buzz open the door if they were locked out. 

One neighbor who asked to remain anonymous said of him, "He was nice. I would say ‘Hi’ he would say, ‘Hi!’ with a big smile on his face.”

Three days before their bodies were found, the gunshots that took their lives were heard on Sunday night, according to Mook, 59.

“It hurts because I actually heard it,” he recalled. “Me and my wife were sitting in the kitchen eating dinner and all of the sudden we heard a scream, like a girl’s scream.”

Neighbor heard gunshots in Jason Jackson's apartment

Neighbor recalled hearing two popping sounds in quick succession. “We looked at each other, and said, ‘Did you hear that?’ And my wife said ‘Wow, yeah.’ It wasn’t far. You heard it like it was right there. It was loud. We were like, ‘Those were gunshots!’ We didn’t pay it no mind.”

Mook was unaware that Jackson's apartment was the source of the gunshots until their bodies were found.

“Jason always used to come to my house with his girlfriend, and have a drink or beer or something with me and my wife,” Mook remarked. “He was always in my house. He was like my little brother.”

Mook recalled that Jackson, the youngest of four brothers, was a cook who enjoyed singing.

"He always used to say ‘I’m gonna cook soul food for you guys," Mook remarked, struggling to accept the devastating knowledge that his friend would never be able to keep that promise.

He described Kirshenbaum as a "tiny little girl" who exuded happiness at all times. “She was always quiet, calm, and nice,” Mook recalled. “They would just come and sit on my couch, and we’d just talk and laugh and have a beer, and look at TV.

As reported by Tribune News Service, “He loved that girl (and) she loved him,” he added. “They never argued. They never showed that.”

"You heard them partying but not fighting," stated an unidentified neighbor. "I never heard arguing, I never saw him angry."

Mook wished Jackson's friend had asked him for assistance if he was having trouble, he said.

“We all go through things in life, and sometimes you just need people to talk to,” he said. “If only I could’ve seen something that was wrong, I would’ve had a talk with him. If only I knew earlier. It’s tough. It’s tough,” he said quietly.