Jacob "Jake" Horton (died April 10, 1989) was a senior vice-president of Southern Company's Gulf Power Unit, killed when a corporate airplane caught fire and crashed into a Pensacola apartment complex, shortly after takeoff from Pensacola, Florida.[1] [2] Journalist Greg Palast has alleged that Horton was murdered, by the corporation, in order to prevent him from accusing the board of directors of making illegal payments to politicians (1 -- p. 109).