The suspect in a 1995 Wilmington rape case has been arrested after DNA evidence tied him to the crime. The man is reportedly serving time for robberies in Columbus county.
Wilmington Police said that Freddy Jackson, 53, faces charges of first degree rape, first degree kidnapping, first degree sexual offence and common law robbery.
Jackson is currently serving prison time in Columbus County on other, unrelated robbery charges, the WPD said.
Jackson is alleged to have attacked a woman working the night shift in a convenience store in Wilmington in September 1995. After raping the woman and robbing the store, he fled the scene.
Under the Standing Up For Rape Victims Act of 2019, the victim’s test kit was examined for possible trace evidence, the WPD said. Until the SUFRVA, tests could not be analyzed without a named suspect. The new law allows test kits to be compared against a database of DNA samples of convicted criminals. The test is not sufficient evidence for an arrest, but does give detectives enough to further investigate cold cases.
Once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, Jackson will be transferred to Wilmington to face the charges from 1995.
