Suspect accused of raping store clerk during 1995 robbery is charged, NC police say
A suspect accused of raping a store clerk 25 years ago is now facing charges in North Carolina, officials say.
Police say the female employee was working at a Wilmington convenience store in September 1995 when a man entered. The suspect robbed the store and sexually assaulted the woman, the Wilmington Police Department said Tuesday in a news release.
Police say they didn’t know the man’s identity, and having a suspect was a requirement for rape kit tests at the time.
“As a result, the victim’s kit was not tested until 2019, after the Standing Up for Rape Victims Act was signed into law,” Wilmington police said in the news release.
Through a DNA hit and interviews, police say they identified the suspect as Freddie Jackson, 53. He now faces charges of rape, sexual offense, kidnapping and robbery.
Jackson is in custody for alleged robberies in Columbus County and will be brought to the Wilmington area when coronavirus-related restrictions are relaxed, officials say.
Wilmington police say they are “actively reviewing cold cases” in hopes of finding more DNA hits.
