Ezekiel Jackson gets life sentence after Nextdoor attack
Ezekiel Jackson received a life sentence after pleading guilty to 10 charges tied to a five-hour attack on a woman he hired through nextdoor to clean his home. Prosecutors said the plea agreement ends a case that began with a cleaning request and ended with police arresting Jackson at a hospital.
Kelly Chavis on the attack
Kelly Chavis, an assistant district attorney in the Cherokee County Gang and Organized Crime Unit, said Jackson used the neighborhood app to lure the woman to his home under the guise of needing a cleaning service. The victim arrived to clean the house, and Chavis said Jackson then attacked her with a screwdriver.
"It was at that time the defendant began to stab her with a screwdriver in the face, neck and ultimately in the head," Chavis said. Investigators said he sexually assaulted, restrained and threatened to kill her over the course of five hours.
The hospital stop
Chavis said the ordeal ended only after the victim persuaded Jackson she needed urgent medical care. "After hours of begging, she convinced him to allow her to go to the hospital," Chavis said. "However, he would only agree if he could rape her one more time."
The victim drove herself to the hospital with Jackson inside the vehicle. Hospital workers recognized the danger when she arrived, and police arrested Jackson at the facility.
Life sentence and parole
Jackson pleaded guilty earlier this week to 10 charges and received the life sentence after the plea agreement. He will be eligible for a parole hearing in 30 years, giving the sentence a long review timeline but leaving the conviction in place now.
Chavis said the victim still had active brain bleeding and seizures. She said the woman was walking with support and had to use a walker, and that officials have not disclosed how long specialized medical monitoring will be needed or whether the head and facial injuries will leave permanent disabilities.
"I hope with this plea it is the beginning of her healing. Although I know it is still a long journey, I hope she feels justice was done," Chavis said.
