Jury finds man guilty of 1995 rape in New Hanover County

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — A man imprisoned since 1997 will spend decades more behind bars, after a New Hanover County jury returned a guilty verdict in a 1995 kidnapping and rape case.

On Friday, the jury found Freddie Anthony Jackson, 56, guilty of first degree kidnapping, two counts of first degree rape, two counts of first degree sexual offense, and robbery.

In September of 1995, Jackson entered the Scotchman store at 906 N. 23rd St. in Wilmington around 2:00 a.m. According to a news release, Jackson hid in the bathroom until customers left and the clerk was alone. Jackson forced the 26-year-old clerk into the walk-in drink cooler where he sexually assaulted her four times.

Jackson stole money from the cash register and beer, and he dropped a pack of Newport cigarettes on the floor behind the cash register before running from the scene.

The clerk was transported to New Hanover Regional Medical Center and a sexual assault evidence collection kit was completed. DNA analysis was in its infancy and scientists were not able to analyze potential DNA evidence in a sexual assault evidence collection kit unless they had a DNA sample from a suspect with which to compare.

The national DNA database was later created by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This allows law enforcement officers to submit potential DNA evidence left behind by even unknown offenders to be compared
to people in the database. North Carolina enacted a law requiring offenders convicted of serious offenses provide a DNA sample for this database. The sexual assault evidence collection kit from the clerk of the
Scotchman was submitted for analysis and a match was made to Jackson.

With this information from the DNA match, a palm print lifted from the Newport cigarette pack that Jackson dropped also matched Jackson.

A month before Jackson kidnapped, sexually assaulted and robbed the Scotchman clerk, Jackson had robbed a 52-year-old clerk of the Kwik Mart, located at 2028 Oleander Drive. Jackson entered the store when the clerk was alone and asked for a pack of Newport cigarettes. When the clerk went behind the counter, Jackson forced her to open the cash register. After he stole money, he tried to force the clerk into a walk-in drink cooler at the rear of the store, but was interrupted by a customer pulling into the parking lot. Jackson then punched the clerk anr ran off.

Jackson was arrested that day and he posted bond 23 days later.

Jackson pleaded guilty to this common law robbery on September 27, 1995. Jackson committed the rape and robbery at the Scotchman while he was on pretrial release for this Kwik Mart robbery.

Jackson was released from prison on April 1, 1997, after serving the sentence for the Kwik Mart robbery. Two months later, a 25-year-old woman left a convenience store and discovered Jackson in her backseat.

For two hours, he forced her to perform sexual acts on him. She was able to escape from the vehicle. A good Samaritan picked her up and drove her to the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office. Six days later, Jackson entered the Pantry convenience store on Castle Hayne Road holding what appeared to be a gun inside a bag. Jackson robbed the store and began dragging the clerk to the door to take her with him, but a car drove up and the clerk escaped.

Jackson drove off in the vehicle he had stolen from the woman he had abducted six days earlier. Officers were able to locate Jackson in the stolen vehicle and place him under arrest.

In December of 1997, Jackson stood trial for the June 1997 abductions and robberies. The jury found him guilty of two counts of kidnapping, two counts of robbery, and felony larceny of the vehicle. Jackson was sentenced to a minimum of 30 years in prison and a maximum of 39 years in prison. He is currently serving that sentence and is due to be released in January 2028.

On Monday, August 7, 2023, Jackson’s trial by jury began in New Hanover Criminal Superior Court for the September 2, 1995 Scotchman crimes. In addition to reviewing evidence and hearing testimony from
individuals involved in the 1995 crimes on trial, the Jury also received testimony from former Wilmington Police Department Officers Wes Phelps and David Register both of whom responded to the July 1995 Kwik Mart robbery, retired New Hanover Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Deborah Biddle who took the report from the now deceased victim who was abducted in her own vehicle, and the Jury heard from the victim of the 1997 Pantry abduction.

After a week-long presentation of evidence, the New Hanover County Jury convicted Jackson of all charges in the September 1995 kidnapping, sexual assault, and robbery of the Scotchman clerk.
ADA Connie Jordan said, “In more than 25 years of handling these cases, I have never witnessed a more dangerous individual who preys on unsuspecting women. Jackson is not looking to just rob women to get money, his clear intent is to rape and terrorize. I would fear for any woman who finds herself in the path of this man.”

Superior Court Judge Frank Jones sentenced Jackson to serve to a minimum of 36 and a maximum of 44 years in prison.