Ezekiel Lamar Jackson (Cherokee County District Attorney's Office).
A Georgia man is headed to prison for decades after he hired a woman to clean his home, then stabbed her in the eye with a screwdriver and held her against her will for hours.
Ezekiel Lamar Jackson, 23, pleaded guilty Thursday to kidnapping and aggravated assault along with two counts of rape and three counts of sodomy. He was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole, the Cherokee County District Attorney's Office said.
"Evidence suggests this defendant intentionally targeted this victim because she was a woman working alone," Assistant District Attorney Kelly Chavis, who prosecuted this case, said in a statement. "He is a dangerous man, and the brutality of his actions is shocking. The victim demonstrated great courage and strength, and ultimately saved her own life in the face of such evil."
The attack happened just over a month ago. On April 5, Jackson posted on Nextdoor requesting a cleaning service. Jackson selected the victim out of about 15 responses. Around 10 a.m. the next day, the victim arrived at the Canton apartment to do a walkthrough to determine the scope of the cleaning.
When she was standing in the bathroom, Jackson suddenly attacked. He stabbed her in the eye and face with a small screwdriver and jammed his fingers down her throat to stop her from screaming. Jackson then choked her until she lost consciousness, causing her to hit her head on the bathroom counter when she fell to the floor.
Jackson sexually assaulted the victim over the next five hours. Eventually, the victim convinced Jackson to take her to the hospital. He sat in the waiting room while she received treatment. She suffered an orbital fracture and brain bleeds. Cops arrested Jackson at the hospital.
In the apartment, cops found a bloody towel and the screwdriver he used to stab her. A search of his phone revealed that the victim was the only woman to respond to his post requesting a cleaner.
The victim told the court at sentencing that the attack has left an ongoing physical and emotional impact on her and her children.
"The defendant's conduct was torturous and horrific," said District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway. "For five hours, this victim endured unimaginable violence. A sentence of life in prison is the only appropriate outcome for the deeply disturbing actions of this defendant."