A Georgia man has been sentenced to life in prison after prosecutors say he hired a woman to clean his apartment, then brutally attacked her and held her against her will for hours.
Ezekiel Lamar Jackson, 23, pleaded guilty Thursday to kidnapping and aggravated assault, along with multiple sexual assault charges, according to the Cherokee County District Attorney’s Office.
He was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
Prosecutors said the attack began after Jackson posted on Nextdoor looking for a cleaning service. About 15 people responded to the post, and Jackson selected the victim.
Assistant District Attorney Kelly Chavis said evidence suggested Jackson deliberately targeted the woman because she was working alone.
“Evidence suggests this defendant intentionally targeted this victim because she was a woman working alone,” Chavis said. “He is a dangerous man, and the brutality of his actions is shocking.”
The attack happened on April 6 at Jackson’s apartment in Canton, Georgia.
The woman arrived around 10 a.m. to do a walkthrough and determine the scope of the cleaning job. While she was standing in the bathroom, prosecutors said Jackson suddenly attacked her.
Authorities said he stabbed her in the eye and face with a small screwdriver, tried to stop her from screaming and choked her until she lost consciousness. When she fell, she hit her head on the bathroom counter.
Prosecutors said Jackson then held the woman captive for about five hours and repeatedly assaulted her.
Eventually, the victim was able to convince Jackson to take her to the hospital. He sat in the waiting room while she received treatment.
Doctors found that she had suffered an orbital fracture and brain bleeds.
Police arrested Jackson at the hospital.
When investigators searched the apartment, they found a bloody towel and the screwdriver used in the attack. A search of Jackson’s phone showed that the victim was the only woman who responded to his cleaning service post, according to prosecutors.
At sentencing, the victim told the court that the attack has left lasting physical and emotional trauma for both her and her children.
Chavis praised the victim’s strength, saying she ultimately saved her own life.
“The victim demonstrated great courage and strength, and ultimately saved her own life in the face of such evil,” Chavis said.
Cherokee County District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway called the case deeply disturbing.
“The defendant’s conduct was torturous and horrific,” Treadaway said. “For five hours, this victim endured unimaginable violence.”
Treadaway said a life sentence was the only appropriate outcome.
The case has left the community shaken, especially because prosecutors say the woman believed she was simply showing up for a cleaning job before she was trapped in a nightmare.
Another ngr
Forget the life sentence with parole. Should have gotten the death sentence! He’ll only get out and do it again. He can’t be trusted!
He looks like a demon.