05/28/2026
NEWS RELEASE: Man Sentenced to Life after Pleading Guilty to Five-Hour Assault and R**e of Woman
District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway announces that on May 28 Ezekiel Lamar Jackson, 23, of Canton, entered a negotiated guilty plea and was sentenced to serve life in prison with the possibility of parole for the brutal assault and r**e of a woman he arranged to come to his apartment to provide a residential cleaning service.
Jackson pled guilty to all 10 charges he faced: r**e (2 counts), aggravated so**my (3 counts), kidnapping, aggravated assault, aggravated battery (2 counts), and terroristic threats.
Canton Police Department, GA began investigating this case on April 6 after Northside Cherokee Hospital reported a female patient had been physically and s*xually assaulted. The woman, a residential cleaner, had been held against her will in Jackson’s apartment while he attacked her.
During the May 28 hearing, Assistant District Attorney Kelly Chavis presented the factual basis for the plea. On April 5, in response to a Nextdoor post requesting an apartment cleaning, the victim set up an appointment with Jackson. She arrived at his one-bedroom apartment at 10 a.m. on April 6 and walked through the unit to determine the scope of the cleaning.
While she was standing in the bathroom, Jackson attacked her without warning, stabbing her in the face and eye with a small screwdriver and forcing his fingers down her throat to prevent her from screaming. He applied pressure to her neck until she felt she was losing consciousness and caused her head to hit the bathroom counter when he pushed her to the floor.
Over the next five hours, Jackson s*xually assaulted her multiple times, restrained her so she could not leave, and threatened to kill her if she tried to escape.
Throughout the day, the woman’s face and eye continued to bleed from the stabbing injuries. Eventually, she persuaded Jackson to allow her to go to Northside Cherokee Hospital, agreeing to tell medical staff she had fallen and struck her face on a counter. Jackson accompanied her to the hospital and waited while she was treated.
Physicians determined that she had suffered an orbital fracture and brain bleeds as a result of the head trauma. She was then transported to the Kennestone Intensive Care Unit, where she received treatment.
Jackson was arrested in the waiting room of Northside Cherokee Hospital.
Canton police officers executed search warrants on the apartment and the defendant’s cell phone. In the apartment, detectives seized a bloody towel, the screwdriver used in the assault, first-aid supplies, and other items consistent with the victim’s account.
A search warrant on Jackson’s cell phone revealed that 15 different people had responded to his Nextdoor post requesting an apartment cleaner. All other respondents were male or from larger cleaning companies. Jackson responded to this victim only.
“Evidence suggests this defendant intentionally targeted this victim because she was a woman working alone,” said Assistant District Attorney Kelly Chavis, who prosecuted this case on behalf of the State. “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.”
During the hearing, the victim delivered an impact statement detailing the events of that day, the ongoing physical and emotional impact, and the effect it has had on her children. She also thanked the community for its support.
At the conclusion of the hearing, Chief Superior Court Judge David L. Cannon Jr. sentenced Jackson as negotiated. He will serve a life sentence with the possibility of parole, followed by 40 years on probation. He must pay restitution and have no contact with the victim. During probation, he is barred from Georgia except for Effingham County and Clayton County in the area of the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. He must also register as a s*x offender, abide by s*x offender conditions of probation, receive a psychos*xual evaluation and treatment, and receive a mental health evaluation and treatment.
“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.”
The case was investigated by the Canton Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Kelly Chavis of the Gang/Organized Crime Unit.
