Ridgeland man sentenced to 28 years in rape, burglary case

A 25-year-old Ridgeland man pleaded guilty to the 2015 rape and burglary of a 61-year-old woman on Tuesday, according to the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office.

Kyshon Jemeel Jenkins was sentenced to 28 years in prison for first-degree burglary and first-degree criminal sexual conduct, according to a news release. Jenkins opted to plead guilty before the trial began this week.

The attack occurred shortly after 10:30 p.m. Aug. 16, 2015, at a North Green Street home, according to the release. The victim woke up to find Jenkins at the foot of her bed, armed. He told her “he would kill her” if she made any noise, according to Assistant Solicitor Patrick Hall.

The woman later distracted Jenkins by telling him where she had her prescription medications in the kitchen, and she ran to a neighbor’s house to call the police, according to the release.

DNA linked Jenkins to the assault.

The victim had left her back door partially open for her cats that night, according to the Ridgeland Police Department, the Jasper County Sun Times reported. Though Jenkins covered part of his face with a white handkerchief, the victim said she recognized him as the man who had months before approached her with pornographic images and videos and who had also previously walked past her house while staring at her.

“Prosecuting sexual assault cases is taken very seriously and is a top priority by each prosecutor within our office,” Hall said. “The state was ready to move forward with this case, but the defendant decided to plead guilty before a trial got underway.”

Jenkins has prior convictions for drug distribution and indecent exposure, according to the Solicitor’s Office.

This story was originally published July 25, 2017 at 6:13 PM with the headline "Ridgeland man sentenced to 28 years in rape, burglary case."