Corbin man facing assault, kidnapping charges

A Corbin man was arrested Friday night after Corbin Police say he beat and stabbed his girlfriend and held her prisoner for approximately four days.

Thirty-nine-year-old Earl H. Jackson was charged with first-degree unlawful imprisonment and first-degree assault after police say they found the woman beaten and bloodied at a residence on Tennessee Street where he was reportedly staying.

Jackson

Corbin Police Capt. Coy Wilson said police were contacted Friday night by a friend of the victim, identified as Kristi Lee, who reported that she had received a Facebook message from Lee.

“She was beat up,” Wilson said of Lee, adding the message stated that she had been assaulted by Jackson and was being held against her will at the Tennessee Street residence.

Acting on that information, Wilson, along with officers Steve Meadors and Ken Proffitt went to the residence where they made contact with Jackson.

Jackson reported told police that he had taken Lee to Woodbine the night before.

When officers spoke with Lee’s friend, she insisted that Lee was at that residence with Jackson.

“This officer returned to Tenn. Ave. and spoke with Paul Jackson (Earl Jackson’s brother) and explained that if Lee was at the residence and he was lying he would be charged,” Wilson stated in the arrest citation. “Paul reported that Lee was inside the residence in the bathroom.”

Wilson said Lee told police that she had been held in a garage detached from the house. While there, Earl Jackson reportedly beat her with his fists and cut her with a knife.

“She said he went off one night, blaming her for everything,” Wilson said when he asked Lee what started the incident.

Wilson said Lee said she took a cellphone from someone at the house and used it to take the picture and send it to her friend.

“He said he didn’t do it,” Wilson said of Earl Jackson. “He denied everything.”

Wilson said Lee was taken to Baptist Health Corbin for treatment of her injuries.

Earl Jackson is being held in the Whitley County Detention Center on a $75,000 cash bond.

Wilson said the investigation is continuing and additional charges may be filed.

“I am going to talk to the commonwealth attorney and see what he has to say,” Wilson said.