Michigan man arrested, charged in decades-old rape and kidnapping cold case in Selma

Nearly 25 years after a woman was raped and kidnapped from a store in Selma, authorities said a breakthrough in the case led to an arrest on Sunday.

2026-07-13

According to the Selma Police Department, DNA evidence helped identify Jaman Mohammad Al-Jassi, 71, of Michigan, as a suspect in the case, which was originally reported on Aug. 24, 2001, at a store on Pollock Street. The victim was 24 years old at the time.

Police said they received a DNA match to Al-Jassi on the investigation while working on an unrelated case in January. Police Chief Justin Vause said investigators began making progress with leads, which he said required an extensive effort to reconstruct the case file.

“For nearly twenty-five years, this case remained unanswered, and for nearly twenty-five years, a victim and her loved ones lived without the closure they deserved,” Vause said. 

Authorities arrested Al-Jassi in Michigan and extradited him to Johnston County on Sunday. He is charged with rape, kidnapping and sexual offense. He is in jail without bond.