DNA Match Solves 25-Year-Old Selma Rape, Kidnapping Cold Case

SELMA, N.C. — Nearly 25 years after a 24-year-old woman reported being raped and kidnapped at a Selma convenience store, advances in DNA technology have led investigators to a suspect, resulting in the arrest and extradition of a 71-year-old Michigan man to Johnston County.

The Selma Police Department announced Sunday that Jaman Mohamed Al-Jasi, of Detroit, Michigan, has been extradited to North Carolina in connection with the Aug. 24, 2001, investigation involving the reported rape and kidnapping of a woman at the former Brotherhood Market, located at 300 S. Pollock Street in Selma.

Al-Jasi has been charged with first-degree forcible rape, first-degree kidnapping and first-degree sexual offense. He is being held in the Johnston County Detention Center under no bond.

The case remained unsolved for nearly a quarter-century until Jan. 29, 2026, when Selma detectives received notification that DNA entered into the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) during an unrelated criminal investigation in Dearborn, Michigan, matched DNA evidence collected from the victim’s sexual assault examination in the 2001 Selma case.

Police detectives launched a comprehensive review of the original case, reconstructing an investigation that began almost 25 years ago. Investigators reviewed aging reports and evidence, retraced investigative steps taken in 2001, and worked to locate officers and investigators involved in the original investigation, many of whom had since retired.

Selma Police Chief Justin Vause said the breakthrough was the result of years of preserving evidence and the persistence of investigators who refused to let the case be forgotten.

“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.

“While time may pass, our responsibility to seek justice does not.”

Vause said investigators faced the daunting challenge of rebuilding a case that had remained dormant for nearly a quarter-century.

“When investigators received the DNA match that reopened this case, they were faced with the challenge of reconstructing an investigation that began almost a quarter of a century ago,” he said.

“They reviewed aging reports, tracked down information that many believed had been lost to time, and refused to let this case be forgotten.”

The chief praised members of the Criminal Investigations Division for their determination to solve the case despite the passage of time.

“I could not be more proud of the investigators who dedicated themselves to this effort,” Vause said.

“Their perseverance, professionalism, and commitment to the pursuit of justice made this arrest possible.”

Vause acknowledged that no arrest can erase what the victim endured but expressed hope the case’s resolution provides some measure of comfort.

“While no arrest can undo the trauma suffered by the victim, it is our hope that this development provides a measure of justice and closure.”

He also recognized the many agencies that helped bring the investigation to a successful conclusion.

“I am also deeply grateful to every agency and individual who assisted in this investigation, especially our law enforcement partners and the Johnston County District Attorney’s Office, whose support was invaluable throughout this process.”

Following weeks of investigation and coordination with authorities in Michigan, Al-Jasi was arrested March 24, 2026, without incident.

His return to North Carolina was delayed while extradition proceedings were completed in Michigan.

On July 12, members of the Selma Police Department, assisted by the North Carolina Special Operations Fugitive Extradition Unit, transported Al-Jasi to Johnston County without incident.

Investigators said the arrest demonstrates the critical role DNA evidence continues to play in solving violent crimes decades after they occur.

Anyone with information related to the investigation is encouraged to contact the Selma Police Department Criminal Investigations Division at 919-965-9841, Ext. 8.