Attorney General Jeff Jackson Upholds Criminal Convictions in Kidnapping and Road Rage Cases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, July 22, 2026
Contact: comms@ncdoj.gov
919-538-2809

RALEIGH— Attorney General Jeff Jackson and the North Carolina Department of Justice preserved criminal convictions in 11 Court of Appeals opinions released July 15, including a kidnapping and rape case in Surry County and a shooting case in Alamance County.

The convictions were originally argued and obtained in trial courts by district attorneys across the state. The NCDOJ is responsible for defending criminal convictions in the state’s appellate courts when someone tries to have their conviction reversed.

“These cases involve people who were convicted of a violent crime and were trying to get that conviction reversed,” said Attorney General Jeff Jackson. “Part of my job as Attorney General is making sure convictions like these stay in place so that justice is upheld and North Carolinians are protected from violent crime.”

In State v. Lunsford, the court upheld David Ray Lunsford’s conviction of one count of first-degree kidnapping, one count of first-degree rape, two counts of first-degree forcible sex offense, and one count of crime against nature. The case was originally tried by the office of Surry County District Attorney Tim Watson. In May 2023, Lunsford approached the 17-year-old victim at a public greenway trail. Lunsford kidnapped and raped the victim, who escaped when her boyfriend showed up with a baseball bat. Lunsford was sentenced to 276 to 392 months in prison for first-degree rape, 276 to 392 months for one count of first-degree forcible sex offense, 276 to 392 months for the second count of first-degree forcible sex offense, and a consolidated sentence of 29 to 47 months for the first-degree kidnapping and crime against nature convictions.

In State v. Watlington, the court upheld Jalen O’Keith Watlington’s conviction of assault by pointing a gun and discharging a weapon into an occupied vehicle. The case was originally tried by Alamance County District Attorney Sean Boone. In November 2017, Watlington was driving and backed into a Chevrolet’s line of travel, causing the Chevrolet driver to swerve to avoid a crash. Watlington and his passenger both pulled out guns, and a person in the Chevrolet called the police. The people in the two cars exchanged words at the next light but eventually drove separate ways. The driver of the Chevrolet then turned around to get Watlington’s plate number, and encountered Watlington and his passenger waiting at a stop sign with their guns out. Shots were fired at the Chevrolet’s two occupants, who ducked.

You can read more about other criminal convictions the Department of Justice has successfully defended here.

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