Trexler facing more kidnapping, assault charges

Published 1:00 pm Saturday, March 2, 2013

Another victim of kidnapping and assault has come forward to press charges against 49-year-old Jeffery Trexler, at 2801 Adcox Rd.

The alleged assault occurred on Aug. 10, 2009, in which a victim says she was handcuffed to a bed in Trexler’s home for days and beaten, said Assistant to the Chief of Police Jeremy Magri. Trexler was arrested earlier this month in a separate, but similar, case after the Picayune Police Department received a report from another victim that she was kidnapped by Trexler and assaulted on Feb. 10, 2013.

Magri said after Trexler’s recent arrest, investigators contacted the victim of the 2009 incident to see if she would be willing to pursue charges against Trexler, to which she agreed.

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After the detectives reviewed the initial report, they contacted her and she confirmed, as stated in the report, that on that date she returned to the home to find Trexler acting in an unusual manner, before striking her with a closed fist, Magri said. Trexler then got on top of the victim, punching her several times before dragging her up the stairs and handcuffing her to the bed, where she remained for two days, Magri said.

Trexler threatened the victim that he would kill her if she called the police and told her that he had video surveillance in front of the home, Magri said. Officers did note that he had surveillance equipment at the home during the search in February, Magri said.

The victim was able to escape the home by convincing Trexler that she would drink alcoholic beverages with him, and when the beverages were gone, she convinced him to let her go to the store and get more, Magri said.

Once she was free from the home she called the police and met them at a nearby store, Magri said. Bruising was noted by the responding officer on her abdomen, pelvis, back and legs, and simple assault domestic violence charges were filed, but the victim did not show up for the court proceedings so the charges were dropped, Magri said. It is unclear why kidnapping charges were not initially filed when the victim reported the incident back in 2009.

However, after Trexler’s arrest on Feb. 10, the detectives decided to contact the victim of the alleged 2009 assault to see if she was willing to pursue charges, Magri said. After she agreed, the case was reopened and charges filed, Magri said.