CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Charlotte woman said she is lucky to be alive after being abused by a man now charged for a second time with murder.
Warning: Story contains graphic details about domestic abuse
Bonita Jackson said she was in a relationship with Charles Combs for six months in 2018, but he held her captive for three of those months after she said she wanted to end their relationship.
“I’m thankful to God that I made it and escaped," Jackson said.
Combs was charged with the murder of LaPorscha Baldwin last week, a Gastonia mom who went missing on Oct. 10. Baldwin's body was found in Fairfield County, South Carolina.
Court records show he was convicted in the 2004 shooting of Marsheida Dorsey. Court records show Combs was engaged to Dorsey, and that he shot her five times.
Jackson said Combs held her hostage at his home for three months, keeping her away from family and friends. She describes being both physically and mentally abused.
“Strangulation started, and him putting guns out on me," Jackson said. "He said 'the only way out of this is death – you’re not getting out of this relationship.”
Jackson said she lived in fear for those three months, thinking she would die. She was able to get out after she used coded text messages to ask a friend to call the police. But even after she reported the abuse, she felt helpless.
“People were scared to testify on my behalf because they were scared of him," Jackson said. "Sometimes it seemed like I was just alone in this, and I was saying God, he’s gonna hurt somebody else.”
Jackson said she didn’t know about Combs’ second-degree murder conviction when she met him.
According to court records, he spent 12 years in prison, convicted of killing his fiancé Marsheida Dorsey in 2004. Documents say they were engaged, and that he shot her five times.
While Combs was in prison for that crime, records show he threatened detention staff at least a dozen times, damaged property, and possessed weapons.
He was released from prison in April of 2016. Jackson met him the next year. She believes more could have been done to protect her.
“I haven’t been the same person," she said. "I have not been me."
Jackson said she’s been in touch with LaPorscha Baldwin’s family. She attended a vigil in her memory last night.
“It hurts," Jackson said. "I can’t even sleep at night thinking about LaPorscha and what she went through."
If you are ever in a dangerous situation and need a way out, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. If you don't have access to a phone, you can also chat with a specialist at thehotline.org.