Sentencing set for next week; also facing another trial in additional case

A South Point man was found guilty on the majority of his charges in case involving rape and kidnapping, among others, on Friday in the courtroom of Lawrence County Common Pleas Judge Andy Ballard.

Frank Thacker, 54, of 203 Township Road 1034, South Point, was on trial stemming from an incident involving a single victim in February of this year.

During the pretrial process, Thacker pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to his indictment, which included three counts of rape, all first-degree felonies, one count of burglary, a second-degree felony, two counts of kidnapping, both second-degree felonies, and one count of abduction, a felony of the third-degree, to which he was found competent to stand trial.

A Lawrence County jury found Thacker guilty on all but two of the three rape charges and one of the two kidnapping charges. All of the charges had firearm specifications as well, which he was found not guilty for to all but the specification on the abduction charge.

“Assistant Prosecutor Jeff Smith tried this case from our office, and did a wonderful job,” Lawrence County Prosecutor Brigham Anderson said. “We’re happy with the jury’s verdict.”

Ballard set sentencing for Wednesday, Sept. 5, and Anderson said that the state would recommend “a long sentence.”

In addition, Thacker’s DNA evidence from this case came back as a match to a cold December 1999 case, also involving a single victim. Thacker is facing an additional three counts of rape, all first-degree felonies, one count of kidnapping, also a first-degree felony, and one count of abduction, a third-degree felony.

Anderson said trial in that case will begin sometime in late October or early November, but exact dates are not yet known.