May 18, 2013
He's an Eastern Carolina native involved in the longest desertion case on U.S. record. It's a case that's about to end. Charles Jenkins is from Rich Square in Northampton County. In 1965, then Sergeant Jenkins claimed he left his army unit because he was afraid of being reassigned to Vietnam. He spent the next 39 years in North Korea. In September, he turned himself into U.S. military authorities in Japan. After arranging a plea bargain, he was sentenced to one-month in prison, which will end Saturday.
