LEONARDTOWN — A St. Mary’s County jury convicted William Francis Dixon, 52, of Mechanicsville, on multiple charges including attempted kidnapping and armed robbery following a five-day trial that concluded in December 2025. The convictions stem from an incident on March 17, 2025, in the 28000 block of Old Village Road in Mechanicsville, where Dixon attacked a female victim with a knife and attempted to force her into his vehicle.
State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling announced the verdict on December 15, 2025. The jury found Dixon guilty of attempted kidnapping, which carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison; armed robbery, up to 20 years; first-degree assault, up to 25 years; theft valued between $100 and $1,500, up to six months; and wearing and carrying a dangerous weapon with intent to injure, up to three years. Dixon faces a potential maximum sentence of 78 years incarceration. He remains held without bond at the St. Mary’s County Detention Center awaiting sentencing.
The case originated from the afternoon attack nearly nine months earlier. Around 3:30 p.m. on March 17, the victim reported that an unknown man approached her vehicle, assaulted her, brandished a knife, and tried to drag her toward his teal Saturn SUV. She resisted, escaped back to her car, and drove away while the suspect fled south on Route 235. Security camera footage from a nearby shopping location revealed that Dixon had followed the victim from the store, repositioning his vehicle closer to hers before tailing her departure. A partial license plate was captured on video.
Investigators from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office acted quickly. Detective Andrew Burgess led the probe, utilizing the footage and issuing a public appeal that included images of the suspect’s vehicle. A witness responded to the release, providing Dixon’s name, vehicle details, and residence address. The victim later identified Dixon in a photo lineup, matching his description as a white male, about 5 feet 10 inches tall, heavyset, with brown facial hair and glasses. Deputies executed a search warrant at Dixon’s home in the 26000 block of Forrest Hall Drive on March 18, arresting him without incident and recovering evidence.
Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Alena Mosier and Assistant State’s Attorney Holley Hickman prosecuted the case. The Honorable Timothy Doory presided over the trial in St. Mary’s County Circuit Court.
“The victim bravely fought off a large stranger who attacked her with a knife. He pulled her from her car and tried to drag her to his vehicle. She escaped and quickly gave dispatchers critical information that helped investigators identify and locate her attacker,” Sterling said in a statement. “Because of her courage, a dangerous repeat violent offender was apprehended and successfully prosecuted.”
Sheriff Steve Hall commended the response at the time of the arrest. “The victim in this case showed incredible courage and will to fight while facing danger. Witnesses provided keen eyes and a willingness to speak up, offering critical information that guided our investigation. Agency members displayed the ability to stay calm in the chaos, along with the expertise and determination to get the job done.”
Dixon’s criminal history adds context to the prosecution’s description of him as a repeat violent offender. In 1994, at age 22, he pleaded guilty in St. Mary’s County Circuit Court to second-degree rape and attempted first-degree murder after stabbing a 28-year-old woman more than 40 times with a screwdriver. He received a life sentence suspended after 40 years, with a concurrent 20-year term for the rape charge, and was on supervised parole when the 2025 incident occurred. Details of the prior case emerged during the investigation into the Mechanicsville attack.
In Maryland, attempted kidnapping falls under criminal law prohibiting abduction attempts, often linked to assault or robbery charges when force or weapons are involved. First-degree assault requires proof of intent to cause serious physical injury or use of a firearm or deadly weapon, such as a knife. Armed robbery involves theft by force with a dangerous weapon. These felonies reflect the state’s framework for addressing violent crimes against persons, with sentencing guidelines considering factors like prior convictions and victim impact.
Sentencing details have not been scheduled as of the announcement, but the convictions cap a prosecution that relied on victim testimony, forensic links from the search warrant, surveillance evidence, and witness cooperation.