Serial Murder Suspect Arrested In Los Angeles
Serial Murder Suspect Arrested In Los Angeles
Thomas was connected to the killings through DNA testing that is now required of all offenders. The DNA sample Thomas provided was connected to the deaths of Ethel Sokoloff, 68, in 1972 and Elizabeth McKeown, 67, in 1976. Thomas may spend the rest of his life in prison due to a technicality in the law. At the time the murders were committed, California had no death penalty, so he can only receive the maximum sentence that was in effect at the time the crimes were committed.
Seventeen victims who died similar deaths in the 1970s on Los Angeles' west side may have been murdered by Thomas. Twenty other victims were assaulted under similar circumstances but survived. Thomas, who served time in prison for burglary, was also convicted of rape in 1978 and was released in 1983. That period coincided with a break in the attacks, which resumed after Thomas' release from prison. The attacks stopped altogether in 1989, at the same time Thomas took a job as an insurance claims adjuster. Police will attempt to connect Thomas to more attacks using the physical evidence they collected.
If you've been arrested for murder, a sexual assault, robbery, or burglary, you need the assistance of an experienced criminal defense attorney like Robert Michael Helfend.
Robert Helfend has practiced criminal defense exclusively in Southern California for 25 years and has built a reputation as an aggressive fighter for his clients' rights. When police make a tentative connection between crimes, they tend to attribute additional crimes to the suspect whenever they can, even when the evidence doesn't support the allegations. It can be difficult to defend against old crimes; often, physical evidence isn't present, or is severely deteriorated. This works to your advantage for those crimes for which there is no statute of limitations.
Don't gamble with your freedom. Instead, call on the experience of an outstanding criminal defense attorney like Robert Helfend.
Photo Credit: Giampaolo Macorig