A man who had previously served 24 years in prison for a murder he did not commit, only to see his conviction overturned, is now returning to prison for life.
In November 1990, Domingo Martinez, a 78-year-old businessman from Puerto Rico, was killed in a robbery gone wrong. The investigation initially stalled, but eventually, Shaurn Thomas became the focus of suspicion.
Four years later, in December 1994, Thomas, then 20 years old, was found guilty of the murder and sentenced to life without parole, despite having an irrefutable alibi demonstrating his innocence.
According to the Innocence Project, Thomas was in a juvenile detention facility at the time of Martinez’s murder and was not released until later that evening, after the crime had already occurred.
In 2017, at age 43, Thomas was exonerated with the help of the Innocence Project and was awarded $4.1 million by the city of Philadelphia.
Reflecting on his experience, he told ABC News, “I don’t got no animosity towards nobody. What for? Life’s too short for that. You can’t get it back. I just move on forward. It’s a tragedy that happened to me, but I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one.”
However, the financial settlement did not last as expected, and six years later, Thomas became involved in drug dealing by employing a childhood friend of his girlfriend to sell drugs on his behalf.
Akeem Edwards was given $1,200 worth of cocaine by Thomas to sell, but by January 3, 2023, he had not repaid him for the drugs.
Thomas, now wealthy, was driving in the area with his girlfriend Ketra Veasy, who he had met through former prison pals, when he saw the 38-year-old Edwards and exited the vehicle.
Veasy then reported hearing gunfire before Thomas returned to the car, tucking his gun into his waistband and telling her, ‘he’s hit, he’s down, just drive’.
During their drive back to Delaware, Veasy recounted how Thomas admitted he had previously committed murder.
She testified in court, “He said it’s his third homicide and he said he can’t go back to jail.”
Now, seven years after his initial release, 50-year-old Thomas has admitted to the killing.
He has pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and other charges, with sentencing set for February.
Judge Roxanne Covington expressed disbelief that Thomas, with substantial financial resources, would resort to such violence for a relatively small sum.
She questioned, “Are these facts true?”
To which Thomas responded, “Yes, your honor.”