A Northern California man who killed his brother by taking pictures him with a crossbow at a Metropolis Heights park was sentenced Thursday to 25 years to life in state jail.
Adam Thomas, now 22, was convicted by a San Diego jury of first-degree homicide for the Aug. 9, 2021, killing of his 22-year-old brother Trenton Thomas. The defendant was 20 years previous on the time of his brother’s demise.
Deputy District Legal professional Christina Eastman advised jurors Thomas took his brother to Central Avenue Mini Park on the evening of Aug. 9, blindfolded him and shot him within the head.
The prosecutor described the killing as a premeditated “execution” wherein Thomas fled the scene instantly after taking pictures his brother and dumped the crossbow in a canyon a couple of blocks away.
Thomas’ protection legal professional, Marc Carlos, advised the jury his consumer had no motive to homicide his brother and argued the killing was a “horrible accident.”
Carlos advised jurors Thomas purchased the crossbow as a birthday reward for his brother and was planning to offer it to him in shock style on the park. Whereas bringing the crossbow over to his brother, Thomas tripped and by chance fired the weapon, then fled in a panic, the legal professional stated.
Thomas was arrested a couple of days later in Sacramento, the place he and his household lived. Trenton Thomas was residing within the San Diego space on the time of his demise.
At his sentencing listening to, Thomas stated “I take full duty for the demise of my brother,” whereas sustaining the killing was unintentional.
“I purchased that crossbow, took it down there. I used to be silly with the way in which I dealt with it and I left my brother,” he stated.
Thomas’ dad and mom advised San Diego Superior Courtroom Choose Carlos Armour that they believed their son didn’t intend any hurt in direction of his brother.
His father, Andrew Thomas, stated what occurred was “a tragic, unlucky occasion fairly than a deliberate act.” The dad and mom stated Thomas was beforehand supplied a plea deal for voluntary manslaughter, however turned it down as a result of he knew he was harmless.
Armour declined a protection request to scale back the conviction to second- diploma homicide, although the decide did strike a lethal weapon allegation that will have added one yr to Thomas’ sentence.
In arguing to keep up the first-degree homicide conviction, Eastman stated the proof confirmed the killing was deliberate.
The prosecutor stated Thomas had the crossbow loaded and primed with a metal-tipped bolt earlier than bringing it over to his brother. After taking pictures his brother, Thomas sped away in his automobile and discarded the weapon and further bolts with out calling 911 or attempting to help his brother.
He then texted his mom that he’d final seen Trenton with different individuals in a bid to create “a drug deal gone flawed state of affairs in his mother’s thoughts,” Eastman alleged.
At trial, Carlos stated Thomas selected the park partially as a result of it offered open house for the brothers to shoot the crossbow.
The legal professional stated that together with a scarcity of motive, there was no refined planning to indicate that he was attempting to get away with homicide. Thomas purchased the crossbow along with his debit card and had the weapon mailed to his residence deal with, in accordance with Carlos.
–Metropolis Information Service
