Posted on 04/30/2009 12:08:25 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
The first wave of slayings haunted Los Angeles in the mid-1970s. The killer slipped mostly unseen through the night, preying on older women who lived alone. He raped them and squeezed their necks until they passed out or died. On the 17 who were killed, he placed pillows or blankets over their faces.
The second wave hit a decade later in Claremont -- five older women raped and strangled, faces again covered.
Even with at least 20 survivors, police never connected the two homicide-and-rape rampages nor solved either of them. The victims gave conflicting descriptions of the rapist, police in different jurisdictions didn't communicate, and DNA technology had not come into use.
Now authorities say they have linked John Floyd Thomas Jr., a 72-year-old state insurance claims adjuster who twice has been convicted of sexual assault, to five of the slayings. Detectives also describe him as a suspect in up to 25 more based on the circumstances of those crimes.
"When all is said and done, Mr. Thomas stands to be Los Angeles' most prolific serial killer," said LAPD Robbery-Homicide Cold Case Det. Richard Bengston.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
What say Ye?
Has he been convicted?
a 72-year-old state insurance claims adjuster who twice has been convicted of sexual assault
Why would someone with two sexual assault convictions even be considered for a position of public trust?
Coming soon.
DNA don’t lie.
I don’t think he is going to get offered a plea bargain.
If guilty, he deserves the penalty.
How is "insurance claims adjuster" a position of public trust, more than any other job?
LA County Sheriff's Dept.
L.A. County booking shot of murder suspect John F. Thomas.
The position was “State” insurance claims adjuster which I assume means he worked for the State.
Not that I'm an Opponent to the Death Penalty (In fact, I don't think it's used nearly enough!) but can we get real here for one minute. The guy is 72 years old! With the current 20 plus year death row time frame, the old codger is gonna croak before he even comes up for his first appeal!
As I said, if guilty, he deserves the death penalty.
Well, there goes the next Governor of California.
aww, crud.. I tried. ;-)
State Comp is the name of the biggest Workman’s Comp carrier here in California. However, this is a position of trust where you have access to lots of private info. A better job of security might be good!
I think Obama has his next Sec’y of HHS.
That's possible, but it could also mean he was assigned to that state as his territory by an insurance company.
Are insurance adjusters government employees in CA?
How is "insurance claims adjuster" a position of public trust, more than any other job?
Well it said "state insurance claims adjuster", so I'm assuming that means he worked for the State of California, making recommendations on the amounts of money to paid out in various insurance claims. That seems like an awful lot of authority to give a convicted felon. When I deal with a government agency, I guess I expect to be assaulted in a figurative sense, but not a literal one.
The scant amount of information in this article raises an awful lot of questions about how someone who was obviously a predator was allowed to spend so many years preying on others. The women who he victimized were somebody's wife, somebody's sister, somebody's mother. The good news is that the evil man who ended their lives couldn't blot out the full lives that they lead before that moment, but what a sad way for good people to leave this world.
The real statement in your comment is about the pathetic case of our justice system.
The victims never got a 20 year stay of thier execution.
Hang the bastard immediately after a fair trial and be done with this trash. Oh...and tell him about Jesus before ya slip the rope over his neck, so he has a chance to repent.
This earth does not need him breathing our air for one second longer than necessary.
Oh, the poor guy, he looks so sad.
Death row for life sounds ok too.
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