BATON ROUGE, La. — Expenses have been upgraded in opposition to a TikTok persona accused of killing a Louisiana therapist, prosecutors stated Tuesday.
Terryon Thomas, 20, often known as “Mr Prada” on the social media website, was initially charged with second-degree homicide and obstruction of justice within the loss of life of Dr. Nick Abraham, 69, of Baton Rouge.
The cost was upgraded to first-degree homicide beneath a Louisiana regulation that permits the extra critical cost when “the offender has the precise intent to kill or inflict nice bodily hurt upon a sufferer who’s beneath the age of 12 or 65 years of age or older,” information shops reported.
The brand new cost makes the case eligible for the loss of life penalty in occasion of a conviction, ought to prosecutors determine to pursue that case technique, officers stated.
Thomas was arrested in Dallas on Oct. 1 after Baton Rouge police stated he fled from them in Abraham’s automobile. He was extradited to Louisiana and booked Monday into the East Baton Rouge Parish Jail.
Jail data didn’t point out if Thomas has an legal professional who may converse on his behalf.
Thomas’ relationship to the sufferer stay unclear, and no motive has been given within the killing.
The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Division, citing surveillance video, stated Abraham was final seen alive coming into Thomas’ residence round 11 a.m. on Sept. 28.
“We now have witnesses on the residence advanced that noticed the suspect dragging what we now consider is the sufferer’s physique,” Chief Administrative Deputy Casey R. Hicks stated.
Abraham’s physique, wrapped in a tarp, was discovered on Sept. 29 alongside a freeway in rural Tangipahoa Parish, which is east of Baton Rouge and north of New Orleans.
The East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Workplace stated its detectives searched Thomas’ residence and located proof {that a} violent bodily altercation occurred there. It stated they discovered a number of sharp objects, weapons, and loads of blood. The Louisiana State Crime Lab’s blood take a look at was a match for Abraham.
“We now have a DNA match on the suspect’s residence for the sufferer, we do consider that that’s probably the place the crime occurred,” Hicks stated.
The sheriff’s workplace stated the investigation is ongoing, however added there isn’t a proof that Thomas was certainly one of Abraham’s purchasers.
“We now have search warrants, we’ve got warrants to assemble extra proof to get extra info on this case. So whereas we’ve got possible trigger to go forward and cost him with that homicide, we nonetheless have plenty of proof to assemble,” Hicks stated.
Two of Thomas’ a number of TikTok accounts every has greater than 4 million followers notably amongst individuals 18-24. His social media content material sometimes showcased observations on tendencies, faculty and different topics.
A biography of Abraham on his web site stated he had 30 years of expertise treating substance abuse, despair and anxiousness. It additionally stated he had spent 11 years as a Roman Catholic priest.
“Dr. Abraham was a really sort, very tender, very mild man,” stated Jarret Ambeau, a Baton Rouge lawyer who has represented Abraham in authorized issues and counted him as a buddy. “Nobody deserves to die this fashion, however I might have by no means anticipated somebody of his disposition to have been violently murdered.”
