TikTok artist detained in connection to homicide of Baton Rouge psychiatrist
Young creators' world shook as 20-year-old Terryon Thomas from Louisiana got apprehended in Texas by the US Marshals, as per their statement.
He's currently detained without bail, based on a warrant from the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office for second-degree murder and obstruction of justice among other offenses, according to the sheriff's office and Dallas County jail records.
The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office communicated to CNN that Thomas has a TikTok account identified as ‘Mr. Prada.’
The police received calls for investigation on Sunday following the discovery of 69-year-old William Nicholas Abraham's body rolled up in a blanket and wrapped up with duct tape inside a tarp on the side of a road in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, as outlined in the arrest warrant affidavit. According to the Tangipahoa Parish Coroner’s Office, Abraham's preliminary cause of death was determined to be homicide and the mode of death was blunt force trauma, as stated by the sheriff's office.
Abraham was a licensed professional counselor providing counseling and psychotherapy to clients in the Baton Rouge region, as stated in his obituary and practice website. In a press release, the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office noted that “the suspect’s relationship to the victim and the murder motive are yet to be determined. At this stage, there is no evidence to suggest that Thomas was a client of Abraham.”
On Monday, the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office distributed surveillance photos of an individual they later identified as Thomas, who detectives claimed was the last person known to be driving Abraham's car.
The car was spotted by Baton Rouge police on Monday afternoon when, according to the arrest warrant and sheriff’s office, Thomas fled from an attempted traffic stop, eventually crashing the car.
It wasn't immediately known how or when Thomas ventured to Texas.
As the investigation progressed, it was handed over from the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office to the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, who now oversee the investigation, stated the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Detectives found proof of a violent physical altercation at Thomas’ apartment in Baton Rouge, according to the arrest warrant.
“Large amounts of blood were observed all around the apartment, accompanied by numerous sharp objects and other weapons. Notably, additional evidence suggested an apparent attempt to dispose of evidence by cleaning the scene,” the arrest warrant explains.
Investigators, using surveillance footage, found Abraham arriving at Thomas’ apartment complex around 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 28, and witnesses reported seeing Thomas struggling to drag an object wrapped in a tarp down the stairs before loading it into Abraham’s car, as per the warrant.
The Louisiana State Police Crime Lab matched DNA samples collected from Thomas’ apartment to Abraham, according to the arrest warrant.
Investigators attempted to contact Thomas, who is being held at the Dallas County Jail, but he invoked his right to legal representation, according to the warrant. It remained unclear if he had obtained legal representation as of Thursday morning. Thomas now awaits extradition to Louisiana, the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office announced on Thursday morning.
Before the murder charge was added on Thursday, Thomas was detained on charges of resisting an officer, causing severe damage to property, and unauthorized use of a vehicle, according to a warrant from the Baton Rouge Police Department. He has yet to plead on any of the charges.
“I commend the work of the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana State Police and Crime Lab, Baton Rouge Police Department, U.S. Marshal’s Service and all others involved,” East Baton Rouge Sheriff Sid Gautreaux said. “We are in the process of gathering further evidence for this case, which is ongoing and will take time.”
The East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office mentioned in their press release that the suspect's relationship to the victim and the murder motive are still under investigation. Despite being in detention in Texas, Terryon Thomas, as noted by family and friends, has a strong following on social media with over 600,000 followers on his TikTok account 'Mr. Prada' and a large fan base among the young creators' community.
