Linda’s Story

On September 10, 2014 my 19-year-old daughter Linda was brutally strangled to death by her boyfriend David Thomas. Linda worked at Pet Zoo in Eagle River, when she met David Thomas around March and starting dating around the end of April 2014. He was several years older than Linda, but they shared a common passion for animals, specifically reptiles. Linda had recently had been sexually assaulted by another individual earlier in the year but she did not report it. When she met David, she was very nervous about getting into any relationship after what she had recently experienced, still they decided to date.

Their relationship was okay at first but in a very short time they began to have issues and several verbal fights. David had problems with alcohol and marijuana (not sure about heavier drugs) and when they would get into a fight, Linda would try to distance herself from him. At which he would begin constantly messaging and calling her phone. He even texted and called me. In these messages and calls he would range from sadness and pleading, to anger and name calling, to attempting to get sympathy by mentioning he would “kill himself”. Anything to try and manipulate Linda into his compliance. My husband and I addressed our concerns with David in one-on-one conversations and let him know that if he ever laid a hand on her, there would be hell to pay. We also asked if he had a criminal history. He did tell us he had spent some time in jail in Montana for assault on a Police Officer, claiming he was drunk at the time. He claimed he had learned his lesson and was working to better himself. We gave him the benefit of proving himself to us and Linda that he would straighten up his act, but told him we would be keeping an eye on him.

 The night before Linda was murdered on September 9, 2014, she had decided she was going to end the relationship. Linda took him home (he lived with his brother, sister in law and their two children) and went to her friend’s house. Her friend later told us that while at her house, David was constantly messaging her phone and telling her that if she didn’t come back, he was going to kill himself. Linda succumbed to his manipulation and went over to his house where he strangled her in the late morning hours of September 10th. He placed her lifeless body in the back seat of his car and drove around town for several hours that day. He later confessed to his brother what he had done and turned himself in. He met with the police in the parking lot of Walgreens in Eagle River.

During the investigation, we learned more details about David’s assault on a police officer in Montana. He actually attacked the officer with scissors and in the officer’s self-defense, they attempted to taze him, which failed; a second officer missed while attempting to shoot David. Another use of the Taser finally allowed for David to be taken into custody. The reason for the interaction between police and David is that the police were responding to a 911 call reporting Domestic Violence and violation of a domestic violence protective order. The cops were responding to a Domestic Violence call.

We were notified by police in the very early morning hours of September 11, 2014 that Linda had been murdered. The moments after that announcement continues to be a blur to me to this day. We very well could have been told there was help for us through VFJ and Office of Victims’ rights, but neither my husband nor I can remember. There were no calls made offering legal assistance outside the DA’s office. I was not handed an information card with names and phone numbers of VFJ or OVR…nothing. I can’t stress enough the importance of having someone there at the time the police arrive. At the very least a call within a day or two would be vital. “Victims have enough pain and struggle to endure, without the stress of understanding the next steps in the legal process.”

This devastated me. This devastated my family. It’s one thing to lose a loved one from sickness or even an accident but at the hands of another person was unimaginable. There is no “good” that can come from this; however, I now position myself to be an advocate to see change to our state’s criminal justice system and I work to be a voice for other victims and their families. After Linda’s death, we were left to basically fend for ourselves. There was no one there to help answer our questions or guide us through the legal process. It was over a year before we realized there was help for victims and their families… help through Victims for Justice and the OVR. We were able to receive compensation for lost wages, and had the support of the VFJ staff. They sat with us and supported us through the difficult court appearances and gave guidance when it came to legal support. We also began to attend monthly meetings with other families of violent crimes and continue to do so even after 5 years since my daughter’s death. This support group is instrumental in the grieving process.“Because of VFJ, we feel safe to share our pain, frustration, anger and we have found a sense of connection with other victims and their families.”

-Sherry Miller, Mother of a Homicide Victim