It’s been said that bad past deeds inevitably catch up to those who committed them. In the case of Steven Alan Thomas, the old adage has become a fact. The subject of a cold case that reopened thirty-four years later, Thomas was put on trial Monday, October 20, 2014 for the murder of a Williamson County resident.
In 1980, Steven Alan Thomas worked for his brother who owned a pest control company. On a scheduled visit, Thomas encountered 73-year-old Mildred McKinney. According to prosecutors, Thomas returned to McKinney’s home the day after the scheduled treatment on November 4, 1980. He entered the home through a sliding door. Thomas repeatedly raped the elderly woman before he fatally beat her and ransacked her home.
Defense Attorney Steve Brittain and proesecutor Lytza Rojas both supported the idea that Thomas did not act alone, but is the only surviving member of a party accused of the 1980 home invasion, rape and murder that took place in Williamson County. According to Claire Osborne of The Austin American-Statesman, “Thomas’ fingerprint was found on a clock on McKinney’s bed and his semen was found on a ribbon around her finger. [The prosecutor] said that other suspects, including serial killer Henry Lee Lucas and his partner Ottis Toole, were ruled out because there was never any scientific evidence linking them to the scene.” [1]
Another man, construction worker Randy Boettcher, was also suspected of foul play. Even though the case was reopened, only Thomas could be tried for the crime since Boettcher, Lucas, and Toole are all deceased.
After decades of secrecy, Thomas was finally linked to the cold case through DNA evidence that was collected from a drug arrest in August 2012. In a report by KXAN.com Reporter Jackie Vega, “Up until his arrest in August 2012, the 55-year-old’s criminal history — marijuana possession and family violence — included charges that did not require him to give a DNA. That was until his arrest on federal drug charges. A federal felony arrest automatically requires someone to give a DNA sample, which is entered in to a nationwide database. That is how Williamson County investigators say they tied Thomas to the crime.” [2]
Although Thomas denied in court that he killed Mildred McKinney, a jury of his peers found him guilty of capital murder on Tuesday, October 28, 2014. The Austin American-Stateman’s Osborne reported, “Thomas could receive the death penalty or a life sentence making him eligible for parole in 20 years.” [3]
While justice has been served for the McKinney family, the details of the victims death are still alarming to her surviving family members. It’s important to us here at Freedom Bail Bonds-Georgetown that you and your loved ones are safe and sound. Take the proper precautions to protect yourself while in your home.
