Bio

James Edward Thomas was born in 1955. Details about his early life are not widely recorded, but he grew up in North Carolina. As he became an adult, he struggled with substance abuse. Thomas became a heroin addict, which impacted his life and relationships.

In 1986, Thomas moved into the Sir Walter Tourist Home in Raleigh, North Carolina. He became friends with Teresa West, who managed the tourist home. They spent time together, and Thomas relied on her for some aspects of his drug addiction.

In June 1986, Thomas moved to Cary, North Carolina, with his fiancée. Though he had left the tourist home, he maintained a connection with Teresa West. On June 13, he borrowed a friend's car and visited the tourist home again. West had mentioned that she had some heroin, which Thomas sought out.

That night, he injected the heroin he received from West and also took some pills. An argument arose between them. Afterward, Thomas reported that he passed out. When he woke up, things had taken a tragic turn.

Murder Story

James Edward Thomas was involved in a murder on June 13, 1986, in Wake County, North Carolina. That night, he visited Teresa Ann West, the manager of the Sir Walter Tourist Home where he had previously lived. Thomas, who was addicted to heroin, was seeking the drug when he went to West's room.

Thomas injected heroin and took some pills given to him by West. During their interaction, he testified that West, who was partially clothed, confronted him and demanded sex. He refused, claiming loyalty to his fiancée and an inability to engage due to being under the influence of heroin. An argument reportedly started before Thomas passed out.

When he woke up, he discovered that West was dead. He left the apartment soon after. The autopsy later revealed that West had been strangled both manually and with pantyhose. Additionally, a telephone receiver had been found inserted into her body, which experts believed occurred after her death.

Following the murder, Thomas was charged with first-degree murder and first-degree sexual offense. He was convicted and sentenced to death on July 21, 1987. His case underwent several appeals over the years. In 1991, the North Carolina Supreme Court vacated his death sentence and ordered re-sentencing due to issues with jury instructions. In 1995, Thomas was again sentenced to death for the murder. His conviction and sentence were upheld in following appeals.