Brade
A federal jury in Louisiana has reignited the possibility of the death penalty for THOMAS SANDERS, a convicted child killer whose sentence was previously commuted by former President JOE BIDEN. Sanders, now 67, was sentenced to death in 2014 for the 2010 kidnapping and brutal murder of 12-year-old LEXIS ROBERTS from Las Vegas. However, his sentence was commuted to life in prison just before Biden left office in January 2021. On Monday, a grand jury in Catahoula Parish indicted Sanders on state charges, reopening the case.
“This case is a tragedy of unimaginable proportions,” said Catahoula Parish District Attorney BRAD BURGET. “Whatever your political beliefs, this crime is indefensible. Lexis Roberts was a child who witnessed her mother’s murder, was kidnapped, tortured, and then brutally killed by Sanders. Justice demands accountability.”
Sanders met Lexis’ mother, SUELLEN ROBERTS, in 2010 while working at a Las Vegas warehouse. The two began dating and took a road trip to the Grand Canyon over Labor Day weekend. On their return, Sanders drove into an Arizona desert, fatally shot Suellen, and abducted Lexis. He held her captive for several days before driving to Catahoula Parish, Louisiana, where he shot her four times and slit her throat with a homemade knife. Her body was discovered by hunters in October 2010, sparking a nationwide manhunt. Sanders was eventually apprehended at a Mississippi truck stop in November 2010.
“This child suffered a horrific death,” Burget emphasized. “The federal jury sought justice and delivered it by sentencing Sanders to death. President Biden’s decision to commute that sentence was a miscarriage of justice.”
In 2021, Biden commuted the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates, including Sanders, as part of his clemency initiative. Burget criticized the move, calling it an “abuse of authority” and vowed to pursue state-level charges. On Monday, a grand jury reviewed the evidence and indicted Sanders, paving the way for a potential death penalty trial under Louisiana state law.
“This is about ensuring justice for Lexis and her family,” Burget stated. “I trust the Catahoula Parish jury will make the right decision.”
Louisiana law requires capital cases to be presented to a grand jury, which Burget did earlier this week. Sanders’ federal prosecution in 2010 had prevented the execution of a state arrest warrant from Catahoula Parish at the time.
“I presented the case to the grand jury, and they made the decision to indict,” Burget explained. “Now, it’s in the hands of the jury.”
If convicted, Sanders could once again face the death penalty, reigniting a legal battle over his fate nearly a decade after his initial sentencing.
### Sources:
– [Fox News Digital](https://www.foxnews.com)
– [U.S. Department of Justice](https://www.justice.gov)
