September 8, 2014

Alexandria Jury Finds Las Vegas Man Guilty of Kidnapping and Murder

ALEXANDRIA, LA—United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a federal jury in Alexandria found a Las Vegas man guilty of kidnapping and murdering a 12-year-old girl.

Thomas Sanders, 57, of Las Vegas, was found guilty by a federal jury of one count of kidnapping resulting in death and one count of use of a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in death. United States District Judge Dee D. Drell presided over the guilt phase of the trial, which started September 3rd and ended September 8th with closing arguments. The jury returned a guilty verdict after deliberating for about an hour.

The case will now move to the penalty phase of the trial, during which the same jury will decide whether Sanders should be put to death or serve a mandatory sentence of life without parole in federal prison. The penalty phase is scheduled to start Tuesday, September 16, 2014.

The FBI, Central Louisiana Safe Streets Task Force, Catahoula Parish Sheriff’s Office, Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, Yavapai County Arizona Sheriff’s Office, Coconino County Arizona Sheriff’s Office, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Flanagan, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown and Trial Attorney Julie Mosley of the Justice Department Criminal Division’s Capital Case Section are prosecuting the case.