Cold case murder: Girlfriend charged with killing woman in Fulton County
Girlfriend charged with killing woman in Fulton County
Fulton County officials say they have made an arrest in what they are calling a "gruesome" cold case murder of a woman whose body was discovered in a burning bag on the side of a Troup County road.
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - Fulton County officials say they have made an arrest in what they are calling a "gruesome" cold case murder of a woman whose body was discovered in a burning bag on the side of a Troup County road.
For years, authorities have been trying to figure out who killed 24-year-old Nicole Alston. Now officials say they are charging her former girlfriend with her murder.
Arrest made in 2007 metro Atlanta cold case murder
Fulton County investigators say they've made an arrest in the 2007 murder of a woman whose body was found in a burning bag.
Death of Nicole Alston
The backstory:
On Dec. 6, 2007, Troup County Sheriff's deputies responded to a report of a suspicious black bag burning at the corner of Whitfield Road and Stitcher Road. Upon arrival, they found partially burned human remains with the hands, feet, and head missing. The case remained unsolved for years. Officials say they still have not found the missing body parts.
In early 2023, the case was reviewed, and DNA evidence was sent to Innovative Forensic Investigations in Virginia and Gene by Gene Laboratories in Texas for analysis. The results were then compared by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) crime lab. On Dec. 13, 2023, authorities confirmed the remains belonged to Alston, a 24-year-old whose last known residence was in Manhattan, New York.
Arrest made in connection to 2007 murder in Troup County
Authorities have identified human remains discovered in 2007 in Troup County, leading to the arrest of a woman accused of concealing the death. FOX 5's Kim Leoffler has the story.
"The DNA match, it just kinda got the ball rolling, and then we got a name with it, and then we were able to contact the family who gave us information about where she went at that time," said Sgt. Stewart Smith of the Troup County Sheriff's Office told FOX 5 in 2023.
Angel Marie Thompson arrested
What we know:
Investigators learned that Alston had left New York in 2007 to live in Atlanta with her girlfriend, Angel Marie Thompson, who was wanted in New York for theft and identity fraud at the time. Alston’s family last heard from her around Thanksgiving of that year.
Further investigation revealed that after Alston's remains were discovered, Thompson began using Alston's identity to collect Social Security benefits, food stamps, and Section 8 housing under Alston's name for eight years. In 2015, when contacted by the Social Security Administration to requalify for benefits, Thompson resumed using her original identity. The estimated value of the fraud is around $200,000.
Angel Marie Thompson (Troup County Sheriff's Office).
Nearly two years later, jail records reveal that Thompson was arrested on Tuesday in Sandy Springs and charged with murder and two counts of identity theft.
The warrant for Thompson's arrest accuses Thompson of killing Alston by "homicidal violence by undetermined means," saying the cause of death was by "causing violence to her throat or head."
In the warrant, investigators say they believe Thompson was abusive to her girlfriends and killed Alston because she wanted to return to New York, which would have been a problem for Thompson due to her outstanding warrants.
Cold case murder solved: Nicole Alston's murder
Fulton County officials say they have made an arrest in what they are calling a "gruesome" cold case murder of a woman whose body was discovered in a burning bag on the side of a Troup County road.
"The victim was receiving SSI, Food stamps, and HUD housing and was wanting to return to New York. The suspect may not have wanted to lose the financial support, so the victim was murdered and the suspect assumed her identity and continued to live as the victim," the warrant reads. "The suspect has received all financial benefits after the death and lived as the victim for eight years."
Work of a ‘true sociopath’
What they're saying:
"They deserve some finality. They deserve the truth, and we're just lucky enough to find some facts to learn what happened to Nicole," Troup County investigator Clay Bryant said.
He described Austin's death as being the work of a "true sociopath."
Detectives with the Sandy Springs Police say that the night the body was found, Thompson was on dating websites looking for new people to talk to. A month later, she was reportedly trying to rent the apartment they shared and sell their car.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said this case was one of the most gruesome cases she had experienced in her 29 years working in law enforcement.
"She did not deserve this, and we're asking for the public's help today," Willis said.
Willis said that her office plans to charge Thompson with human trafficking offenses as well.
Nicole Alston's body was found in 2007. (FOX 5)
Sylvia Austin, the mother of the victim, said she never stopped looking for her daughter after she suddenly lost contact.
"She didn't deserve this, and I wish I'd never let her come to Georgia," she said.
She described her daughter as "bubbly," saying that her smile was "infectious."
"She was the life of the party. She was happy, and through all of her trials and struggles, she always made everything seem OK. She was always the one people called on to talk to," she said.
She speculated that Thompson took advantage of her daughter due to her dyslexia and needed to have people drive her around.
Thompson remains in jail
What's next:
Thompson remains in custody at the Fulton County Jail without bond.
Officials say they plan to have an indictment by the end of October.
The Source: Information for this story was taken from a release by Fulton County District Attorney's Office, Fulton County Jail records, and previous FOX 5 reporting.