Sheriff reports, then retracts, arrest of murder suspect
“WHEN WE CALLED THE MARSHALS, THEY SAID IT WAS NOT HER”
The search for murder suspect Freda Thomas continues following a report from the Bandera County Sheriff’s office that an arrested person in Mexico was in fact not Thomas, who is charged in a warrant with the murder of 88-year-old Robert Isaacks.
A Monday Facebook post from the Bandera County Sheriff’s office proclaiming the arrest of a murder suspect in Mexico was retracted hours later.
Shortly after noon on April 1, a post on Facebook read, “As of Monday morning, April 1, 2024, our agency was made aware Freda Thomas is in custody in Mexico. Right now, we are working on a transfer of custody. She will be deported back to the United States so we can work on court proceedings for homicide.”
Thomas is charged in a Bandera County warrant with murder. She was last seen with 88-year-old Robert Isaacks, who was last seen on Nov. 15, 2023. His body was found two days later in Crocket County, 180 miles away, in a tarp wrapped with duct tape.
Just over two hours later, the post had been edited with the following: “UPDATE: UPON IDENTIFICATION FROM US MARSHALS SERVICE — The suspect in custody is NOT Freda Thomas.”
Despite the news being shared on April Fools’ Day, Chief Deputy Matt King says the department believes the tip, which was received from the F.B.I., to be legitimate.
King said the F.B.I. told the department that the U.S. Marshal’s Office has arrested Thomas in Mexico.
“When we called the marshals, they said it was not her,” said King. “We are looking into see how the breakdown that led to erroneous information occurred.”
King says the office is continuing their search and hope they have good news soon.