From Exoneration to Conviction: Philadelphia Man Faces Life Again After 24 Years of Freedom
Shaurn Thomas, exonerated after 24 years, is headed back to prison for a new murder charge linked to a drug debt
Philadelphia, USA, Shaurn Thomas, Murder, Exoneration, Drug Debt
Philadelphia: A man named Shaurn Thomas is making headlines again. After spending 24 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, he was finally exonerated in 2017. But now, he’s back in trouble.
Thomas, now 50, was originally convicted for the murder of a businessman in 1992. After being freed, he received a hefty payout of $4.1 million. But life took a dark turn when he got involved in a new crime.
Last year, he killed a man named Akeem Edwards over a $1,200 drug debt. It’s a tragic twist, considering he just got his freedom back. Thomas pleaded guilty to third-degree felony murder and is looking at a long sentence.
It all started when he reached out to Edwards, who was a childhood friend of a woman named Ketra Veasy. Thomas wanted Edwards to sell drugs for him. But when Edwards didn’t pay up, things escalated quickly.
In January 2023, Thomas and Veasy found Edwards and shot him. Prosecutors say Thomas even mentioned it was his “third homicide” and warned Veasy to keep quiet. That’s pretty chilling.
Things got worse when a federal informant told police that Thomas had put a hit out on Veasy. When they searched his home, they found guns and a hoodie that matched what he wore during the shooting.
Now, both Thomas and Veasy are facing serious charges. Veasy has agreed to testify against him in exchange for lesser charges. Thomas’s sentencing is coming up in February, and it looks like he’ll be spending a lot more time behind bars.