Roger Thompson

Case overview

Roger Thompson was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on December 22, 2004. He killed Lisa Shelton, their 9-year-old daughter Aushanai Thompson, and Shelton’s three other children: William Parker Jr., Wrandell Parker, and Wanee Parker. The killings took place in the Thompson home at 158 East Minnesota St. in Detroit on the morning of April 1, 2004.

Background

Roger Thompson was 36 years old. The victims included his girlfriend and their children. Lisa Shelton was 33. Aushanai Thompson was 9. William Parker Jr. was 16. Wrandell Parker was 13. Wanee Parker was 12.

Thompson and Shelton had an on-again, off-again relationship and had recently reunited. Relatives said Thompson was the father of the youngest victim, 9-year-old Aushanai Thompson. Police said Thompson told them he strangled Shelton after they argued about money.

A 13-year-old girl, Shelton’s 13-year-old sister and a cousin inside the home, survived the attack by escaping and later alerted neighbors and police. Police described the sister as having been bound and gagged and put into a closet, and then escaping hours later.

The offence

On the morning of April 1, 2004, the victims were found bound, gagged, and beaten around 10:30 a.m. in their home at 158 East Minnesota St. on Detroit’s northeast side.

Lisa Shelton died of strangulation. All four children (Aushanai Thompson, Wanee Parker, William Parker Jr., and Wrandell Parker) died of blunt force trauma to the head. Police said Thompson bound and gagged the children in their bedrooms and beat them to death with a lead pipe.

Police said Thompson forced William to tie up the other children. Police said they recovered a lead pipe from the home that they believed Thompson used in the beatings.

A 13-year-old sister was bound and gagged and put into a closet, but escaped hours later, ran to a neighbor’s house, and led police to the suspect. Police said Thompson waited for him to leave before the escape.

Investigation

After Thompson was arrested, he told homicide investigators he was distraught over his inability to support Shelton and her children. He said he was tired of always arguing about money and the fact he did not have a job.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said the case involved “five horrible deaths” and described it as illustrating a “problem we have with family violence in this country.” Worthy also said Thompson had been “quite remorseful” and that she gave no details about a possible motive and did not discuss the cause of the deaths at the charging stage.

Police spotted Thompson running through a vacant lot after officers arrived at the scene and chased him into a nearby field, where he was taken into custody.

Detectives believed the beatings may have started Wednesday night and lasted through Thursday morning.

Arrest and pretrial proceedings

Roger Thompson was arrested Thursday after a 13-year-old girl who survived the bloodshed alerted police. At his arraignment Friday afternoon, a judge at the 36th District Court ordered him held without bond.

The judge initially ruled Thompson was in no condition to complete his arraignment. When asked whether he understood the murder charges, Thompson swayed his body side-to-side and would not answer. The judge postponed the arraignment until Saturday. After a short delay, Thompson returned and the arraignment was completed.

At arraignment, Magistrate Steve Lockhart entered an innocent plea on Thompson’s behalf and ordered him held without bond. When first appearing before the judge via video, Thompson only wept and shifted from foot to foot. Less than a half hour later, he was brought before the judge again via video, had regained his composure, and was able to state his name and that he understood the charges against him.

A hearing in the case was scheduled for April 13.

Thompson’s mother, Mary Thompson of Georgia, sat sobbing in a wheelchair after the hearing and said: “He needs help,” and “Pray for my child, pray for Lisa's family.”

Trial

A Wayne Circuit Court jury found Roger Thompson guilty of five counts of murder in the deaths of Lisa Shelton and the four children. The jury verdict followed fatal family beating allegations and resulted in mandatory life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said: “This was a very disturbing and terrible crime that affected everyone associated with (it),” and added: “The defendant received justice at a fair trial, and I just hope that this verdict will give the families and friends of the victims some type of peace, especially during this holiday season.”

During the charging stage, Thompson had been charged with five counts of first-degree murder. The first-degree murder charges carried a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole. He was also charged with an alternative count of felony murder in Aushanai’s death, with first-degree child abuse as the underlying felony.

Sentencing

Thompson faced mandatory life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Outcome

The appellate caption for the case was People of the State of Michigan v. Roger Thompson.

Thompson was convicted of killing Lisa Shelton and her children: Aushanai Thompson, Wanee Parker, Wrandell Parker, and William Parker Jr.

Aftermath

Grief counselors met with children at a Hamtramck school after the beating deaths of classmates including Kosciuszko Middle School students Wrendell Parker, 13, and Wanee Parker, 12.

Kosciuszko Middle School students and staff reacted after learning of the deaths. A seizure was reported for an instructor shortly after hearing the announcement. Principal Tom Trawick said many of the students had been meeting with counselors. Wrendell and Wanee were described as exciting little girls with tremendous numbers of friends in the school. Wanee was cast as the lead in the school play, “Annie,” and a poster with her picture hung in the hallway.

Family members gathered at the brutal murder scene. Screams were heard outside the home on 158 East Minnesota St. as family members arrived to discover Shelton and her four children had been murdered. Police used a white sheet to shield family and friends from seeing bodies being carried out of the home. One woman collapsed while a man ran across the street yelling, “Where's my sister? Where's my sister?”

William Parker Sr. arrived to find that his 16-year-old son, William Jr., was among those killed. William Parker Sr. said: “All (the) lieutenant told me was my kids were dead. That was it,” and a friend of the family, Harold Jackson, said Shelton recently finished writing a book and that her children had a bright future ahead. Harold Jackson said: “All the kids were doing good in school,”.

A makeshift shrine was created outside the victims’ home with stuffed animals and other offerings. A makeshift memorial of stuffed animals was placed at steps leading up to the front of the home that Shelton had recently purchased and planned to fix up. Alex Dawkins, a 39-year-old auto mechanic, brought teddy bears and said: “I just really came to pray for the kids to be at peace and the mother to be at peace.” Shelton’s 20-year-old sister, Tyann, said: “She was my world,” and “She was my best friend.”

Detectives used a white sheet to shield family and friends from seeing the parade of bodies being carried out of the home.

Other details

Police said Thompson had a criminal record that included charges for driving a stolen vehicle in 1990, driving without a license in 1994, and a 1996 arrest for breaking and entering. Police said they were working to determine the motive in the killings.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said Thompson had not previously been arrested for domestic violence and had no criminal record. She also said: “We don't have any indication that this has occurred in this home before. That doesn't mean it hasn't — we just know there haven't been any police reports, there hasn't been any indication that would lead one to believe that we could have prevented this.”

Police told the Detroit Free Press that Thompson said he strangled Shelton with an extension cord early Wednesday after arguing about money. Police said he then beat Wanee and William and forced William to tie up the other children.

Michigan does not have the death penalty.

Thompson’s arraignment involved video appearances before a judge via video.

A day of school mourning followed the deaths at Kosciuszko Middle School.