Chloe Thomas

Background

Chloe Thomas was a juvenile at the time of the 2014 killing of Anne Hill and later learned her sentence.

Anne Hill was a metro teenager who went missing in April 2014. Court proceedings in Oklahoma City later involved the death of Hill.

The offence

Court documents and trial testimony described a plan to lure Anne Hill to an Edmond apartment by pretending to be Chadd Raymond’s older brother. Once Hill was at the apartment, the court materials described an assault that involved choking. After Hill was no longer breathing, Thomas and Raymond moved Hill’s body and dumped it. Hill’s remains were later discovered in rural McClain County.

Prosecutors alleged that Thomas and Chadd Raymond originally wanted to rob Hill to get money to buy drugs, and that the robbery went too far and led to them killing her.

Prosecutors also alleged that Thomas considered Reggie Raymond “the love of her life” and that Hill was chosen for the robbery by Thomas out of greed and jealousy. Prosecutors said Hill had sent a partially nude photo to Reggie Raymond and that “didn’t sit well with Chloe Thomas.”

During the trial, the court heard that Hill attempted to leave when Reggie Raymond was not there, and that she was put in a choke hold. The materials described that Chadd Raymond forced Hill to the floor, that Thomas stomped on Hill’s arms and legs, and that Chadd Raymond decided they needed to kill Hill to avoid being identified. The materials further described that Thomas placed Hill in another choke hold until she quit breathing.

Before dumping the body, prosecutors alleged Thomas told Chadd Raymond to “disfigure” Hill’s face so she would not be recognized. Chadd Raymond testified that he put a plastic sack over Hill’s head and struck her face with a wrench five times.

Investigation

After Hill went missing, her car was found abandoned in an Edmond neighborhood near 2nd and Coltrane.

Court records described that Thomas turned herself in and confessed to taking part in Hill’s murder. Police interviewed Thomas and Chadd Raymond months earlier. The materials described that Thomas initially admitted to helping dispose of Hill’s body, while Raymond later described choking Hill and said Thomas took over until Hill died.

Authorities later searched rural areas after Thomas’s arrest and confession and found Hill’s remains about a year later in rural McClain County by a seismography crew.

The case was described as a “no body” case when the body had not been located for a period of time; authorities later identified the remains as Anne Hill.

Arrest

Chloe Thomas was brought to the Oklahoma City police department on October 10, 2014 after her parents brought her to police. Police reported she was arrested after speaking to investigators and after having admitted she helped dispose of Hill’s body after Raymond strangled her.

In the materials, Thomas turned herself in in October 2014 and confessed to taking part in Hill’s murder.

Chadd Raymond was arrested around the same period, including an account that he was arrested after Thomas confessed and that he was held in the Oklahoma County jail.

Trial

The trial involved prosecutors presenting allegations of a robbery that led to a killing.

At trial, jurors were presented with differing accounts of who killed Hill versus who assisted. In February 2015, prosecutors charged Thomas with first-degree murder after previously dismissing an accessory-to-murder charge.

Witness testimony and contested responsibility

Chadd Raymond was described as the state’s star witness and testified against Thomas. He told jurors that he and Thomas lured Hill to an Edmond apartment by pretending to be his brother, who Hill had a romantic interest in. Raymond testified that their original intent was to rob Hill, that he choked Hill until he became too tired to finish, and that Thomas “took over” and choked Hill until she died.

Raymond testified about driving to dump the body in a field. He testified that they stripped Hill’s clothes and rubbed Windex all over her body to get rid of fingerprints. He testified that they put a Walmart sack over Hill’s head and that he beat her face with a wrench so that if the body was discovered, Hill would be unrecognizable. In one quoted closing context, he ended testimony by saying he thought about what happened every day and “she didn’t deserve to die.”

On cross-examination, the defense attorney got Raymond to admit it was his idea to kill Anne Hill and pointed out Raymond only told investigators his story after he found out Thomas was trying to pin the crime on him.

Raymond’s account included that he told Thomas she would have to “finish her off.” Another account in the trial materials stated that Raymond told Thomas to “finish her off,” and that Thomas put Hill in another choke hold until she quit breathing.

Prosecutors’ arguments

Assistant District Attorney Erika Gillock told jurors about the allegations, including that Thomas came up with the idea to rob Hill for money needed to prevent eviction. Gillock told jurors that when Hill attempted to leave, Chadd Raymond put her in a choke hold and that Hill fought furiously.

Gillock described that Thomas stomped on Hill’s arms and legs before Hill went limp. Gillock said Raymond decided they needed to kill Hill to avoid identification. Gillock described Thomas allegedly putting Hill in another choke hold until Hill quit breathing. Gillock said Thomas told Raymond to “disfigure” Hill’s face before dumping.

Gillock also told jurors: “What they didn't count on was Anne fighting furiously,” and later: “Finish her off,” and that Hill’s face was beaten with a wrench.

Prosecutors alleged Thomas and Raymond disposed of Hill’s body by dragging Hill down the stairs and putting her in the back seat of her car. Before dumping, prosecutors alleged Thomas told Chadd Raymond to “disfigure” Hill’s face.

In closing context, the materials included: “This case is horrifying, every parent's worst nightmare. A whole other side of teenagers we don't want to believe.”

Assistant District Attorney Jimmy Harmon told jurors: “It's so hard thinking someone so young could be so cold hearted but that's what the evidence shows,” before jurors began deliberating.

A prosecutor used the term “cold-blooded killer” during trial, as recounted in the materials.

Defense arguments

Thomas’s defense attorney Michael Trevino argued that the only person guilty of killing Hill was already being punished. Trevino told the jury during opening statement: “Chloe Thomas did not plan or participate but did help dispose of Anne Hill,” and “Chadd Raymond killed this girl.”

Trevino contended that Thomas did not participate in planning a robbery or killing the teenager and that Chadd Raymond was trying to displace blame because she “ratted them both out” to police.

In one statement attributed to Trevino: “Chloe Thomas did not plan or participate but did help dispose of Anne Hill,” and: “Chadd Raymond killed this girl.” Another statement attributed to Trevino said Thomas told Chadd Raymond to stop when he choked the victim.

During closing argument, the defense asserted: “just Chadd Raymond” killed Hill. Trevino also reminded jurors that Thomas admitted helping Raymond dispose of Hill’s body, while contending she didn’t plan the robbery or killing.

Michael Travines, Thomas’s attorney, said: “She is a different person that what she was then , she was a very lost soul and in a lot of ways still is, in a lot of ways she is very much still a child even though she is 19.”

Verdict

Jurors found Chloe Thomas not guilty of first-degree murder and guilty of second-degree murder.

The verdict came after nearly six hours of deliberations in one account.

When Judge Cindy Truong announced the verdict, the materials described that Thomas showed no reaction and that jurors watched police interrogations.

Sentencing

On December 22, 2016, Chloe Thomas was sentenced to life in prison with no credit for time served.

The judge only said the recommended sentence was life, and the materials described uncertainty regarding parole at the time.

In court statements near the sentencing, Hill’s mother became emotional and said she misses her daughter every day and that Thomas should not be allowed back in society. Thomas became emotional as well and said she was sorry for the murder.

Appeals

An attorney for Thomas said they would be filing an appeal within 10 days.

Outcome

Chloe Thomas was convicted of second-degree murder in connection with the death of Anne Hill.

Thomas had initially been charged with accessory to murder, but that was later dismissed.

Chadd Raymond pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and accepted a plea deal for his testimony against Thomas, with a 35-year sentence.

Aftermath

Hill’s remains were identified after a seismography crew found them in rural McClain County about a year after Hill disappeared.

Darci Parton-Scoon, described as the Hill family's private investigator, said the day was “filled with mixed emotions” and quoted: “It's the end of a journey and a long one and you get to know and love people over that time and it's both the grief and joy for both of them.”

Parton-Scoon also said Hill had a scholarship to Casady and trained her animals to be emotional therapy dogs and volunteered, and quoted: “Remember the girl who got a scholarship to Casady and who trained her animals to be emotional therapy dogs and spend time to volunteer and do those things,” Parton-Scoon said.

Other details

The materials described that Thomas read her Bible during the trial, including right down to the verdict.

In statements attributed to Thomas’s attorney Michael Trevino, he argued that Thomas had accepted her responsibility as assisting in hiding the body of Anne Hill but had said she did not participate in the robbery or murder.

During trial allegations, Thomas was described as dating Reggie Raymond at the time and as living with him at the apartment involved in the case.

Hill was described in the materials as having a relationship with Raymond’s brother and as having bought drugs from Raymond’s older brother.

The materials also said that prosecutors alleged Thomas wanted money because she needed to prevent her and Reggie Raymond from being evicted from their apartment.

Hill’s remains were described as including a skull with braces attached to the teeth, shown to jurors.