A TikTok influencer has been arrested in connection with homicide investigation in Louisiana, after the body of a 69-year-old therapist was found wrapped in a tarp and dumped along a highway.
Therapist found brutally slayed
The victim, identified as William Nicholas Abraham, died from blunt force trauma, and law enforcement officials believe his death was the result of a violent attack.
The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office confirmed the details on Monday, revealing that Abraham’s body was discovered on Sunday morning along Highway 51.
Sheriff Gerald Sticker provided grim details during a news conference, stating that Abraham’s injuries were extensive and consistent with a brutal assault.
“It was a very physical and very violent attack,” Sticker said. “He was bludgeoned about in the head, shoulders, and neck. There was a lot of bruising.”
Authorities suspect that the murder did not occur at the location where Abraham’s body was found, leading them to believe the crime took place elsewhere on Saturday, with the body later dumped by the roadside.
Investigators are now working to trace Abraham’s movements in the hours leading up to his death, as they try to piece together what happened on his last night alive.
TikTok influencer named a person of interest
The case took a dramatic turn when police released surveillance footage showing a person of interest in the investigation.
The CCTV footage depicted a thin, Black male with short hair, wearing khaki shorts and a long-sleeved black shirt.
The individual was identified as the last person known to have been driving Abraham’s vehicle, police said.
Authorities located Abraham’s vehicle on Monday afternoon in Baton Rouge, but when officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop, the driver fled.
The individual sped away from law enforcement and ultimately crashed the car before fleeing the scene on foot. Despite the escape, police managed to recover Abraham’s vehicle.
TikTok influencer arrested in connection with therapist’s death
On Tuesday night, the manhunt came to an end with the arrest of 20-year-old Terryon Ishmael Thomas in Dallas, Texas.
Thomas, a popular TikTok influencer, had been on the run after being identified as a person of interest in the case. He was captured following a nationwide search and is now in custody, though he has not yet been formally charged with Abraham’s murder.
Thomas faces multiple charges, including aggravated criminal damage to property, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, and resisting an officer.
He was reportedly driving the victim’s vehicle during the police chase and crash, and his arrest occurred after he was captured on surveillance footage at a nearby store.
However, while Thomas is being held for these charges, he has not yet been charged in relation to Abraham’s death.
A motive for the killing remains unclear, and investigators are continuing to follow leads. However, records show that Abraham had been embroiled in legal troubles in the past.
In 2015, Abraham was arrested after being accused of inappropriately touching an 11-year-old boy during a therapy session.
While he was initially booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison and released on a $25,000 bond, prosecutors ultimately declined to bring the case to trial, citing insufficient evidence.
East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore explained that while there had been probable cause for the arrest, the evidence was not strong enough to secure a conviction.
“This matter was under review by my office for approximately two years,” Moore said. “After considering all available evidence, the best interest of the child, and the lack of any inculpatory statements by the arrestee, we declined to institute formal charges.”
Abraham had worked as a life coach, motivational speaker, and counselor, and was well-known in the Baton Rouge area for hosting a television program.
TikTok influencer was not the alleged victim
The revelation of his prior legal troubles, however, has led to speculation about whether it could be connected to his death, though authorities have not made any statements indicating a link between the two.
Abraham’s defense attorney, Jarrett Ambeau, denied that Thomas was not the alleged victim.
“It’s unequivocally not him,” Ambeau said Wednesday.
For now, Sheriff Sticker said his department’s focus is on determining the location where Abraham was murdered.
After a search of the victims home in East Baton Rouge Parish, investigators found no signs of a crime having been committed there. Similarly, no weapons were found at the scene where his body was discovered.
“Right now we have no inclination as to where this originated,’” Sticker said, adding that the investigation is still in its early stages.
He urged the public to come forward with any information that could help piece together Abraham’s whereabouts on Saturday evening before his violent death.
“Any information that the public can give us to help us put the picture together of Saturday… evening, before he was ultimately murdered—which we believe occurred sometime Saturday night,” Sticker said.
The Tiktok influencer remains in custody in Texas. Before he can be questioned by Sticker’s office, Thomas will need to face a judge in Dallas, who will determine whether he will be extradited to Louisiana to answer for his charges.
Thomas, who has 8.2 million followers and over 550 million likes on TikTok, is being held without bond for a series of charges, including resisting an officer, aggravated criminal damage to property and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.
