Shaurn Thomas, who was once freed after serving 24 years for a wrongful murder conviction, is back behind bars—this time for a crime he confessed to.
Shaurn Thomas pleads guilty
Thomas, now 50 years old, has admitted responsibility in the 2023 murder of Akeem Edwards, 38, allegedly sparked by a drug deal gone awry, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The incident reportedly unfolded on January 3, 2023, when Edwards was gunned down in broad daylight in Philadelphia.
Thomas eventually pleaded guilty to charges of third-degree murder, conspiracy, and illegal possession of a firearm.
Prosecutors alleged Thomas killed Edwards over a $1,200 debt stemming from a cocaine transaction—a sandwich bag filled with the drug that Edwards reportedly failed to pay for.
A witness, Ketra Veasy, was with Thomas at the time and ultimately charged as a co-conspirator, later testified about his reaction to the shooting.
Veasy stated in court that Thomas appeared deeply shaken, making remarks that hinted at his troubled past.
“He said it’s his third homicide and he said he can’t go back to jail,” Veasy recounted under oath. According to her, Thomas also warned her, saying, “Keep my mouth quiet or else.”
Veasy, who had dated Thomas intermittently for six years, revealed that she was introduced to him through her brother, Willie, whose own murder conviction was overturned in 2019.
Court documents indicated that Thomas had approached Veasy the previous year, asking her to connect him with Edwards, a childhood friend. Thomas sought Edwards’ help to sell cocaine.
Wrongfully convicted criminal commits murder
On January 3, Thomas and Veasy were purportedly running errands when he suggested they drive around looking for Edwards after failing to collect the owed money. Upon spotting him, Thomas, armed and determined, exited their vehicle.
Veasy claimed that she was unaware that Thomas was carrying a gun and had no idea violence was on the cards. What followed was a burst of gunfire.
She said she saw Thomas running back with a firearm tucked into his waistband after hearing the shots.
“He told me, ‘He’s hit, he’s down, just drive,’” Veasy testified. Following his instructions, she drove them away from the scene.
The court proceedings revealed a twist of grim irony. Common Pleas Court Judge Roxanne Covington, who presided over the case, was stunned to learn about Thomas’ history.
“Are these facts true?” she asked. “Yes, your Honor,” Thomas confirmed.
Shaurn Thomas was once wrongfully convicted
This guilty plea marks a devastating turn in Thomas’ life, once celebrated for his release after years spent wrongfully imprisoned.
His earlier conviction dates back to 1994 when he was accused of participating in the killing of Domingo Martinez, a businessman fatally shot in 1990 during a robbery in North Philadelphia.
Just 20 years old at the time, Thomas was accused alongside members of a gang referred to as the “G-Boys.”
They were said to have ambushed Martinez as he delivered $25,000 to one of his check-cashing stores.
Convicted and given a life sentence without parole, Thomas spent over two decades fighting his conviction.
Legal advocacy groups, including the Pennsylvania Innocence Project, eventually took up his case.
With the help of James Figorski, a lawyer and former Philadelphia police officer, they filed a Post Conviction Relief Act petition, arguing his innocence.
While initial efforts for a retrial were denied, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Conviction Review Unit stepped in, ultimately leading to the decision to vacate Thomas’ conviction in 2017.
Prosecutors found previously undisclosed witness statements implicating other suspects.
Though freed from his original conviction, Thomas’ innocence remained a topic of debate, and prosecutors stated they were “not completely convinced” of it.
Regardless, Thomas reached a settlement with the city of Philadelphia, receiving $4.1 million in compensation as part of a civil suit following his exoneration.
Yet, with his guilty plea in Edwards’ murder, Thomas is now looking at the possibility of spending the rest of his life back in prison. He will be sentenced in February.
