A Louisiana Grand Jury has recently indicted convicted child murderer Thomas S. Sanders for the kidnapping and murder of 12-year-old Lexis Roberts. Sanders had previously been sentenced to death row by a federal jury in Louisiana in 2014 for this heinous crime, but former President Biden commuted his death sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole in December 2024. Catahoula Parish District Attorney Bradley R. Burget has decided to pursue the death penalty for Sanders at the state level, potentially undoing Biden’s clemency decision.
Sanders met Roberts’ mother while working in a Las Vegas warehouse in 2010, and soon began dating her. During a trip to the Grand Canyon, Sanders killed Roberts’ mother, kidnapped Roberts, and held her captive for several days before ultimately murdering her in Catahoula Parish. The young girl’s body was found by hunters over a month after her murder, and Sanders was apprehended at a truck stop in Mississippi following a nationwide manhunt. The Assistant Attorney General at the time of Sanders’ sentencing in 2014 described the case as heartbreaking, stating that Roberts had witnessed her mother’s murder and had her life tragically cut short by a senseless act of violence.
In response to Biden’s decision to commute Sanders’ sentence, President Trump criticized the move on Truth Social. Trump denounced the commutation of Sanders’ sentence and those of 36 other violent offenders on federal death row, including other child killers and mass murderers. Trump expressed his outrage over the commutations, particularly on Christmas Day, and stated that he refused to wish the individuals well, instead telling them to go to hell. The contentious decision by Biden to grant clemency to Sanders and others sparked controversy and further divided public opinion on the issue of the death penalty.
Catahoula Parish District Attorney Bradley R. Burget stated that the state had deferred prosecution to federal authorities back in 2010, leading to Sanders’ successful conviction and sentencing at the federal level. Despite Biden’s commutation of Sanders’ death sentence, Burget remained steadfast in his decision to seek the death penalty for the convicted child murderer at the state level. In light of Burget’s determination to pursue the death penalty, it is likely that the case will continue to be a matter of significant legal and ethical debate in the years to come.
The tragic case of Lexis Roberts highlights the devastating impact of violent crimes on families and communities, with Sanders’ actions resulting in the loss of a young girl’s life and the continued suffering of her loved ones. Sanders’ heinous acts and subsequent legal proceedings serve as a reminder of the complex and often controversial nature of criminal justice in cases involving extreme violence and loss. The decision to commute Sanders’ death sentence raises questions about the balance between punishment and rehabilitation, as well as the role of clemency in addressing cases of extreme violence and trauma in the criminal justice system. The indictment of Thomas S. Sanders by a Louisiana Grand Jury underscores the ongoing pursuit of legal justice for victims of violent crimes and their families, as well as the complexities of sentencing and appeals in cases involving capital punishment.
