Louisiana child killer spared by Biden could face death penalty again following ‘outrageous’ commutation, says DA

Convicted child killer Thomas Sanders, who was sentenced to death in 2014 for the kidnapping and murder of 12-year-old Lexis Roberts, had his sentence commuted to life in prison by former President Joe Biden. However, Sanders is now facing the possibility of death again after being indicted on state charges by a grand jury in Catahoula Parish, Louisiana. District Attorney Brad Burget expressed outrage at Biden’s decision to commute the sentence, stating that Sanders brutally killed Lexis’ mother before kidnapping and murdering the young girl in a wooded area of Catahoula Parish. Burget believes that the death penalty is the only appropriate punishment for Sanders.

Sanders met Lexis’ mother, Suellen, in Las Vegas in 2010 and began dating her. During a road trip back from the Grand Canyon, Sanders fatally shot Suellen and abducted Lexis, holding her captive as they traveled to Louisiana. In Catahoula Parish, Sanders shot the young girl four times and slit her throat before her body was discovered by hunters. Sanders was eventually caught at a truck stop in Mississippi after a nationwide manhunt. Burget presented the case to a grand jury in Catahoula Parish, seeking to ensure that Sanders faces the appropriate punishment for his heinous crimes.

Burget criticized Biden’s decision to commute Sanders’ sentence, calling it an abuse of authority. He presented the case to the grand jury in Catahoula Parish in order to pursue state charges against Sanders, as the district attorney does not have the authority to charge individuals with capital offenses that carry a life sentence. Sanders was initially arrested on federal charges in 2010, which prevented the execution of a warrant out of Catahoula Parish. Burget presented evidence to the grand jury, which ultimately decided to indict Sanders on state charges, allowing the case to proceed through the Louisiana court system.

The commutation of Sanders’ sentence by Biden has sparked controversy and renewed calls for justice for Lexis and her family. Burget is confident that the Catahoula Parish jury will make the right decision when presented with the case, and he believes that the death penalty is the appropriate penalty for Sanders. The district attorney expressed his commitment to seeking justice for the victims and their families, emphasizing the severity of the crimes committed by Sanders and the need for accountability in the justice system.

The case of Thomas Sanders highlights the complex and often contentious nature of capital punishment in the United States. The decision to commute his sentence has reignited debates about the use of the death penalty and the role of presidential clemency in the criminal justice system. Burget’s efforts to pursue state charges against Sanders demonstrate the lengths that prosecutors are willing to go to ensure that perpetrators of violent crimes face appropriate consequences for their actions. The outcome of the case will likely have far-reaching implications for both the victims’ families and the broader legal system in Louisiana.