View source for Aaron H. Thomas

{{Short description|American rapist sentenced to life in prison}}
'''Aaron H. Thomas''', also known as '''The East Coast Rapist''', is an American who was convicted of committing a number of [[rape]]s in [[Maryland]], [[Virginia]], [[Connecticut]] and [[Rhode Island]] since 1997. Police had [[DNA evidence]] from the first attacks, but had not matched the DNA in any criminal database. On March 4, 2011, police in Connecticut arrested 39-year-old trucker and [[New Haven, Connecticut|New Haven]] resident Thomas after claiming to have matched his DNA to that of the rapist from a cigarette butt he discarded. Thomas underwent police questioning.<ref>{{cite news|first1=Josh|last1=White|first2=Maria|last2=Glod|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/04/AR2011030405132.html?hpid=topnews|title=Tip yields arrest in East Coast Rapist case|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=March 4, 2011|accessdate=March 5, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/nyregion/06rape.html | work=[[The New York Times]] | first=Al | last=Baker | title=Suspect in East Coast Rapes Is Arrested | date=March 5, 2011}}</ref> On March 5, 2011, jailers reported that Thomas attempted to hang himself while in a jail cell.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/03/05/connecticut.east.coast.rapist/?hpt=T1 |title='East Coast Rapist' suspect tries to hang himself, police say |website=[[CNN]] |date= March 6, 2011|accessdate=March 6, 2011}}</ref>
The rapist's ''[[modus operandi]]'' was to trail the women he selected as victims to learn about their personal lives and then attack them under cover of night. He usually approached the victim in an open area, talked to her briefly, and then forced her into a more secluded area to rape her. He used handguns, knives, a screwdriver, and a broken bottle as weapons during the attacks. On four occasions, he attacked more than one victim in the same incident.
On March 1, 2013, Thomas was sentenced to three life terms in prison plus an additional 80 years for his Halloween 2009 attack on three teenaged trick-or-treaters in [[Prince William County, Virginia]],<ref>{{cite news|title=East Coast Rapist sentenced to life in prison for 2009 attack on teenaged trick-or-treaters|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/east-coast-rapist-scheduled-to-be-sentenced-friday-in-prince-william/2013/03/01/b44cadc0-827f-11e2-b99e-6baf4ebe42df_story.html?Post+generic=%3Ftid%3Dsm_twitter_washingtonpost|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|accessdate=1 March 2013|first=Josh|last=White|date=March 2, 2013}}</ref> having pleaded guilty to said attack in November 2012.<ref>{{cite news|title=East Coast Rapist pleads guilty to Halloween attacks in Prince William|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/east-coast-rapist-pleads-guilty-to-halloween-attacks-in-prince-william/2012/11/30/10ff8c58-3b14-11e2-b01f-5f55b193f58f_story.html|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|accessdate=11 July 2016|first=Josh|last=White|date=November 30, 2012}}</ref> Later in March 2013, Thomas was sentenced to two additional life terms for a May 2001 rape and abduction at a Leesburg apartment complex,<ref>{{cite news|title='East Coast Rapist' Sentenced to Two Additional Life Terms|url=http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/East-Coast-Rapist-Gets-2-Additional-Life-Terms-198449701.html|website=NBC Washington |accessdate=26 August 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Aaron Thomas sentenced to life terms for 2001 East Coast Rapist attack in Loudoun|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/thomas-set-to-be-sentenced-in-loudoun-for-east-coast-rapist-attack-in-2001/2013/03/14/406e6ebe-8d0d-11e2-b63f-f53fb9f2fcb4_story.html|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|accessdate=15 December 2015|first=Josh|last=White|date=March 15, 2013}}</ref> having pleaded guilty to said attack in November 2012.<ref>{{cite news|title=East Coast Rapist enters guilty pleas|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/east-coast-rapist-suspect-in-court-again/2012/11/29/7da00f6e-3a55-11e2-8a97-363b0f9a0ab3_story.html|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|accessdate=11 July 2016|first=Josh|last=White|date=November 29, 2012}}</ref> Later in March 2013, Thomas was indicted on six counts of first-degree rape and multiple related charges in [[Prince George's County, Maryland]], and, as of March 26, 2013, faced a total of 54 charges in said county.<ref>{{cite news|title='East Coast Rapist' Indicted on 54 Counts in Prince George's County|url=http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/East-Coast-Rapist-Indicted-on-Six-Counts-in-Prince-Georges-County-200107331.html|website=NBC Washington|accessdate=11 July 2016|date=26 March 2013}}</ref>
In June 2015, Thomas pleaded guilty to three rapes that took place in Prince George's County, Maryland, between 1997 and 2001 and received three more life terms that are to be served concurrently with time being served in Virginia.<ref name="NBCWashington2015">{{cite news|title=East Coast Rapist Pleads Guilty to Three Charges in Prince George's County|url=http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/East-Coast-Rapist-Pleads-Guilty-to-Three-Charges-in-Prince-Georges-County-306512641.html|website=NBC Washington|accessdate=20 August 2015|first=Matthew|last=Stabley|date=June 8, 2015}}</ref><ref name="WashingtonPost2015">{{cite news|title=East Coast Rapist pleads guilty in three Prince George's County attacks|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/east-coast-rapist-pleads-guilty-in-three-prince-georges-county-attacks/2015/06/08/ff2d45ce-0e01-11e5-9726-49d6fa26a8c6_story.html|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|accessdate=20 August 2015|first=Lynh|last=Bui|date=June 8, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Man in East Coast rapes pleads guilty to Maryland crimes|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-east-coast-rapist-20150608-story.html|accessdate=20 August 2015|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=June 8, 2015}}</ref> Prosecutors also dropped charges against Thomas in three cases because of a lack of evidence.<ref name="NBCWashington2015" /><ref name="WashingtonPost2015" />
== Crimes ==
{| style="border:1px solid darkgrey;" class="wikitable"
|-
! Date and Time
! Victim's Race and Age
! Location
! Weapon
! Notes
|-
| January 5, 1997; 5:00 am
| Black female; age 34
| [[Forestville, Maryland|Forestville, MD]]
| Handgun
| No DNA evidence
|-
| February 19, 1997; 12:46 am
| Black female; age 25
| Forestville, MD
| Handgun
| DNA obtained
|-
| March 6, 1997; 4:00 am
| Black female; age 27
| Forestville, MD
| Handgun
| Two blocks from first attack; no DNA evidence
|-
| August 20, 1997; 12:45 am
| Black female; age 18
| [[Suitland, Maryland|Suitland, MD]]
| Knife
| DNA obtained
|-
| July 3, 1998; 11:00 pm
| Black females; ages 16 and 18
| [[Temple Hills, Maryland|Temple Hills, MD]]
| Broken bottle
| Only younger victim raped; DNA obtained
|-
| June 19, 1999; 11:17 pm
| Black female; age 19
| [[Hybla Valley, Virginia|Hybla Valley, VA]]
| Knife
| DNA obtained
|-
| January 13, 2000; 7:30 pm
| Black female; age 18
| Hybla Valley, VA
| Knife
| DNA obtained
|-
| November 20, 2000; 6:00 pm
| White female; age 35
| [[Alexandria, Virginia|Alexandria, VA]]
| Knife
| Victim fought back and was not raped; DNA obtained
|-
| May 24, 2001; 7:45 pm
| White female; age 41
| [[Leesburg, Virginia|Leesburg, VA]]
| Screwdriver
| Victim was bound; DNA obtained
|-
| August 16, 2001; 10:00 pm
| Black females; ages 18 and 19
| Temple Hills, MD
| Handgun
| Both victims raped; DNA obtained
|-
| December 28, 2001; 7:30 pm
| Black female; age 29
| Hybla Valley, VA
| Knife
| Last rape for five years; DNA obtained
|-
| January 28, 2006; 2:21 am
| Black female; age 46
| [[New Haven, Connecticut|New Haven, CT]]
| None
| Feces left behind; no DNA evidence
|-
| February 20, 2006; 3:45 am
| Black female; age 17
| New Haven, CT
| None
| Condom used; no DNA evidence
|-
| November 28, 2006; 5:22 pm
| White females; ages 11 and 39
| [[Cranston, Rhode Island|Cranston, RI]]
| None
| Dog scared rapist away before rape; feces left behind; DNA obtained
|-
| January 10, 2007; 1:21 am
| Mixed-race female; age 27
| New Haven, CT
| None
| DNA obtained
|-
| January 21, 2007; 6:10 am
| Black female; age 33
| New Haven, CT
| None
| Victim fought back and was not raped; no DNA evidence
|-
| October 31, 2009; 9:11 pm
| Black females; ages 16, 17, and 17
| [[Dale City, Virginia|Dale City, VA]]
| Handgun
| Youngest victim called police; rapist fled after attacking older victims; DNA obtained
|}
== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}
== External links ==
* [http://eastcoastrapist.com/ East Coast Rapist Police Site]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Aaron H.}}
[[Category:American people convicted of rape]]
[[Category:Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by Maryland]]
[[Category:American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment]]
{{US-crime-bio-stub}}