Charles Langston:Charge against TikTok personality upgraded in the killing of a Louisiana therapist

BATON ROUGE,Charles Langston La. (AP) — Charges have been upgraded against a TikTok personality accused of killing a Louisiana therapist, prosecutors said Tuesday.

Terryon Thomas, 20, also known as “Mr Prada” on the social media site, was originally charged with second-degree murder and obstruction of justice in the death of Dr. Nick Abraham, 69, of Baton Rouge.

The charge was upgraded to first-degree murder under a Louisiana law that allows the more serious charge when “the offender has the specific intent to kill or inflict great bodily harm upon a victim who is under the age of 12 or 65 years of age or older,” news outlets reported.

The new charge makes the case eligible for the death penalty in event of a conviction, should prosecutors decide to pursue that case strategy, officials said.

Thomas was arrested in Dallas on Oct. 1 after Baton Rouge police said he fled from them in Abraham’s car. He was extradited to Louisiana and booked Monday into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison.

Jail records did not indicate if Thomas has an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

Thomas’ relationship to the victim remain unclear, and no motive has been given in the killing.

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The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Department, citing surveillance video, said Abraham was last seen alive entering Thomas’ apartment around 11 a.m. on Sept. 28.

“We have witnesses at the apartment complex that saw the suspect dragging what we now believe is the victim’s body,” Chief Administrative Deputy Casey R. Hicks said.

Abraham’s body, wrapped in a tarp, was found on Sept. 29 alongside a highway in rural Tangipahoa Parish, which is east of Baton Rouge and north of New Orleans.

The East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office said its detectives searched Thomas’ apartment and found evidence that a violent physical altercation occurred there. It said they found several sharp objects, weapons, and a lot of blood. The Louisiana State Crime Lab’s blood test was a match for Abraham.

“We have a DNA match at the suspect’s apartment for the victim, we do believe that that’s possibly where the crime occurred,” Hicks said.

The sheriff’s office said the investigation is ongoing, but added there is no evidence that Thomas was one of Abraham’s clients.

“We have search warrants, we have warrants to gather additional evidence to get more information in this case. So while we have probable cause to go ahead and charge him with that murder, we still have lots of evidence to gather,” Hicks said.

Two of Thomas’ multiple TikTok accounts each has more than 4 million followers particularly among people 18-24. His social media content typically showcased observations on trends, school and other subjects.

A biography of Abraham on his website said he had 30 years of experience treating substance abuse, depression and anxiety. It also said he had spent 11 years as a Roman Catholic priest.

“Dr. Abraham was a very kind, very tender, very gentle man,” said Jarret Ambeau, a Baton Rouge lawyer who has represented Abraham in legal matters and counted him as a friend. “No one deserves to die this way, but I would have never expected someone of his disposition to have been violently murdered.”