MI MI - Cherita Janice Thomas, 20, Ausable Township, 4 Aug 1980

[Richard]

Bumping up due to recent interest on another thread.

Cherita Janice Thomas was determined to have been murdered, but her body has never been found.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Conviction in 32-year-old murder case overturned by court

There was evidence that Jimmie Nelson sold his pickup truck and was covering his tracks after Cherita Thomas disappeared 32 years ago, but that wasn't enough to convict him for murder years later, a three-judge state appeals court panel said Friday.

The court overturned a second-degree murder conviction against Nelson in the presumed death of Thomas, who disappeared without a trace in August 1980 when her car broke down with a bad radiator hose.

More: http://www.freep.com/article/201208...n-32-year-old-murder-case-overturned-by-court

 

[hayaletcatcher]

http://www.iosconews.com/news/article_f725b80a-2ac5-11e3-8515-0019bb2963f4.html

Posted: Wednesday, October 2, 2013 5:00 am

The State of Michigan Court of Appeals has granted a motion by Jimmie Allen Nelson’s defense attorney requesting that a bond hearing be conducted for “immediate consideration” of a setting a “reasonable” bond while he awaits resolution of his appeal of his 2010 conviction for the murder of 21-year-old Oscoda resident Cherita Thomas in 1980.

more at link

 

[hayaletcatcher]

PEOPLE OF MI V. JIMMIE ALLEN NELSON

http://law.justia.com/cases/michigan/court-of-appeals-unpublished/2014/301253.html

 

[Richard]

http://www.michbar.org/opinions/appeals/2014/022514/56526.pdf

The Michigan Supreme Court vacated Nelson's conviction of 2nd Degree murder and allowed a 1 Million Dollar bond. A new trial was ordered in this 25 February 2014 document.

 

[Gardener1850]

NAMUS: https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/2545/

 

[Coppertop15]

I wonder what happened to the child?

 

[CastlesBurning]

This account mentions that Cherita, who was 20, was heading to a local bar with a friend for drinks:
Cherita Janice Thomas – The Charley Project

Michigan, however, had raised its legal drinking age back to 21 in 1978 after an attempt in the earlier '70s to have it be 18.

So, call me silly, but is it even remotely possible that Cherita's body might have been found years ago, but with a fake ID, and that threw off LE in connecting it to the real person? Stranger things have happened, IMO...

 

[Richard]

Cherita Janice Thomas
Missing

Last seen alive: August 03, 1980
First Name: Cherita Janice
Middle Name: Janice
Last Name: Thomas
Details
Age When Last Known Alive: 20
Race: Black/African Americ
Sex: Female
Height: 65.0
Weight: 135.0
Location
City: Ausable Township
State: Michigan
County: Iosco
Appearance
Hair: Black
Eye: Brown
Clothing and Accessories
Clothing: Maroon pants w/ white blouse
Transportation
Style: Pickup
Vehicle Color: Blue

LINK:

Cherita Janice Thomas - Michigan Missing Person Directory

 

[DSCrime]

NAMUS: https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/2545/

Can someone with a NamUs account please post any rule-outs for Cherita Thomas? Thanks

 

[DSCrime]

Her case was featured in The Trail Went Cold podcast:

The Trail Went Cold – Episode 182 – Cherita Thomas – The Trail Went Cold




Citing below the links for additional info featured on the podcast:

Additional Reading:

Cherita Janice Thomas – The Charley Project

Former logger arrested for suspected 1980 murder

https://www.macombdaily.com/news/na...cle_d03714a2-e37b-5665-8ca4-00f7e736789c.html

Jimmie Nelson convicted and sentenced in 30-year-old Iosco County murder of Cherita Thomas | ABC7 San Francisco | abc7news.com

http://www.michbar.org/file/opinions/appeals/2012/082312/52533.pdf

http://www.michbar.org/file/opinions/appeals/2014/022514/56526.pdf

PEOPLE OF MI V JIMMIE ALLEN NELSON

Jimmie Nelson - National Registry of Exonerations

 

[DSCrime]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

 

[DSCrime]

Hi @MadMcGoo I've seen you post NamUs exclusions on other threads. Would it be possible for you to please post rule-outs for Cherita Thomas? Thank you so much. Don't have access to NamUs account.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

 

[MichiganTrueCrimer]

The chances of her already being found, yet labeled as a jane doe, or anyone else, is extremely unlikely. Oscoda is not an area that has many violent crimes of this nature. It would have been massive news in the area if a body had been found. I believe it's likely the case that she just hasn't been found yet. Just outside of Oscoda is the Huron National Forest, which is 438, 584 acres in size.

This account mentions that Cherita, who was 20, was heading to a local bar with a friend for drinks:
Cherita Janice Thomas – The Charley Project

Michigan, however, had raised its legal drinking age back to 21 in 1978 after an attempt in the earlier '70s to have it be 18.

So, call me silly, but is it even remotely possible that Cherita's body might have been found years ago, but with a fake ID, and that threw off LE in connecting it to the real person? Stranger things have happened, IMO...