More than two years after a 71-year-old woman was stabbed to death during a burglary at her Sandy Springs home, police have made an arrest in the case.
Authorities have charged 24-year-old James Christopher Jones with the murder of Kay Thomasson, who was killed at her home along Old Woodbine Road on June 27, 2018.
An autopsy revealed Thomasson died as the result of a stab wound to the back of her neck, AJC.com previously reported.
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Jones was taken into custody Thursday morning in Decatur, Sandy Springs police spokesman Sgt. Sal Ortega said. The U.S. Marshals Service assisted in the arrest.
Jones is charged with murder, first-degree burglary, murder in the commission of a burglary, aggravated assault with intent to murder, false imprisonment and theft by taking a motor vehicle, jail records show.
Thomasson’s body was discovered by a family member inside her home hours after she missed an appointment, police said previously. She lived alone, and had been in her home since 1975, neighbors said.
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Her 2012 Kia Sorento, which was missing from her house, was recovered three days later at a Chamblee apartment complex.
MORE: Police: Stolen car of Sandy Springs murder victim found in Chamblee
A $100,000 reward was offered for information leading to an arrest, but it wasn’t immediately clear Thursday how investigators linked Jones to the crime two years later.
“This case was very complex, and our detectives worked non-stop to bring it to a successful conclusion with an arrest,” Sandy Springs Police Chief Ken DeSimone said in a statement.
The case remains under investigation, and anyone with additional information is asked to contact Sandy Springs detective JT Williams at JTwilliams@sandyspringsga.gov or 770-551-6937.
Jones remains held at the DeKalb County Jail without bond, online records show.
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Credit: AJC
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