Nationwide — A man from Harris County, Texas, has been sentenced to 50 years in prison after his 7-year-old adopted son was found dead inside a washing machine. Jermaine Thomas, 45, was convicted of the murder of young Troy Khoeler, according to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
WLBT reports that the tragic case began in July 2022 when Thomas reported the boy missing, claiming he returned home just before midnight to find the front door unlocked and Troy nowhere to be found. When deputies arrived at the family’s home in Harris County, they conducted a brief interview for a missing child report with Thomas and his wife, Tiffany.
Soon after, officers made a horrifying discovery: Troy’s fully clothed body was found inside a washing machine in the garage. An autopsy later revealed the child had suffered both recent and older injuries, and the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences ruled his death a homicide.
Investigators uncovered disturbing details about the child’s treatment before his death. Troy was reportedly threatened with being placed in an oven after allegedly eating some of his adoptive mother’s oatmeal cream pies. Text messages also showed Jermaine Thomas was angry after discovering Troy had eaten his doughnut sticks, according to local news outlet KPRC.
Tiffany Thomas, Troy’s adoptive mother, has also been charged in connection with his death. Her sentencing is scheduled for September 10.