After eluding capture for half a year, a woman sought in connection with the death of an 88-year-old Bandera man was finally arrested, authorities reported. Freda Michelle Thomas, the woman in question, was apprehended near Okmulgee, Oklahoma, according to the Bandera County Sheriff's Office's Facebook page announcement. Thomas had been avoiding law enforcement following the discovery of Robert Isaacks' body in Crockett County on November 17.
Earlier reports by local authorities mistakenly announced Thomas was detained in Mexico, only for corrections to follow confirming the person apprehended was not the suspect. Charged with the slaying of Isaacks, Thomas was identified as a suspect shortly after the victim was found, as the KSAT article detailed.
As the case unfolded, home surveillance footage showed Isaacks entering his home with Thomas, who was seen leaving alone later, according to the Bandera County Sheriff's Office. Autopsy results revealed Isaacks had been strangled to death, his body later found wrapped in a duct-taped tarp in a neighboring county. Adding to the evidence, cell phone records presented in the arrest affidavit indicated Isaacks and Thomas had been in contact for more than a week prior to his death.
In a statement obtained by KENS 5, Isaacks' daughter, Karen Chovanec, reported about "$25,000 in cash was 'missing from a safe in the house'" and "blood droplets" were discovered at multiple locations within the residence. When interviewed, a witness described seeing a woman, matching Thomas' description, driving away in a jeep with a "black tarp covering what was being hauled on the rack." The jeep with possible connections to the case was later found in Las Vegas.
The capture brings some solace to the victim's daughter. "I figured it was a matter of time before she, you know, slipped up," Chovanec told KENS 5. She continued to live in the abode where her father was slain, hoping the arrest could mark the beginning of her healing process. "I’ve had nightmares and no sleeping and everything," Chovanec said, conveying the toll the tragedy took on her. She became aware of the arrest via rumors but verified the information by directly contacting the detectives. She noted they had received a tip about Thomas' location, leading to the U.S. Marshals surveilling the residency prior to her exit and subsequent arrest.
Now in custody, Thomas is expected to be extradited to Texas to face murder charges. Chovanec expressed a mix of relief and anticipation for justice: "Well, I hope she’s ready to do some time," she said. "She’ll have time to reflect while she’s, you know, locked up."
