The third man involved in the brutal murder of 71-year-old Martha Medina was sentenced to 50 years in prison. District Attorney Kim Ogg, according to a statement, expressed that while the actions of these men cannot be undone, the lengthy prison sentences serve to ensure that they unequivocally pay for their crimes.

Lawrence Earl Thomas, aged 42, faced a jury last week and was convicted of engaging in organized criminal activity, a first-degree felony. The jury trial spanned four days and concluded with a sentence handed down by a judge that must see Thomas serve at least 25 years before being eligible for parole. This sentencing was described by the District Attorney as a necessary response to a carefully plotted and lethal act of violence rooted in greed.

The heinous act occurred on September 23, 2021, when Thomas along with Andrew Williams and Felton Ford, targeted Medina following her departure from a bank. Medina had stopped for breakfast at a McDonald’s in Cloverleaf where Thomas forcibly took her purse, resulting in her being knocked to the ground. Williams, who was at the wheel and had been free on bond for a different capital murder at the time, reversed over Medina and then sped away, ultimately leading to her death from the injuries sustained. Williams was sentenced to life without parole earlier this year while Ford received a 30-year sentence in September 2023.

In prosecuting this case, Assistant District Attorney Sean Kozar-King led with the charge of engaging in organized crime due to the premeditated nature of the offense. Together with ADA Cameron Calligan, division chief in the DA's Organized Crime Division, Kozar-King worked to secure what they deemed adequate punishments for all involved parties. "The most important thing is that he spends decades behind bars for what he did to Martha Medina."