Thomas v. State

Gregory, Justice.

Charles Thomas was tried and convicted in Wilkes County of the murder of Catherine Bush and sentenced to life imprisonment.

At trial Thomas testified he and Larry O’Neal Rice* 2 had been with the victim in Thomas’ car on the night of the victim’s death. Thomas, who is paralyzed from the waist down, was driving 3 while Rice and the victim rode in the back seat. Thomas testified that he stopped the car because Rice and the victim were struggling. Thomas observed that the victim’s knit shirt was torn. Thomas stated that after he resumed driving, the victim, by this time naked,…