In early January of 2015, a routine patrol in Baltimore, Maryland, led to a grim discovery that marked a tragic start to the new year. An officer found the bodies of 11-year-old Matthew Thomas and his 54-year-old father, Warren Everette Thomas, inside a parked SUV on the shoulder of the 1900 block of 62nd Street. Both had sustained gunshot wounds to the head and were pronounced dead at the scene, seated in the backseat of the vehicle.
The two had been last seen on January 1, and
Matthew's mother had filed a missing person report the following day. At the time, there was reportedly no indication of a cause for concern that would have triggered a more critical alert. Employees of a nearby distribution center noted that while it wasn't unusual for cars to be parked on the side of the road for a few days, the SUV's specific location and orientation were out of the ordinary.
Following the discovery, Baltimore police identified the deceased and began an investigation. The authorities soon publicly characterized the incident as a murder-suicide, stating their belief that Warren Thomas had killed his son before taking his own life. While the investigation continued, police did not immediately release a motive for the tragic event. Anyone with information was asked to contact detectives.
