Maybelle Hudson, an 80-year-old African American woman, was found dead in her garage in Inglewood, Los Angeles County, California, in April 1976. She had returned home from choir practice when she was brutally attacked. The elderly woman was beaten, sexually assaulted, and strangled. Her death shocked the local community and remained unsolved for decades, leaving her family and investigators without answers.
The case was eventually linked to a man named John Floyd Thomas Jr., an African
American male born in 1936, who was later identified as a serial killer responsible for a string of murders in the Los Angeles area during the 1970s and 1980s. Thomas was arrested in March 2009 after DNA evidence connected him to multiple cold cases, including the murder of Maybelle Hudson. He had a long criminal history dating back to the 1950s, including convictions for burglary and sexual assault. At the time of his arrest, Thomas was working as a claims adjuster for the State Compensation Insurance Fund and had managed to avoid detection for years despite being a registered sex offender.
Investigators believe Thomas targeted elderly women who lived alone. His modus operandi involved breaking into their homes, raping them, and then strangling them, often covering their faces with a pillowcase or sheet. In addition to Hudson, Thomas was charged with the murders of six other women, ranging in age from 56 to 80, including victims in Westchester, Lennox, and Claremont. He pleaded guilty to seven counts of first-degree murder and was sentenced to seven life terms, one without the possibility of parole.
Authorities suspect Thomas may have been responsible for as many as 30 murders and numerous rapes, making him one of the most prolific serial killers in Los Angeles history. His arrest brought long-awaited closure to the families of his victims, including those of Maybelle Hudson, whose death had haunted her relatives and the community for over three decades.
