Her friend and family reported her missing. Jimmie Allen Nelson, Call’s brother-in-law, who had helped search for Thomas, became a suspect. He initially lied to the police, giving conflicting accounts of his actions that night. He was eventually convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice but initially acquitted of murder.

Years later, Nelson was retried and convicted of second-degree murder. Authorities believed it was a hate crime due to Thomas’s race and Nelson’s history of racist violence. However, this conviction was later overturned due to new evidence implicating someone else. This new evidence is sealed, and it’s unknown if anyone else will be charged. Police strongly suspect foul play was involved in Thomas’s disappearance.