Texas Man Sentenced to 50 Years for Killing 7-Year-Old Son Over Donut Sticks
Jemaine Thomas was sentenced to 50 years after pleading guilty to killing his 7-year-old adopted son, Troy Koehler, for eating donut sticks. The child’s body was found in a blood-stained washing machine.
Jemaine Thomas, 45, has been sentenced to 50 years in prison after pleading guilty to the brutal murder of his 7-year-old adopted son, Troy Koehler, in July 2022. According to reports, Thomas beat and asphyxiated the child after discovering he had eaten some donut sticks without permission.
The horrific crime took place on July 28, 2022, in Harris County, Texas. Authorities were alerted when Troy was reported missing, only to discover his lifeless body stuffed inside a blood-stained top-load washing machine during the investigation.
Prosecutors presented damning evidence, including a chilling text Thomas sent shortly before the incident: “I need to get the [locks]. I’m going to end up kill[ing] him.” An autopsy later revealed Troy suffered blunt-force trauma, possible drowning, and asphyxiation.
The case drew national outrage, with many questioning how warning signs were missed. Thomas accepted a plea deal and was sentenced without the possibility of parole. The tragedy has sparked renewed calls for stricter monitoring in adoptive households and greater child welfare protections.
