“I don’t beat Nicole. I teach her hard lessons out of love.” The Moment the “Crybaby” Killer Was Stunned Upon Capture: The Cruel Charade Behind a “Lesson in Love”

What happened? How did you guys We were arguing. She said she wasn’t feeling good. She fell over on the floor.  This is 37year-old Thomas Joe Gray. On the floor receiving CPR is his 34year-old living girlfriend Nicole Booth. And tensions are high.  Sir, ma’am,  we need to step back from her.  I step back.

 I asked to give me a minute. Please figure out what’s going on.  I told you what’s going on. She said she wasn’t feeling good and she fell. A desperate father terrified he’s lost the mother of his children.  Listen,  let me talk to him.  You You need to calm down.  I’m trying to calm down.  Or something else.

 Tom is like a conspiracy theory. He’s up. I love him, but he’s my brother and he he’s up.  What really happened to Nicole?  How she ended up with a a lacerated spleen.  She is black and blue wrapped up cuts. And how will her family come to terms with the terrifying actions of a man they thought they knew?  You’re looking back and and probably thinking, “Is there some signs that I missed?”  abused cats all the time.

 He’d throw cats up in the air and kick them.  The kids aren’t going to say anything because they’re afraid.  Well, I think he brainwashed her and the kids like Charlie Manson. A little after 4:30 p.m. on November 15th, 2021, the Ashtabiola County Sheriff’s Office responds to a quiet street in Cherry Valley Township, Ohio.

 Sorry, I’m in your way.  We have someone take the bag for him and Chris is going to get on the chest here.  I’m okay. They’re still giving CPR. Nicole is unresponsive on the floor.  They were arguing and he said she just fell over.  Where is he?  Right here.  Sir, we need to talk to you. Okay, sir.

Hey, I know you’re going through a lot, but we have to talk to you to get some ideas of what’s going on. Okay.  Can you leave me alone, please?  I need to understand.  I got to get a hold OF SOMEBODY FOR MY KIDS.  OKAY. I need to know what’s going on. Tom is panicking and the couple’s two young children are right there on the scene with them.

 Did you guys see anything? No. Okay. Hey, do you guys do you guys want to come outside with me and and you guys want to be separate from all this?  I’d rather have her in their bedroom.  If you guys want to go to your bedroom, I’ll talk to your dad. Okay.  Sir, I want to be with my kids, man. I  I understand, sir, but I I need a kid.

But I I need you outside with me. Okay.  I want to be with my kids.  I I understand that, but I need you outside.  Leaving my kids, sir. Sir, I I I need I need Listen, I  want to call her.  It’s It’s going to be okay. I just I need to talk to you. Okay.  Is that your wife or their mom?  That’s my girlfriend, the mother of my children. Okay.

 What were all the bruises all over her legs?  He ignores the question. He’s totally focused on his kids and he’s convinced his girlfriend is dead already. It was Tom who called 911.  911. What is the address of your emergency?  Yes. I need an ambulance. 3028 No Road. Tell me exactly what happened.  My girlfriend’s not breathing.

 Is she awake?  No.  Is she breathing?  No.  Okay, we’ve got help on the way.  Nicole.  The operator talked him through CPR, but it didn’t last long.  I got to call somebody. I GOT TO GET MY KIDS out of here.  Sir, we need to continue chest compression. Most important thing right now.  Get out of the room.

 Now on the scene, he’s still not cooperating.  Does she have any medical issues?  Um, not that I know of. No. She been in the hospital or anything? Complaining about anything?  She says she hasn’t been feeling good.  What are all the cuts and bruises all over her?  How did your mommy get the bruises all over her?  You leave them alone.

 No,  sir.  Ma’am,  we need dude. Step back from step back.  I asked to give me a minute. Please.  Listen, you’re not going to tell me how to run my tarantine.  I’m not I’m not telling you. I just asked you to figure out what’s going on. I just asked for you to give me a minute.

 Can you please not talk to me like that?  How about listen to me?  I have been listening TO YOU. WILL YOU PLEASE LISTEN to me?  I’m trying to talk to you and I’m trying to be nice about it. I’m trying to figure out so we can help the EMTs so they can understand what’s going on.  I told you what’s going on. She said she wasn’t feeling good and she fell.

 The situation escalates until the officers have no choice but to cuff him.  Turn around.  I am turned around. I’m not biting you. I’m not resisting you. I’m just asking you to give me a hand. Please don’t do this in front of my kids.  Please don’t do this in front of my kids.  I’m trying to help the EMTs so they could save Nicole. Okay.

 What happened? How did she end up on the floor?  We took a shower. She wasn’t feeling good. We took a shower. We went out to the couch. She said she wasn’t feeling good. She got down on the floor and she fell over. I tried getting her up. I got some water. I threw some water on her. She didn’t wake up.  Okay. You need to stand up.

Stand up.  Can you take these off so I can  No, absolutely not. Please.  Absolutely not.  You have to understand we’re trying to figure out what’s going on as well. You have to be cooperative. You know,  I am being cooperative.  You’re telling us You’re not telling us anything cuz you’re here to help your kids. Sir, do not walk away.

 Trying to sit down, man.  Have a seat right here. Okay. Right here.  Deal with this nonsense.  I’m not dealing with nonsense.  So, you’re telling me you guys were in an argument and she magically just fell and passed out? Right there. She’s got cuts and bruises all over her legs.  Instead of answering, he hits the ground.

 Sir, you’re going to hurt yourself.  I can’t breathe.  You’re talking. You can breathe. Fine.  I can’t breathe.  Listen,  I never said I was putting him in jail.  He I can’t I don’t have the ability to put him in prison right now.  We don’t know what we’re doing with dad. Okay, we’ll we’ll figure it out with him.

 Let’s see. So, Let’s uh this this ain’t happening. So, we need to put him in a police car.  Yes.  Okay.  Please give me a minute. I’m just trying to catch my breath.  Okay. We’ve given you several minutes now.  I know.  Kids. Kids. He’s going to go have a seat.  They put him in the back of a cruiser and with him out of the way, they can try to understand exactly what’s wrong with Nicole and why.

 She has bruises all over her legs and bandaged cuts. Neither one could have been caused by her fall, and nor can the bruises around her eyes. This isn’t some freak medical emergency. With the bruises and the way Tom’s acting, the officers are beginning to suspect something much more sinister. Nicole was born in Pittsburgh in a big family with one sister and two brothers, and she dreamed of starting a big family of her own.

 But her life hadn’t been easy. She’d previously been in a bad relationship. Her husband was a drug addict and it was when she was living with him in North Carolina that she met Tom. He was her tattoo artist and it was almost love at first sight. He spirited her away to Ohio. They had two kids and the rest is history, happily ever after, or so she thought.

 Today things have turned out quite differently.  He’s running around sweating crazy.  She’s laying in the living room like near the dining table area, completely unconscious, not breathing. They’re giving her CPR. injuries on her when you’re looking at her?  Oh, absolutely. Did you see her legs?  I haven’t seen her yet.

 She is black and blue wrapped up cuts.  Nicole is transported to the hospital. And with Tom uncooperative, the officers turned to the kids as the only other witnesses on the scene.  What about what happened and why happened to your mom?  I don’t know. I think  what happened  because she can’t breathe, right? Yeah.

Where was she at before that happened? All I know they’re in there trying to get washed up and I don’t I was I think I was getting ready to keep  Oh why  I don’t know.  Okay.  And and and my dad come running in here and my dad said she’s not breathing and he put water on her and stuff.  So when was the last time you saw your mom and she was okay? Was she hanging out with you guys today? Were you guys all home today? Did you go to school? No, we we we haven’t been doing school because we’ve been behind,

 right? Okay.  The kids aren’t all that helpful either.  So, mom and dad are usually they’re they’re pretty friendly. They’re nice to each other. They love each other. They’re not they’re not fighting and hurting each other.  Are you sure? Okay. Okay.  They show the officers the shower area where their mom was before she fell.

 Who’s wheel who’s in a wheelchair?  Uh my mom was using it for a shower. Oh, is she have a hard time walking or Oh, she does. What happened?  Oh, has she always had a hard time walking or No.  Oh, okay.  Okay. Sorry. I was trying to ask the kids cuz dad wasn’t talking to me.  I I go, “Okay, what happened? What happened to mom’s legs? Why are they all bruised?” And he goes, “Don’t talk to them. You’re not talking.

”  Okay.  Maybe there’s an innocent link between Nicole’s bruised legs and the wheelchair. Or maybe there isn’t. How come when I was trying to talk to you back there when your dad was in the room, he kept shaking his head like don’t talk to me?  How does dad not want you talking to us?  Um, this is the only thing he has.

 When you’re saying this is the only thing he has, what do you mean? What’s the thing he has?  He like we don’t have really a lot of time.  I say I family, right? Family is most important. Did like your mom and dad teach you that like family stick together? Family is most important.

 About 20 minutes later, Tom’s parents arrive.  Me and Tom are that close.  Okay.  Uh we have issues from when he was a kid.  Mhm.  I talk to the kids on the phone. I see them when I can.  He brings the kids on occasion to see me. And  And they’re doing What kind of schooling are the kids doing?  They’re doing homeschooling.

 Oh, got a computer or something?  Uhhuh. The school teaches them at home. In all honesty, I have never ever ever seen Nikki’s house look like this. Never. and she’s been what in this family for 10 years loving and her house is normally spotless.  This is red flag after red flag, but the real revelations arrive with Tom’s sister.

 Nice to meet you.  Uh yeah, I’ve been out here to check on Nikki a couple times.  Okay.  I know that my brother has been physically  abusive  abusive to her in the past.  Okay. Um, last time I was out here was probably about two weeks ago and Nikki was unrecognizable. Honestly, I’ve been in fear to contact you guys.

 She’s asked me not to contact you guys.  What do you mean unrecognizable?  Like you you didn’t look like my sister-in-law.  Like cuts, bruises, scrapes,  up.  Okay.  I mean, her whole face was swelled.  Oh.  Um, and like I said, she’s begged me not to call you guys. I think in fear of what may happen,  okay,  to her.

 Um,  that was 2 weeks ago. about two weeks ago. I would say  the kids did say she has some trouble walking, but  they they didn’t say why she couldn’t breathe like  No, they said they didn’t really see anything. So, but I think it’s in fear that he has told them  probably  not to talk.  Probably.  Does is is that usually what happened?  Um I just he doesn’t say a lot to them in front of me.

 Okay.  I just know that he he doesn’t like the cops and that he’s kind of trained the kids the same way. My pop said that you guys said that you were struggling to keep her like alive.  Yeah. So  scary. She’s a good woman.  Yeah. Is it typical just arguments or is it like the same thing? You think  I know that they fight a lot.

 Like I said, I I know my brother being physically abusive prior to Nikki.  Okay.  Um I still speak to his ex-girlfriend.  Tom’s sister is close with the kids and the hope is she might be able to convince them to talk. Listen, I know you’re sad and I know you’re scared, but your mommy needs help, okay? Your daddy needs help.

 Your daddy shouldn’t be doing these things, okay? Come here, baby. You can sit down. They’re going to talk to you and they’re going to ask you guys some questions, okay? You didn’t hear them fight tonight. Have they been fighting the past couple days like they do when aunt comes out to visit and check on you guys?  Yes, they have been.

 Were they fighting in the bathroom? You said they were in the shower together. I I think so. Vampire.  I know you don’t want to jail, baby.  I know you don’t want him to go to jail, but listen to me. You’re not in trouble. And listen, they daddy might go to jail, but listen to me.

 I know you don’t want him to go to jail. No. No. Listen to me. No, nobody likes to go to jail. Annie has been to jail before, but it’s because I was bad and I had to go to jail. Okay?  And now she’s your favorite cuz she got help. When you make bad choices, you have to go to jail and and and you have consequences.

 And this will help your mom and this will help your dad get the help that he needs. Hopefully. I love your daddy, but your daddy has not been okay for a long time.  Your dad’s not even going to know you told us.  Yeah.  You’ll have no  They won’t tell your daddy that you said anything.  Finally, this gets through to the kids.

 Did your daddy cause the bruises?  Yes, he did.  Do you know how daddy caused the bruises? Did he hit her with something or did he hit her? What did he hit her with?  Like his part of his BB gun and stuff.  Part of a BB gun.  Did you notice any blood from her mouth?  Was mommy’s mouth bleeding  sometimes?  Sometimes.

 Um, I can’t say that I don’t feel bad for her, but she’s not done anything to fix the situation. You know, like I said, she’s asked me not to call you guys before,  and I I struggle, you know, like I’ve been leaving here and they’ve like, “Don’t call the cops. Don’t call the cops when you leave here.

 You know what I’m saying?  Did you Did you hear mommy fall today, too?  I don’t think so. I think two.  So, how many times did you see daddy hit mommy with the  only? I think so. Only like today.  Two or three times?  Only today? You said  last night? I think so. Do  you ever get scared for your mom?  Yes, they do often.

 Do  you ever feel like daddy’s going to hurt mom so bad that she’s not going to live?  Sometimes. sometimes. And does daddy tell you not to say anything?  It’s okay, baby. Listen, we want your mommy to live, right?  I could tell him that you’re scared for you. You’re scared for her?  Yeah.

 Was she hurt last night?  I think so.  Did you hear anything?  Anybody say help?  Did mommy yell for your help?  Yeah, I think last night.  Last night.  Does daddy ever hurt you guys?  No,  I don’t think so usually. I mean, I’m not going to say he doesn’t whoop their ass, you know, but um I don’t think he really like beats on them like  like does he ever hurt you like he does mommy?  No.

 Do you guys ever tell him to stop?  You guys ever ask daddy to stop hitting on your mommy? What does he tell you?  You don’t even know.  Is that when he sends you to your room?  No, not when  Okay. Do you know what they were arguing about last night? Did you hear anything?  They argue about shit from 10 years ago.

I’ll tell you that. Literally. How long have they been together?  About 10, 11 years.  Okay.  10 or 11 years of tension. And today, finally, it’s reached its breaking point, and the kids are caught in the crossfire. What the detectives don’t yet realize is how deep this situation goes.  Hey, you guys are doing very good.

 Okay.  You could be our little secret.  You’re helping us.  Daddy’s Daddy won’t know. Daddy’s not here. He don’t know. I won’t tell on you. You know that. Okay.  Where daddy is. I’m not sure where daddy is right now. Okay.  Your dad’s not here, so he doesn’t even know you’re talking to us.  Is he still in the car?  Yeah, but he’s not here.

 They have him in a car not here right now,  so he doesn’t know what’s going on.  Kept in isolation from his kids and the ongoing investigation. A detective comes to interview Tom in the back of the cruiser.  Have you ever been in trouble before, Tom?  I don’t I don’t recognize you, so that’s why I’m asking.

 We We typically know the frequent fires. He has an OVI charge operating a vehicle under the influence that dates from 2018, but nothing since.  So, you just said a few minutes ago that you and Nicole been arguing pretty regularly for for quite a while now. Couple weeks. What are you guys arguing about? Money, work.

 You guys ever get physical? Tom, look at me. You guys ever get physical?  Can you do me a favor?  What’s that? One in favor and I’ll talk to you for hours if you want.  What do you need?  Let me go in and sit with my kids and hold my kids cuz I’m going to need to give you things anyway. Are  you going to need to give me things?  Yes, sir.

 All right. I don’t know if I can allow you to go in and sit with your kids because because because you’ve already told the kids not to say anything,  please.  What if I have them come out and uh and  I want to give you things. I have tons of things to give you.  Like what?  Boxes of stuff.  I look boxes of stuff.

 Boxes of stuff.  Like what?  Tons of stuff. I don’t  That doesn’t help me.  I’m interested in what happened tonight. Okay, Thomas. Thomas, listen to me. Hey, Nicole didn’t sustain those injuries from falling. And you know that.  I know. But you want me to talk to you, sir, please? I asked you for one favor.

 And if Nicole don’t make it, you’re going to need everything that I have in there.  Well, I’ll get a search warrant and get all that stuff.  As they start driving to the police department, Tom continues to be uncooperative.  You don’t have to.  I told you we’ve been fighting seriously like every day for a long time  in an escal and it escalated tonight.

 Look, you’re trying to put me in a position I don’t want to be in and that’s making me  I I don’t want to I wouldn’t want to be in that position either. I I get that. that I understand.  I don’t know what kind of information I can give her.  Well, you said you had boxes of information.

 What does that even mean? What is in the boxes? How does that help us? How does that help her?  You know, if you look  No, I need you to use your words and tell me. Tell me with your words what that even means. Is it Is it papers? Is it items? What is it? What’s in the boxes? How does it help?  All kinds.  No, you can’t help me out any more than that.

 It’s paperwork.  Okay. How’s that help? How’s it helper at the hospital to die?  I don’t have nothing that’s going to help her at the hospital to keep her from dying over there. He can’t explain the relevance of the boxes or won’t.  You’re not carping. You’ve given us no information to pass on to the doctors.

 I tried to tell you the information and I’ve tried to tell you what I can give you, but you just turned around and asked me the question that I told you you did. You said, “What is in those boxes that’s going to save her life?” And you know that’s a dumb question. I can’t believe you would say something to me like that at a time like this.

 If you’re going to do that, you should wait until you get to the office and and tell me then, sir, is it not good enough that I’m trying to talk to you? Is it not good enough that I called for services? Is it not good enough that I tried to give you information? You know, there’s nothing in my house that’s going to save her.

 What happened to her?  You know, there’s nothing in my house that’s going to save her.  Tom seems adamant that whatever is wrong with Nicole is fatal. Perhaps because he had something to do with it. But the truth of their relationship is even more disturbing than the officers are prepared for.  Good evening.

 Thomas Gley is going to be placed in a holding cell by himself until he’s interviewed by detective.  Okay.  With Tom in holding, another officer goes to check on the condition of Nicole. She’s in grave condition, barely clinging to life. There are cigarette burns on her arms and legs alongside the bruises. Her skull is fractured.

 Her eyes are damaged. And most tragic of all, they can detect no brain activity. It’s unlikely she will ever regain consciousness, if she even survives. The next morning, the detectives bring Tom for another interview.  Thomas, I spoke to you last night. I don’t know if you remember. My name’s Detective Ward.

 I don’t know if you remember speaking with me.  And it’s clear a night in jail hasn’t calmed him down.  These are pretty simple terms. So, I’m not sure why you’re having a difficult time in understanding what your rights are. I’m having difficulty understanding what they are. Because it doesn’t matter what they are.  You mean sure it matters?  No, it doesn’t.

 Okay. Why doesn’t it matter?  Because I tried to be as honest with you as I could yesterday and you just pretty much took me for a joke.  No, I didn’t take you for a joke. Listen, we’re not going to play. You either want to discuss how Nicole sustained her injuries and how how she has bruising all over her body that’s in various stages of healing.

 How she ended up with a a lacerated spleen or we could go back and actually put you back into jail.  She’s in critical condition, but it doesn’t look good.  Well, she’s got to be breathing. I mean, if she wasn’t breathing, she’d be dead. I can breathe with machine. She’s breathing. Is that relief on his face or fear that maybe Nicole is going to survive to tell them what he did to her?  I still don’t understand what the boxes and the paperwork has to do with her or her injuries. I don’t I don’t get it.

 Is that separate from what uh I’m not I mean I guess unless the the boxes of paperwork has to do with the confession of the murders or something. Nicole’s injuries speak volumes. Okay,  sure. How makes you feel if  can I ask you some personal questions?  No, you’re not asking me any personal questions.

 I just want to know how you would feel if you were away from your children.  Tom is trying to control the flow of the interview.  Nicole’s injury speaks volumes. Okay. Uh and your children are pretty helpful too. I you know that’s that’s  I understand. I understand because I raised my children to be honest and not to lie.

 And I raised my children to tell the truth. Just because I can tell I can tell my children anything that I want.  I can tell my children anything I want. They are my children. Laugh in my face all you want, sir.  Well, what do you call it? Snickering.  Yeah.  Well, that’s cuz you know, snicker in my face all you want, sir.  Yes, we’ve been fighting, but no, we haven’t been fighting like you would think with this and everything.

 Well, I mean, every most married couple or couples fight. Uh there’s the verbal arguments, yes, disagreements over finances or whatever. And then there’s physical altercations.  Yes, sir.  But that’s the problem that I have with my rights and that’s the problem that I have with talking to you guys.

 You say you love her, but your actions say something different. You didn’t say, “Hey, yeah, this is this is what happened to her. This is, you know, just to let you guys know that way you can pass this on to the medical staff at the hospital that she’s going to.” I mean, look at me. You you wanted to talk about papers and boxes instead.

 I cannot make sense of what is going on myself. And there’s no way I can make sense.  Why can’t I make you make sense of what is going on?  Why?  Especially in 5 minutes.  Why can’t you make sense of what’s going on? Because Nicole Because Nicole has lied to me and manipulated me and uh and made me forget portions of my life.

 And  how does she make you forget portions?  That’s what I was going to try to put on that piece of paper.  Okay.  Try to help you.  You’re saying that she manipulated you and lied to you. Was that when you kick her ass?  Why you say kick her ass? You don’t seem to understand much anything.

 You’re not going to You’re not going to control this. You’re not going to control this interview like you control your like you’ve controlled Nicole.  Sir, I have you as I can.  Yes, I have. I told you I can’t even understand 10 years of my life. How do I make you understand it in five? I don’t understand 10 years of my life.

 How do I make you understand only five minutes?  Only honest thing you’ve said is you’ve been married for 10 years and you’ve had you have two kids.  It’s clear Tom isn’t going to provide any clarity. So, the interview is terminated. 2 days later, Nicole dies of her injuries in hospital surrounded by her family and the investigation goes from assault to homicide.

 Luckily and unluckily for Tom, there’s a whole host of people in his life who are willing to talk to the detectives. And what they say reveals that Nicole’s bruises are just the beginning.  See, I appreciate you coming out.  Yeah. Yeah. You guys are aware that Nicole passed away?  Yeah.  Okay.

 I basically I’ve been interviewing everybody that had contact with your brother, friends, family members, everybody, and just kind of gathering information and trying to figure out how we got from a relationship that seemingly started about a decade ago, 10 years ago, or somewhere around there, to the events that occurred on November 15th.  Because this is a crime 10 years in the making.

 This is Nicole’s father, and this is his wife, her stepmother. They wanted to protect Nicole, but they weren’t given the chance.  I haven’t seen Nicole for 5 years or the kids because I had done a call trying to get a welfare check on them and he had found out about it and then he stopped me from seeing the kids and all this stuff.

 But Connie had seen him just a couple years ago. Nicole had called her and got  there. I mean it it all started like they were coming around and visiting us and you know we were seeing the kids and then our son became a police officer. Tom hates police officers so they weren’t allowed to come around us anymore. So I tried to still keep contact with Nicole as much as I could.

The only way we were ever allowed to talk to her is on the speaker phone. We had to call his phone talk to her. Tom’s own mom and stepdad, who calls him TJ, tell a similar story.  I mean, TJ has let me call and talk to the grandkids. Um, the grandkids have called me.  He’s a control freak.

 He has to be in control of everybody’s life. He makes your business his business, no matter what it is. She wasn’t allowed to answer the telephone or mom mom mom mom mom mom mom mom mom mom mom mom mom mom mom mom mom mom mom mom mom or dad called if TJ wasn’t there to listen in.  So if if if Thomas wasn’t there and somebody called Nicole she was not allowed to answer the phone  and she and he read all her text messages.

 What about what if did she ever have a desire to go out and get a job?  No.  She didn’t want she didn’t want to work or Tom wouldn’t let her work. Um, I think he wouldn’t let her work.  Okay.  Uh, she would be at home with the kids.  So, you’re you’re saying that um uh you would talk to Nikki pretty regularly, but as as  as time relationship progressed, it became less and less frequent.

 Tom’s sister says the same.  What was his belief about women?  I he just he thinks a woman has a place and she should know where her place is. and  and his and did he ever tell you where that place was at? Did he ever  uh No, not not really. Um, you know, he just kind of had like this speak when spoken to, you know,  that was his theory when it came to women.

 You knew some of his ex-girlfriends?  Yes. I still speak to some of his ex-girlfriends.  Were they allowed to work?  Um, some of them, some of them not. He’s always been real um controlling though uh as far as like who they spoke to. I know Nikki really her leader wasn’t allowed to have a cell phone. I know she did like I mean even like being there and stuff like I never got 2 seconds with Nikki like he wouldn’t walk around this corner if he couldn’t physically see us to where we couldn’t be like  you know like nothing like you know we

never I never got a chance to.  But where did this behavior start?  Him and my mom had some issues and I guess I would maybe say that I’ve seen a little bit of a difference in him. Um like my mom got social security for us because my my dad my dad cut himself off,  right?  And she hid that for me and Tom like for a long time.

 Okay.  Um Tom moved out of home before he was ever 18.  Okay.  He I know that he was having some trouble like financially and he had asked mom for, you know, some money for some things and stuff and she like tried to make it all like she didn’t have money, you know, she didn’t get her check anymore, you know, whatever.

 And I know that that’s part of what makes me think that TJ has a lot of his anger issues. Um cuz my mom lied to him and I know Nikki’s life, you know, been lying to him about things, had lied to him, you know, on and off. And I think that’s a lot of where the anger comes from. TJ has a toxic relationship with us.

 He doesn’t want to hear anything we have to say. He’s been mad at us forever. His dad committed suicide.  Okay. and I got social security for him and one and all his life I’ve been in no good because I spent their $100,000 and didn’t save enough money to buy them a house and  he blah blah blah he you know the biblical talking and stuff like that had he always been like that he seemed to have like a there’s a bit of a paranoia with him  he’s always been that way  okay yeah Yeah, there the CIA, DEA,  everybody’s watching.

 Everybody’s watching him, bugging his phone.  And you said that uh I’m sorry I didn’t mean to interrupt you, but you said that uh he talked to you and said that Nicole was trying to set him up. Did he elaborate on  No, just that uh she was she just he just kept saying she’s trying to me. She’s recorded you and she’s recorded grandma and she’s recorded everybody.

Did you know she was recording you? Why would I care if she records me?  I’m not doing her saying anything. You know, just he’s been paranoid forever.  Was there something that occurred in his life that led to that? He’s just been like that since he was younger.  Yeah.  He used to be he used to do a lot of things that abuse cats all the time.

He’d throw cats up in the air and kick them.  He was abused as a kid. Actually,  they recall one time when he was a kid after they’d gifted him a BB gun.  He was out, we had a little wet spot in our yard and he was out there shooting frogs. And when yelled out the kitchen window, I was in the kitchen, but he couldn’t see me.

 She said, “TJ, quit shooting problems. They didn’t do nothing to you.” He said, “Shut up or I’ll shoot you.” TJ would keep pounding if he had you down. An eye come out, bleeding out of the eye. I mean, that’s the way TJ’s always been. I mean, he doesn’t have an off once he gets he doesn’t have an off  once he gets started.

 He doesn’t know when to quit.  I mean,  I guess is what you’re saying.  Yeah. Well, no, he never did because Yes. I’ve slapped that boy in the mouth, you know, sitting right at the dinner table.  Shut up.  And DJ, be quiet. I’m begging you. Just shut up. And and I’d say that 10 times and he’s come across the table and my yes I have backhanded and he still you know God shut up when he was what 15 years old if he didn’t get his own way he bang his head into the wall.

 I remember being, you know, 18 years old, 19 years old and like wondering when I went to bed like if my brother was going to be in jail or dead rather, you know, he killed himself or somebody, you know, something on the streets, you know, or even his girlfriend, you know, if he was going to kill one of them and you know, like I say that, but still at the end of the day, like I never thought Tom would be capable of it.

 You know what I’m saying?  Tom has a criminal record, but not for violence. According to one of his childhood friends,  I know they met when he got out of prison. He basically went to prison for ecstasy or something like that in Florida. He had like a bunch of He had like 15 pills on. They tried to pin him for a drug dealer.

 He did 6 years. When he got out, he went to South Carolina and that’s when he met Nicole.  Thomas had wars.  Thomas Thomas had wars.  And we found out about that when Abigail was in the hospital and they had come to do an arrest. But since his daughter was in the shape that she was in, they let him go.

 And  was that at her?  That was at her birth.  Yeah. Okay.  When she had issues,  she was born with it’s called gastroes where all her organs were born like outside of her body.  Wow.  We actually the first time we ever saw him treat her badly that concerned us. My son went to the Army Reserve or the Army boot camp and we went for his graduation and they came.

 He wasn’t able to get on the base because he didn’t have a driver’s license and had a criminal record. So, she came with us and went on the base and went to the graduation and when we got back to the car, we were like in a lot of traffic. It was taking a long long time and he called her and just screamed at her and was massing her.

 And that was the first like time we were like, “Oh my god.” You know, something  How long ago was that, do you think?  That was like 2013.  Okay.  Like 2013. That was the first time we knew anything was something was wrong.  It wouldn’t be the last such instance. And it wasn’t out of the ordinary for Tom either.  I’ve fought him over, you know, women he’s been with.

 I watched him take his ex-girlfriend’s glasses off of her face and sit them down and flex them out of her and I was on my feet ready to fight him.  Tom’s sister remembers one particularly bad night with Nicole  that night. I actually I seen Tom hit her. Um I picked her up out of the floor.  Did he smack her close?  I think he just slapped her like really hard.

 Like I mean it knocked her off on the couch.  Okay.  And I remember when I hugged Nikki, she said to me, “Please don’t leave me. he’s going to kill me. She said it aloud, you know, afterwards you could hear her. And I mean, I’ I’ve cried with Nikki on a handful of occasions, you know, and asked her like, “Why do you do this to yourself?” You know, again, always with TJ right there, you know, she had she admitted, you know, to lying to him.

 And when he knows she’s lying, she lies more. And I’m sure that’s not a fear.  I just, you know, I tried to encourage her. I’ve asked them both like, “Why the you guys doing like  why the haven’t you ran away? And why the fuck haven’t you ran away? You know, if she’s lying to you and she’s making you this miserable, crazy mess, you know, why the are you still here? And you know, the kids, the kids, the kids, you know, it was it was all about the kids. I don’t know.

 I feel like Tom I don’t think Tom really meant to kill her at the same time. Like I heard him say, you know, like I’m going to kill this rely on me. You know what I’m saying?  Like I said, I was he called me. I have messages and everything else where he called me on the 25th in the morning and I went out there and Nikki was beat up.

 That was October 25th, just 3 weeks before the final fatal attack on Nicole.  Yeah. Yeah. It looked like it looked like she had it looked I don’t know if it was maybe a broken nose or she it looked like she had been punched in the nose is what it looked like cuz right here was all black and blue and then you know there there was probably I mean there was there had to have been some swelling around there was some swelling around her eyes and everything else but it wasn’t like oh my god you know he’s he’s going to kill her it’s like all

right you made a dumbass decision what the is wrong with you know type and everything else you know I guess because then my thinking was is that you know and then I you know I said as I backed around that corner that if you want to leave, we can leave.  Mhm.  You know, and she didn’t say anything. And I figured that would give her some type of reassurance that I was there for her, not for Tom,  right?  You know, but but looking up, you know, cuz I didn’t know anything about Stockholm syndrome until on the 26th,

27th, I looked all that up,  you know, and learned about, you know, Stockholm syndrome. They won’t leave because they’re afraid of what they don’t know,  right?  Tom was manipulating Nicole into staying with him. And not just Nicole.  Well, I think he brainwashed her and the kids.  The kids for sure. Yeah.

 Kids are terrified to go to McDonald’s because McDonald’s will have you arrested.  Yeah. He’s had an incident at McDonald’s.  He’s been thrown out Walmart.  Oh, they they need so much help.  Exactly.  They have to get major.  It’s bad.  I mean, I try with like I talk a little bit to them every night and once in a while they’ll bring some things up, but for the most part, they don’t talk about their mom at all. Mhm.

 Like I don’t know if she was even allowed to be around. Like did he have a clock in a room?  Yeah. He always he had a big thought about having a place in the middle of the woods and have his followers. It’s like Charlie Manson.  He isolated his family, homeschooling the kids and not letting Nicole have a job.

 He created a situation where his kids wouldn’t even think of telling the cops what he was doing to their mom like he’d planned it that way.  All right. He he had made a request that, you know, I’ll tell you what you want if you let me go in and hug my kids. And, you know, I thought about it briefly, but it wasn’t to me it wasn’t worth the risk. I I don’t know him.

 I didn’t, you know, I don’t know anything about his past. I didn’t but I didn’t want to put the kids in a position uh or I don’t know if he was a flight risk. I really don’t didn’t up to Monday night, I didn’t know who Thomas Jr. was. So, I didn’t know. Um I I just didn’t want to put There’s too many too many risks by doing that.

 I’m glad you did.  Yeah,  cuz you can ask her.  I have a theory about what he would have done, but I’m  And you’re right.  Because what do you think he would have done?  Killed the kids.  Well, and killed himself if he could.  A possible trigger might have been a family event she’d wanted to go to.

 when Tom was adamant about keeping her isolated. She’d lied about it to plate him and then he found out and the most tragic of events followed, but it’s only a theory. We can’t know for certain why he did what he did. Sometimes there isn’t a reason, only an escalating pattern of control and abuse. One thing remains, the supposed boxes of paperwork Tom kept mentioning in his interview.

 He talked about them like they’d somehow explain what had happened to Nicole or what he’d done to her. It’s July the following year with Tom awaiting trial in jail that the truth comes out. In a recorded call, he tells his mom to clean up some documents. When the detectives talk to her, she reveals what those documents really are.

 A notebook listing the men Nicole had slept with. Apparently, Tom forced Nicole to write it out as evidence of her wrongdoing, but it’s far from mitigating a murder. And there’s plenty more damning evidence found on Tom’s phone. On October 24th, just a few weeks before her death, he’d filmed several videos of Nicole looking battered and bruised with the kids seemingly unbothered.

 In one, he threatened her with a machete. In another, he said, “I don’t beat Nicole. I teach her hard lessons out of love.” Ultimately, it was one of these hard lessons that killed her. Initially, he’s found incompetent to stand trial. However, after treatment, he pleads guilty to the charge of aggravated murder. He sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.

 But it’s cold comfort for all the people who knew the couple, who will forever wonder what signs they missed, and what, if anything, they could have done to convince Nicole to accept the help that might have saved her life. What do you think about this chilling story? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

 Until next time, stay safe, keep up with our channel, and we’ll see you very soon on the Decoder.