A woman has been charged in the 2007 killing of a girlfriend whose dismembered body was placed in a bag and set on fire, officials said Wednesday in the latest of a series of cold case breakthroughs in recent months.
Angel Marie Thompson, 41, faces charges of murder and two counts of identify theft in the death of 24-year-old Nicole Alston. Investigators say they believe Alston was killed nearly 18 years ago before her smoldering remains were dumped at a Troup County intersection.
In the years that followed, detectives say Thompson assumed her partner’s identity, taking nearly $140,000 in government benefits through 2015. She also rented apartments and bought cars in Alston’s name, arrest warrants allege.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis announced the arrest at a news conference in her office, calling it one of the most gruesome cases she’s ever seen.
“There was no way to identify her,” said Willis, calling the case “horrific.” Alston’s remains were found Dec. 6, 2007, after Troup County deputies responded to a call about a burning bag at the corner of Whitfield and Stitcher roads, officials said.
For years, the case went cold. Then authorities caught a major break in early 2023 after sending evidence for DNA testing. Willis said forensics experts were able to identify Alston thanks to a genealogy test her sister had taken.
The evidence was resubmitted by longtime investigator Clay Bryant, who came out of retirement and rejoined the sheriff’s office to help review some of its unsolved cases. It’s part of a growing effort by law enforcement agencies across Georgia to take another look at previously unsolved homicides.
Investigators said Alston moved to Atlanta from New York with Thompson in 2007. The two rented an apartment in south Fulton County.
But investigators say they believe the relationship quickly turned abusive. Willis said Alston was sexually trafficked by her partner in the weeks and months leading up to her death. Thompson was unwilling to let Alston leave the relationship, Willis said, which resulted in the 24-year-old’s death.
Credit: Fulton County Sheriff's Office
Credit: Fulton County Sheriff's Office
“She didn’t deserve this, and I wish I never let her come to Georgia,” Alston’s mother, Sylvia Alston, told reporters through tears.
She described her daughter as bubbly and artistic. Nicole Alston had a smile that was infectious, her mother said, and she was always the life of the party.
Sandy Springs Detective John Nanoff said Thompson was already on dating websites the night Alston’s body was found. After her death, she used Alston’s name to open bank accounts, acquire a driver’s license, receive housing assistance and get Social Security benefits, he said.
“It’s astounding that she was able to do what she did for how long she did it,” Nanoff said. “I’ve never seen something so calculated and so meticulous before.”
Warrants allege Alston was likely killed inside the couple’s Palmetto apartment. Authorities said a test of the bathroom revealed large quantities of blood, even 17 years after the woman’s disappearance.
This week’s arrest isn’t the first time Thompson has been charged in connection with Alston’s disappearance. She was booked last August on a single charge of concealing the death of another after authorities in Troup County learned she had been collecting Alston’s government benefits for years, they said. She was released on bond two days later.
A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said they didn’t have enough evidence to charge Thompson with murder at the time, but partnered with Sandy Springs police and the DA’s office to continue the investigation.
Thompson is being held without bond at the Fulton County Jail. Willis said Thompson’s indictment will include human trafficking and murder charges, and that she plans to present the case to a grand jury by the end of October.
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
