A Henry County man will spend the rest of his life in prison after he was convicted of killing a Roswell woman who rejected his marriage proposal after the two briefly dated in 2019.
Antonio Wilson, of Hampton, was found guilty of murder by a Fulton County jury July 23, court records show. He was convicted of killing Fabiola Thomas at her apartment on June 8, 2019.
The jury spent only 30 minutes deliberating before returning a guilty verdict, Channel 2 Action News reported. Fulton Superior Court Judge Rachelle Carnesale then sentenced Wilson to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Wilson’s attorney immediately filed a motion for a new trial and a hearing was scheduled for Oct. 11, court records show.
“It’s one of the hardest crimes to make sure that we combat,” Fulton District Attorney Fani Willis said in an interview with Channel 2. “This is an issue that’s really close to home for me.”
Willis’ aunt, Brenda Bayham, was stabbed to death by her husband, the DA told the news station. In Bayham’s memory, Willis created a special prosecution unit focused on domestic violence that now bears her aunt’s name. Last month, prosecutors with the Brenda Bayham Domestic Violence Unit secured Wilson’s conviction.
Wilson met Thomas on a dating app in 2019, according to evidence presented at trial. The two dated briefly, but Thomas ultimately rejected Wilson’s advances. He continued trying to communicate with her in text messages and even proposed marriage.
“Keep your ring, I’m not your woman, never was, stop claiming me because I never claimed you,” Thomas wrote in a text.
When the two dated, Thomas took all of the proper precautions, according to prosecutors.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
“Ms. Thomas did everything that you would think you should do. She told her friends where she was going. She would only meet him in public places,” Assistant District Attorney Abigail Potter told Channel 2.
Thomas finally unfriended Wilson online. The next day, he killed her, prosecutors said.
They called Wilson’s assault of Thomas a “surprise attack” in her home on a weekday morning. Her roommate, who testified at the trial, found Thomas strangled in her bathtub.
“And that is the most chilling part because she’s getting ready for work, she’s in her pajamas,” ADA Nalda Charles told Channel 2.
During the trial, Wilson declined to speak or provide a statement, the news station reported.
He was booked into the Fulton jail on Oct. 25, 2019, and has remained there since. Originally indicted by Fulton District Attorney Paul Howard, court proceedings in Wilson’s case were delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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