More than three years after a woman was found dead in her south St. Louis home, her husband has been charged with her murder.
According to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, 34-year-old Karl Mayberry was arrested on Wednesday and charged with first-degree murder over the fatal shooting of his wife and the mother of his child, 31-year-old Alvatyne Thomas.
Thomas was Found Dead with Gunshot Wound to the Back, Defensive Wounds on Her Hand
Per the probable cause statement, officers were conducting a welfare check at about 10 p.m. on Dec. 27, 2021, at Thomas' home on Oregon Avenue when they found her deceased with a gunshot wound in the back.
A plastic bag was taped around her head, and bleach had been poured over her body. Investigators found no signs of forced entry into the home, and Thomas had defensive wounds on her hand.
Thomas and Mayberry were in an Abusive Relationship
During the investigation, detectives learned from Thomas' family that she was in an abusive relationship with Mayberry, according to the probable cause statement.
When police interviewed Mayberry, he said he was at work at the time of the killing, but multiple co-workers said he disappeared for several hours during work hours and returned wearing different clothes and visibly distraught, the statement said.
Mayberry Googled 'Murder Defenses,' Asked Criminal Defense Lawyer for Cost of Representation in a Murder Case
A search of Mayberry's phone and social media accounts revealed he had messaged someone shortly after the murder, describing details about the crime, including the plastic bag around Thomas' head, before police had released that information publicly.
His Google search history around the time of her death also included searching like "first degree murder defenses" and "can he say she say be used against a person for murder in Missouri." Investigators also found Mayberry had texted a criminal defense lawyer asking about the cost of representation in a murder case, according to the probable cause statement.
Mayberry is being held without bond at the St. Louis City Justice Center. Court records show he is currently on federally supervised probation for prior convictions, including assault and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
