Convicted Child Killer THOMAS SANDERS Faces Potential Death Penalty Again in Louisiana After Biden’s Clemency

In a shocking legal twist, THOMAS SANDERS, a convicted child killer whose death sentence was commuted to life in prison by former President JOE BIDEN, is now facing the possibility of execution once again in Louisiana. A grand jury in Catahoula Parish recently indicted the 67-year-old on state charges, reigniting a case that has sparked nationwide outrage.

THOMAS SANDERS was sentenced to death in 2014 by a federal jury in the Western District of Louisiana following his conviction for the 2010 kidnapping and murder of 12-year-old LEXIS ROBERTS of Las Vegas. Sanders was among 37 death row inmates who had their sentences commuted by President BIDEN in January 2021, just before he left office. This decision has drawn sharp criticism from prosecutors and the victim’s family.

“I found it outrageous that President Biden would use this clemency power to commute the sentence of a child killer,” BRAD BURGET, Catahoula Parish District Attorney, told Fox News Digital. “Whatever your politics are, it doesn’t matter. This was a 12-year-old girl who watched her mother be brutally killed by Mr. Sanders. He then kidnapped her, traveled across the country, and executed her in the most horrific manner imaginable.”

According to court documents, Sanders met LEXIS’ mother, SUELLEN ROBERTS, in 2010 while working at a Las Vegas warehouse. After a brief relationship, Sanders and Suellen embarked on a road trip to the Grand Canyon over Labor Day weekend. During their return, Sanders diverted off Interstate 40 into an Arizona desert, where he fatally shot Suellen. He then abducted LEXIS, holding her captive for several days before driving her to rural Catahoula Parish, Louisiana. There, he shot the girl four times and slit her throat with a homemade knife. Hunters discovered her body in October 2010, leading to a nationwide manhunt that culminated in Sanders’ arrest at a Mississippi truck stop the following month.

“This child suffered a horrible death,” BURGET said. “And I believe the only appropriate penalty for Sanders is the death penalty. The federal prosecutors did an incredible job securing justice for Lexis and her family. Biden’s decision to commute his sentence undermines that justice.”

Motivated by what he described as an “abuse of authority,” BURGET presented the case to a Catahoula Parish grand jury earlier this week. The jury indicted Sanders on state charges, reopening the possibility of a death penalty verdict. “I think we’ll be successful, but only time will tell,” BURGET added. “I’ll put it in the hands of a jury. When the jury makes a decision, you have to respect it. I trust the Catahoula Parish jury will make the right choice.”

BURGET clarified that under Louisiana law, district attorneys cannot charge individuals with capital offenses without a grand jury’s approval. Since Sanders was initially prosecuted federally, state charges were never pursued. “There was a warrant for his arrest out of Catahoula Parish that was never executed due to the federal case,” he explained. “Now, we’re seeking justice at the state level.”

The case has reignited debates over clemency and the death penalty, drawing attention to the broader implications of Biden’s decision to commute federal death sentences during his presidency. For LEXIS ROBERTS’ family and prosecutors, the fight for justice continues.

[Sources: Fox News Digital](#)
[Justice Department Case Details](#)