Monday, November 10, 2008 10:23 PM CST
Man says he's not guilty of trying to kill ex-girlfriend
Police allege Thomason went to ex's workplace, tried to stab, choke her
By DAVE FOPAY, Staff Writer
dfopay@jg-tc.com
CHARLESTON — A man pleaded not guilty Monday to charges accusing him of trying to kill his former girlfriend at her workplace last month.
Justin T. Thomason entered the plea to charges of attempted murder that alleged he stabbed and choked Amber N. Kemp while she was working at Security Finance in Charleston on the afternoon of Oct. 17.
Police documents in Thomason’s case say Kemp told officers that Thomason said, “I’m going to kill you” to her before pulling out a pocket knife, trying to stab her stomach but cutting her hand. She said he also grabbed and tried to choke her when the attack first began as well as during the scuffle that followed, the documents say.
In court Monday, Thomason waived his right to a preliminary hearing on the charges. That meant Circuit Judge Teresa Righter didn’t have to listen to police testimony to decide if there was enough evidence for the case to go forward before having Thomason enter a plea.
Thomason, 29, 508 DeWitt Ave., Mattoon, remains jailed with his bond set so that he would have to post $15,000 to be released. His attorney, Public Defender Lonnie Lutz, has a pending motion to reduce the bond on file, but on Monday said he didn’t want to address that request yet.
Lutz and State’s Attorney Steve Ferguson agreed to let Thomason meet with the county probation department and be evaluated for substance abuse to determine any bond conditions that might be imposed if he is released from jail. Righter scheduled another hearing for Nov. 24 to hear the reports and consider the bond matter.
Thomason is charged with two counts of attempted murder, with one accusing him of stabbing and choking Kemp intending the kill her and the other alleging that what he did was likely to kill or greatly harm her. A conviction for attempted murder requires a prison term with the possible sentence ranging from six to 30 years.
The police documents in the case also said Thomason didn’t confront Kemp when he first arrived a the business at 616 W. Lincoln Ave., but exited, waited for a customer she was helping to leave and then re-entered. Kemp told officers that he accused her of not answering phone calls he made to her, then became agitated and threatened and attacked her, the documents say.
The attack also included a struggle that ended up outside the business’ building, which was witnessed by an employee of a neighboring business, the documents also say. Thomason left after Kemp was able to get away from him and go into a nearby business, and Thomason was eventually located in Mattoon, according to the documents.
After his arrest, Thomason told police he thought he “blacked out” for several hours and couldn’t remember speaking to Kemp. The documents also say police also spoke with Thomason’s mother, who said he told her, apparently after the attack but before his arrest, that he had intended to kill Kemp.
Contact Dave Fopay at dfopay@jg-tc.com or 348-5733.
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smilininonu2 wrote on Nov 11, 2008 6:54 AM: