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Texas couple arrested after adopted child found dead in washing machine, sheriff says

Report: The victim, Troy Koehler, was adopted in 2019

Bonds set at $2M for father, $150K for mother in connection to death of 7-year-old who was found dead inside washing machine in Spring: HCSO

A couple in Harris County was arrested months following the death of their adopted 7-year-old son who was found in a washing machine.

Jermaine Thomas, 42, has been charged with capital murder and Tiffany Thomas, 35, has been charged with injury to a child by omission, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.

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They were both booked at the Harris County Jail; the man’s bond was set at $2 million and the woman’s bond was set at $150,000.

Authorities told KPRC, KSAT’s sister station in Houston, on Tuesday that Tiffany Thomas did not appear in court for “mental health reasons.”

An autopsy revealed that the couple’s adopted son, Troy Koehler, suffered new and old injuries, Gonzalez said.

He was found dead in a washing machine at the family’s home in Spring on June 28 after the couple reported him missing.

KPRC reported that the boy died of affixation, blunt-force trauma and possible drowning. He had bruises on his body and injuries to his face, and investigators found blood throughout the home.

Court documents state that the couple threatened to put him inside an oven until he confessed that he ate Tiffany Thomas’ oatmeal cream pies. Jermaine Thomas was also reportedly upset with the child because he ate his doughnut sticks.

KPRC reported that the boy was a foster child and was adopted in 2019.

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About the Author
Rebecca Salinas headshot

Rebecca Salinas is the Digital Executive Producer at KSAT 12 News. A San Antonio native, Rebecca is an award-winning journalist who joined KSAT in 2019.

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