Left inset: Angel Thompson (Troup County Sheriff's Office). Right inset: Nicole Alston (Fulton County Sheriff's Office/WAGA). Background: The corner of Whitfield Road and Stitcher Road in Hogansville, Ga., where Angel Thompson allegedly dumped and set Nicole Alston's body on fire (Google Maps)
A Georgia woman accused of murdering her "cash cow" girlfriend who tried to leave her and chopping her up into 13 "pieces" — hiding her hands, feet and head somewhere while burning the rest of her remains on a street corner — is facing an 80-count indictment.
Angel Thompson was indicted last week in Fulton County Superior Court a little over six months after she was arrested for the killing and dismemberment of her former lover, Nicole Alston, 24, whose body parts were found scattered in different places in 2007.
Court records obtained by Law&Crime show that probable cause was found in January and presented to a grand jury on Feb. 24 by local prosecutors, including evidence and allegations of murder, removal of human body parts from scene of death or dismemberment, identity theft when using or possessing identifying info concerning a deceased individual, insurance fraud, forgery, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, concealing death of another, tampering with evidence, and numerous other charges.
"This case involves what are just horrific facts," said Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis at a press conference last August announcing Thompson's arrest.
Nearly two decades passed before local investigators were able to determine who they say killed Alston, after sheriff's deputies in Troup County found a suspicious black bag that was on fire at the corner of Whitfield Road and Stitcher Road in Hogansville. Inside was Alston's torso and other parts of her body.
"When they found her body, it was cut," Willis said.
"They found 13 pieces of her body, but they were not able to identify her," she explained to reporters. "The reason that they were not able to identify her is because, until this day, we still have not been able to find her hands, her feet, or her head."
The case was reviewed by local authorities in 2023, and DNA evidence was sent to Innovative Forensic Investigations in Virginia and Gene by Gene Laboratories in Texas for analysis. The results were handed over to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) crime lab and in December 2023 authorities confirmed that the remains belonged to Alston, who had moved to Georgia from Manhattan, New York, "to start her life," according to Willis and Alston's mother, Sylvia Austin.
"She came to Georgia with this person who told her she was going to help her," Austin said during Willis' presser. "Nicole said, 'She's going to help me. I'm going to be okay.'"
Alston was ultimately identified through an Ancestry.com search conducted by Austin's sister. Thompson was arrested and charged with concealing Alston's death in August 2023, but not for murder.
Police say that prior to Alston's disappearance, she and Thompson were living together at 9100 Cascade Palmetto Highway. Things began to sour between the two of them, according to Austin and Willis, with Alston — who was allegedly the main provider in the relationship — telling her mom that Thompson allegedly became "abusive" toward her.
"She wanted to come home … but said she had it under control," Willis told reporters. "That was her last phone call."
Thompson was facing one count of malice murder and two counts of identity theft before her indictment last week. She allegedly killed Alston in a manner described as "homicidal violence by undetermined means," according to local officials. She had outstanding warrants in New York at the time and was allegedly worried about moving back there, on top of possibly losing her main source of income — Alston, per Willis.
"This involves classic domestic violence, where the young lady was basically not going to allow both her lover — and I hate to say such a nasty term — but really 'cash cow,' the person that was bringing her money, to go," Willis said. "And it ended tragically."
Less than a month after killing Alston, Thompson allegedly began using her identity and tried to sell her car. She even rented out her apartment, according to Troup County Investigator Clay Bryant who spoke at the press conference announcing Thompson's arrest.
"It's beyond the pale of what it took to do this," Bryant said. "It took a true sociopath."
A Fulton County detective who spoke at the presser told reporters that after Alston's body was found, Thompson was "already on dating websites, trying to meet people, rent the room, sell the car." She allegedly opened email accounts and bank accounts in her name and also communicated with government agencies to steal her benefits.
"She did it very well and I believe did it alone," the detective said. "Which is why it took so long to get where we are."
Thompson is accused of raking in nearly $140,000 using Alston's identity. This includes over $60,000 in Social Security, $17,000 in food stamps, and approximately $60,000 in HUD housing assistance. The fraud allegedly continued from the end of 2007 until Alston's benefits stopped in March 2015 — a total of eight years.
"Immediately after this young lady went missing and we now know is deceased, the suspect was trying to recruit other victims," Willis said. "We believe this ties directly to trafficking other women."
Willis told reporters that in her 29 years in criminal law, she had never had a slaying like this come across her desk before.
"This is by far one of the top three most gruesome cases," she concluded. "As her mother said, Nicole was taken advantage of … And she did not deserve this."
Court records show that Thompson is being held at the Fulton County Jail. She does not have a future court date listed yet online.
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