Suspects Plead Guilty On Eve Of Murder Trial

Sat., Feb. 28, 1998

From Staff And Wire Reports

On the eve of a monthlong trial for a 12-year-old murder, the mother and son defendants walked into court and pleaded guilty.

Doris Thomas, 55, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and Lee “Eric” Thomas, 28, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on Thursday. In exchange, prosecutors said they would not seek the death penalty for Mrs. Thomas.

The Thomases admitted killing 73-year-old Leo Dvells in 1986, discarding his body in the Idaho wilderness and collecting his Social Security checks for 11 years. Doris Thomas also faced 60 counts of grand theft for collecting more than $80,000 of Dvells’ government checks after his death.

“We are very proud of this investigation,” Ada County Sheriff’s Lt. Ted Bowers said. “We kind of pat ourselves on our back every once in a while on this one.”

Dvells was Doris Thomas’ live-in boyfriend. Her son, who was 17 at the time, also lived with the couple.

Eric Thomas’ former girlfriend, Robin Knickerbocker, told authorities that he admitted killing Dvells and leaving the body in the backcountry somewhere north of McCall. It has never been found.

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Suspects Plead Guilty On Eve Of Murder Trial

Jesse Tinsley

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