Delay Granted for Marine at Hearing Into Wife’s Death

The case of a Marine’s wife whose charred body was found behind the wheel of her crashed car in Riverside County last December took a new twist Tuesday as a defense lawyer speculated that the woman may have been murdered but not by her husband.

Charged with the premeditated murder of his wife is Sgt. Joseph Thomas, 28, a telephone and radio wiring specialist stationed at El Toro Marine Corps Air Station. The body of Melinda Jean Thomas, 23, was found in a car off the Ortega Highway Dec. 10.

The April 5 charge against Thomas came after Riverside County coroner’s officials, who first investigated the case, listed the cause of death as suicide. After reviewing new evidence gathered by the Marines and naval investigators, the coroner’s office has reclassified the death as a homicide, said Mickey Worthington, an investigator in the Riverside County coroner’s office.

Described by his lawyer as a “very loyal family man” who “denies totally” any guilt in the death of his wife, Thomas has subsequently remarried. His lawyer said Thomas remarried quickly after his wife’s death because a custody hearing for his 4-year-old daughter from a previous marriage was under way, and Thomas believed he would have a better chance of winning custody if he was married.

Santa Ana attorney Edward W. Hall made his comments Tuesday after an Article 32 hearing, similar to a civilian grand jury investigation, opened at El Toro. The hearing is being held to determine if authorities have enough evidence to go to trial on a court-martial of Thomas for the murder of his wife, a charge that could carry the death penalty.

Hearing Postponed

Shortly after the hearing started, the government agreed to postpone it until June 7 to allow the defense more time to prepare its case.

“It could turn out not to be suicide,” Hall said. “But my client is not guilty of the murder.”

Naval investigators routinely looked into the death of Melinda Thomas after her body was discovered in the burned-out car along a lonely stretch of road a short distance from the Orange County-Riverside County line.

The autopsy listed multiple blunt-force injuries as the primary cause of death. Worthington, of the Riverside County coroner’s office, said no alcohol was found in the woman’s blood, but he said there were traces of cocaine.

The naval investigators, according to military sources, allege that Thomas killed his wife in their rental unit in a Marine housing complex, removed the body and staged the car accident. Lawyer Hall introduced a new element Tuesday by suggesting that another Marine, whom he described as an acquaintance of Thomas, had been given immunity in the case after being questioned by naval investigators.

According to the account provided by Hall, who said he had reviewed the government’s documents in the case, the acquaintance told investigators he went home with Thomas and waited in another room while Thomas went into a bedroom, where his wife was. He then heard a struggle, after which Thomas emerged and asked him to help dispose of the bloody body,

Immunity Granted

When first questioned by naval investigators, Hall said, the acquaintance reportedly said nothing about a struggle or being asked to get rid of the body.

Sgt. Deborah Bragagnini, a spokeswoman for the base, said Marine officials would not comment on Hall’s statements.

Thomas, a Marine since 1984, had been married to Melinda Jean for nine months, Hall said.

Government prosecutor Bradley N. Garber said he would call six witnesses when the hearing convenes in June. He refused to elaborate.

After the hearing, Maj. John Walsh, the hearing officer, can recommend to the commanding officer that Thomas be tried for murder in a court-martial or that the charge be dismissed.