RICHMOND, Va. -- A Richmond mother is desperate for answers after the man who killed her son received a plea deal.
She now refers to the man who killed her son as a monster.
Crime Insider sources say that detectives had enough evidence for a trial but there was some worry that testimony against the teenage gang member wouldn't work in their favor.
So they struck a plea deal.
Travis Thomas, now an adult, will serve 25 years for killing two people in Richmond.
"This is what I seen in court,” said Ramona Brown. “I seen a cold-blooded killer, sitting in front of me and it's the first time I've sat behind someone on trial for murder that's young like that and had no remorse."
Listening for an apology, Brown says her son's killer showed no compassion in court on Monday.
Thomas is accused of killing 17-year-old J'mari Saunders in Mosby Court in December 2019, and 28-year-old Antonio Brown, Jr. in Gilpin Court in March 2020.
"They need to bring the death penalty back and I was one that was against it, but I feel if you murder somebody out here, you should lose a life,” said Brown. “If you're a juvenile and commit a man’s crime then you need to spend your life behind bars thinking about it and not ever see the streets again. That's what I wish he got."
It was said in court that Thomas was a home-grown gang member and that Saunders was an innocent victim who just happened to be walking home from a neighborhood store the night he was murdered.
"It was confusing for me to hear that for the first time,” said Brown. “So I was like, ‘wow y'all, you did this over gang-related stuff and the projects beefing? You just come over and kill innocent people?’”
Thomas just turned 18 and his mug shot will be released once he's transferred. He'll be in his forties when he gets out of prison.
Brown says the only thing that is comforting is knowing there's no credit for good behavior and so Thomas will have to do all 25 years.
"When the judge asked him whether he had anything to say to the court, his answer was ‘Nah,’” said Brown. “No compassion, no sympathy. Well, I believe in the high and mighty and you reap what you sow."
Brown was a father of four. Saunders was just a teenager.
Both families are devastated
