Family of 1991 hate slaying victim receives $900,000 settlement

Jet, August 28, 1995

Carolyn Thomas, the widow of an Arlington, TX, man slain four years ago by three teen-age skinheads, recently reached a settlement with Chevron U.S.A., the oil company that owned the convenience store where the killers bought beer the night of the nurder.

Donald Thomas, 32, was killed in a drive-by shooting in June as he sat on the back of a parked truck drinking beer with friends.

A $900,000 settlement recently was agreed upon. It will entitle Mrs. Thomas to $297,000 while the rest of the money will be divided among Mr. Thomas' mother, father, two minor children from a previous marriage and another relationship, and his best friend, who witnessed the nurder.

The settlement is the second one for Mr. Thomas' relatives. Last year the parents of Joshua Hendry, one of the killers, reached a $600,000 settlement agreement with the Thomas family.