A Georgia woman was arrested for the murder and years-long identity theft of her girlfriend, a New Yorker who was found dismembered beyond recognition in a burning body bag nearly 18 years ago, according to authorities.
Angel Thompson has been charged with the December 2007 murder of Nicole Alston, a 24-year-old woman from Manhattan who was discovered cut into 13 pieces, with her hands, feet, and head missing in a burning body bag on the side of a quiet Georgia road, Fulton County officials announced at a press conference on Wednesday.
“It took a true sociopath to do what happened here,” Clay Bryant, an investigator with the Troup County Sheriff’s Department, said.
The missing parts of Alston’s body were never located, and the condition of her remains led to the 16-year lag in her identification, officials said.
But, in early 2023, the case was reviewed, and DNA evidence that matched a relative helped authorities confirm the remains belonged to Alston, whose last known location was Manhattan.
Investigators learned that Alston left the Big Apple in 2007 to live with Thompson, who was wanted at the time in New York for theft and identity fraud, according to documents obtained by Fox 5 News.
Thompson allegedly trafficked Alston before she was murdered, and the two had an abusive, coercive relationship, authorities said.
“We believe this victim was trafficked prior to her murder, that this involved classic domestic violence, where this young lady [Thompson] was basically not going to allow both her lover and, i hate to say such a nasty term, but her cash cow, the person that was bringing her money, go,” Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said at the press conference.
On the night Alston was killed, she had already begun to go on dating apps and look for other women, Detective John Nanoff told reporters.
After Alston’s remains were discovered, Thompson allegedly stole her identity to collect social security benefits, food stamps, and Section 8 housing under her name for eight years.
She then opened bank accounts, email accounts, and even swapped Alston’s photo with her picture on her driver’s license in 2010, Nanoff said.
“It’s astounding what she was able to do, what she did for how long she did it,” Nanoff said. “I’ve never seen something so calculated and meticulous before,” he said.
In 2015, when the Social Security Administration contacted her to confirm her identity to continue benefits, Thompson began using her original identity, Fox 5 reported.
She collected roughly $140,000 in government benefits under Alston’s identity, Nanoff said.
In August 2023, Thompson was arrested for concealing Alston’s death, the outlet reported.
Finally, on Tuesday, she was arrested and charged with Alston’s murder and two counts of identity theft, nearly two years later, records show.
Sylvia Austin, the mother of the victim, said she never stopped looking for her daughter after she went missing.
“She didn’t deserve this, and I wish I’d never let her come to Georgia,” she said.
“She was the life of the party. She was happy, and through all of her trials and struggles, she always made everything seem OK. She was always the one people called on to talk to,” she said.
Willis indicated prosecutors will take their time with Thompson’s indictment due to the elaborate nature of the case.
Officials urged anyone with information about Thompson or the couple to reach out to the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office.
The alleged killer is currently in custody at Fulton County Jail without bond, according to court records.
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