A Dallas County jury this week unanimously convicted and sentenced Kephren Thomas to life in prison.
Two years ago, on February 21, 2020, Irving Police arrested 40-year-old Kephren Marcus Thomas for the murder of 22-year-old Jessica Hernandez.
Hernandez's body had been found earlier that month inside a Dumpster in the 2900 block of North Belt Line Road in Irving TX.
According to the arrest affidavit, surveillance video showed Hernandez leaving her Garland house in a cab on Jan. 26, 2020, which was the last day her family saw her.
Detectives said that Hernandez used a taxi to go to the suspect’s house in DeSoto. The cab driver said that when he dropped the victim off at Thomas' house, a male walked outside to pay.
Thomas had previously pleaded guilty to a possession of methamphetamine case in 2015.
At the time, it was reported that the 22-year-old was killed at an unknown location and then her body was put inside the trash bin behind an Aldi grocery store.
According to police documents, Hernandez had several wounds to her head, which were caused by blunt force trauma.
Detectives also said that surveillance video showed a white vehicle pull behind a Dumpster, then a man opened the trunk and pulled something out.
According to case documents, Thomas transported Hernandez's body in a suitcase, emptied her body in the dumpster in Irving and left with the suitcase. Hernandez had been choked and beaten to death.
