A popular TikTok user has been detained on charges related to the death of a therapist in Louisiana, according to officials. Terryon Ishmael Thomas, 20, a TikTok personality known as “Mr.Prada,” was arrested in connection with the murder of 69-year-old Baton Rouge therapist Dr. William Nicholas “Nick” Abraham. Thomas was arrested in Dallas on Tuesday afternoon.
The inquiry began on Sunday when Abraham’s body was discovered wrapped in a tarp and thrown in a ditch on Highway 51 between Fluker and Tangipahoa, Louisiana. Surveillance footage from a nearby store recorded photographs of Thomas, who detectives think was the last person seen driving Abraham’s vehicle. Authorities attempted to stop the stolen car in Baton Rouge on Monday afternoon, but the driver allegedly backed into an officer’s marked vehicle and fled. The officer later recognized Thomas as the driver through a lineup. Thomas is charged with aggravated criminal damage to property, resisting an officer, and unlawful use of a motor vehicle. Thomas’ allegations stem from the crash of Abraham’s car and the fleeing officers. So far, no one has been charged with Abraham’s death. A Baton Rouge police spokeswoman confirmed Thomas’ TikTok username, “Mr.Prada.” Thomas has 8.2 million followers and over 550 million likes on TikTok, spread over two accounts.
Abraham, a well-known Baton Rouge therapist and former Catholic priest, died of blunt force injuries to the head, neck, and shoulders, according to Tangipahoa Parish officials. Sheriff Gerald Sticker called the homicide a “very physical, very violent death.” Abraham’s body was discovered on Sunday morning by a passing motorist who observed a suspicious tarp on the side of the highway. Detectives suspect the corpse was abandoned on Saturday evening. Investigators are still working to ascertain where the murder took place. A search of Abraham’s Baton Rouge residence discovered no evidence of a crime.
Who is Dr. Abraham?
Abraham was well-known in the Baton Rouge area, having been featured on cable television as a mental health therapist. Jarrett Ambeau, his former attorney, says he was surprised by the brutality of his killing. “I’m absolutely devastated and completely surprised that something like that could have happened to a man who I believed to be so tender, so gentle, and have such a servant’s heart,” Ambeau told the newspaper.
A previous charge of assaulting a patient:
According to WAFB, Abraham was accused of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old kid during a counseling session in 2015. The youngster was supposedly so distressed by the session that he told his family he “never wanted to see [Abraham] again.”
According to documents, Abraham was detained and booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison before being released after paying a $25,000 bond. However, prosecutors did not take the case to trial.”While there was probable cause for an arrest, my office had to determine if the evidence supported our burden at trial, which is proof beyond a reasonable doubt,” District Attorney Hillar Moore told WAFB last week.”My office has been looking into this situation for about two years. We declined to file formal charges after assessing all available evidence, the best interests of the kid, and the arrestee’s absence of inculpatory statements. Ambeau represented Abraham in the 2015 lawsuit, claiming Thomas was not the purported victim.
