Woman Arrested for Identity Theft and Concealment of Friend Death After 17 Years!
A woman has been arrested 17 years after the gruesome discovery of her friend’s remains in a black bag. The arrest follows a long investigation into the mysterious death and identity theft case.
On December 6, 2007, deputies were called to a scene at the intersection of Whitfield and Stitcher roads, where they found a burning black bag. The body inside was missing its head, hands, and feet. The case remained unsolved for years until recent advances in forensic technology provided a breakthrough.
In 2023, DNA from the remains was sent for analysis to Innovative Forensic Investigations and Gene by Gene Laboratories. The results were compared at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab, leading to the identification of the victim as 24-year-old Nicole Alston from Manhattan, New York.
Family members had last heard from Alston in late November 2007, when she left New York with her friend Angel Thompson to move to Atlanta. At that time, Thompson was wanted in New York for theft and identity fraud.
Deputies allege that after Alston’s remains were discovered, Thompson started to impersonate her friend. For nearly eight years, Thompson used Alston’s identity to fraudulently collect around $200,000 in benefits, including supplemental security income, food stamps, and Section 8 housing.
The scheme was uncovered in 2015 when the Social Security Administration requested that “Alston” requalify for benefits in person. At that point, Thompson reportedly returned to her own identity.
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The authorities arrested Thompson on August 19, charging her with concealing a death. Investigators are still searching for the person responsible for Alston’s murder.