Former Whidbey woman who killed sister found dead in cell

Linda Thomas, who had shot her California sister, was found hanging from a bed sheet.

Linda Thomas (Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office)

Linda Thomas (Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office)

Associated Press

RICHMOND, Calif. — A 74-year-old woman convicted of killing her sister in the San Francisco Bay Area after selling her home on Whidbey Island was found hanging in her jail cell.

Contra Costa County sheriff’s officials say a deputy found Linda Thomas early Monday morning hanging from a top bunk at the West Contra Costa Detention Facility with a bed sheet around her neck.

She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Prosecutors say Thomas traveled from Washington in October 2015 to her sister’s home in Rodeo, near San Francisco, and shot her sister, Zonna Thomas, over a family dispute. Police described the crime as a premeditated murder-suicide driven by sibling rivalry. Linda Thomas pointed the weapon at Zonna Thomas’ husband, Donald, but he was able to get away and call 911.

A jury convicted Linda Thomas last month of murder and attempted murder. She was scheduled to be sentenced in July and faced the possibility of life without parole.

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